Say (example) In the article, “Don’t Take Valuable Space in My School,” Jenny While, a former student at El Cajon Valley High School, asserts that “space-takers”—students who go to school for reasons other than learning—affect the educational environment. While argues that valuable learning time is being taken away from those students who are motivated and focused. When the focus of instruction is turned to the lowest common denominator, the higher-performing students stop learning. This is partly due, she says, to the No Child Left Behind Act, which aims to increase all students’ proficiency levels. According to While, this piece of legislation robs advanced students of their education. This is an issue that extends beyond the classroom. While insists that catering to low-performing, apathetic students can cause schools to suffer, resulting in lower test scores, higher failure rates, and higher teacher turnover rates.

Do (example) Jenny While observes the behavior and actions of students who do not care about their education and shares her observations with the reader. While uses the term “space-takers” to define a group of students who take valuable time away from students interested in learning and doing well in school. She shows how space-takers negatively impact classes, instruction, and overall school performance. Toward the end of the article, While challenges the very system that is designed to help the students who are low-performing, No Child Left Behind. While wants to illuminate the flaws in education by showing that space-takers are hurting schools everywhere, and the law is encouraging them.

Mean (example) This article is significant because, as a high school student, I understand what While’s concern is, and I am sure many other students who read this article feel the same way, as well. I understand that some students only go to school because they are forced to. I have been in classrooms where students take away from the learning environment. Students who do not care about their education negatively impact learning, and it is these students who perform poorly on state exams. This is a concern because low scores on high-stakes exams hurt schools. Low-performing schools develop a reputation that leads to more problems for students and teachers.