Writing for High School… In the Era of College Readiness Some information adapted and modified from Joseph M. Williams and Lawrence McEnerney’s “Writing in College, Part I”

Why is college readiness important? # Country 2000 2007 1 Iceland 34% 63% 2 Australia 36% 49% 3 Poland 35% 48% 4 Finland 41% 47% 5 New Zealand 51% 46.5% 6 Denmark 37% 46% 7 31% 44% 8 Norway 38% 43% 16 U.S. 34.5% Average 29% 39% “growing gap between the United States and other countries threatens to undermine American economic competitiveness” Jobs are becoming increasingly competitive due to globalization. From: ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Why is college readiness important? U.S. has recently dropped to “12th among 36 developed nations.” 70% of H.S. grads in the U.S. enroll in college within 2 years of graduating 57% of students who begin a a bachelor’s degree will graduate within 6 years 22% of students who begin at a community college graduate with an associate’s within 3 years. “growing gap between the United States and other countries threatens to undermine American economic competitiveness” Source: New York Times, Once a Leader, U.S. Lags in College Degrees, July 23, 2010

Looking at the tests… 2 days of testing English Questions English I English II English III Reading Writing 38 Multiple Choice 2 Short Answer 30 Multiple Choice 3 Compositions 2 days of testing Requires short answer and multiple compositions Editing and Revising Grammar and style English EOC assessments will be administered over a two day period. One day will focus on reading skills, and the other will focus on writing and composition. We can see that on all levels the exams have the exam same format. Multiple choice questions and student responses. There are 2 short answer responses, as well as 3 one page compositions spread across the two testing days. The writing portion not only has one-page compositions, but also has an editing and revising portion. Spelling, grammar, and style will be assessed.

Middle School vs. High School Often students transitioning from middle school to high school are puzzled and frustrated by their experiences with writing for college and career readiness

Middle School vs. High School Only months earlier your writing was winning praise and getting you by. Now… the writing isn't quite "there" yet, it is "lacking something.”

Middle School vs. High School It is assumed that when writing for college readiness, or professionally… your writing is mechanically sound your descriptions are accurate you're saying smart things your formatting is perfect In the past this has likely been the limit of expectation…

Writing for College/Career Readiness There are many types of writing tasks that you will encounter… summarizing a reading and/or lecture accurately and showing that you understand it This is usually the kind of writing you are asked to do, and praised for in middle school to react to a reading, speculate about it Can be both formal and informal

Writing for College/Career Readiness There are many types of writing tasks that you will encounter… Far more often you will be asked to analyze the reading, to make a worthwhile claim about it that is not obvious (state a thesis means almost the same thing)

Writing for College/Career Readiness to support your claim with good reasons, all in four or five pages, that are organized to present an argument A systematic approach to coherently arranging and presenting your thoughts

Analysis Requires that we move beyond mere summary, mimicry, and regurgitation…

It is the key to effective college level and professional writing. Analysis Is the cornerstone, or foundation, of effective argument It is the key to effective college level and professional writing.

Why is college readiness important? Professional Degree: $83,720.00/yr $1,674,400.00/ 20yrs Bachelor’s Degree: $53,976.00/yr $1,079,520.00/ 20yrs Less than a high school diploma: $23,088.00/yr $461,760.00/ 20yrs 2011 National Poverty Level: $ 27,795.00 /yr For a family of 3. In a single word….MONEY. Education pays. This graphic shows not only the average weekly income according to education level, but it also shows the corresponding unemployment rates. There is a direct relationship between income and education level—the more educated you are, the more you are likely to make. There is an inverse relationship between education and unemployment rates. As your education level goes up, the likelihood of being unemployed goes down. I have taken the liberty of running the calculations for you, and you will see the annual income for those without a high school diploma is $23,088.00 per year. In 20 years someone with less than a high school diploma can anticipate making approximate $460,000.00. A bachelor’s degree more than doubles this earning potential, and a professional degree nearly quadruples the income for someone with less than a high school diploma. This is exponential growth in terms of earning potential. An interesting note, the 2011 National Poverty level establishes that someone must make more than $27,795.00/yr to support a family of three and not be considered living below the poverty level.

Helpful Insider Hints… College Professors love grading students papers that… do not meet the minimum requirements (length, for example). do not have a thesis have poor mechanics and structure completely fail to address the prompt

Helpful Insider Hints… You don’t get a second chance, and your instructors/bosses are often indifferent.

R espect A ccountability M otivation S uccess