Title: Removing Standardized Test Requirements for Public Colleges
Public colleges are meant to be an accessible way for students to receive an education after high school. They provide a more affordable and convenient way for in-state students to further their education. Currently, many of these public institutions require their applicants to submit standardized test scores. In the past, standardized test scores have been used as the official scale to compare applicants from a variety of backgrounds. However, the mechanisms of standardized testing have become all too biased at the expense of equity and accessibility. The influence of test preparation and retake costs have led tests like the SAT and ACT to no longer be fair measurements of all students’ performance. As of 2020, hundreds of colleges across the country have dropped their standardized testing policies for the first time to account for the uncertainties of the pandemic. These temporary policies give public colleges the opportunity to recognize that standardized testing is no longer a fair way to measure students’ future performance and allow them to permanently remove this requirement for all applicants.
Questions:
- I think my title might be a little awkward so if you have any suggestions about that in particular I’d love to hear them!
- I’m not sure if my first 2 sentences flow that well with the rest of the paragraph because I want to set up the idea of public colleges as accessible and how standardized tests make them less accessible, so any comments about improving clarity would be really helpful!
1). Comment on the title. How does it offer a way forward on the issue? Does it hint at or echo the paper’s thesis? Make suggestions.
So, I think that your title is good, but I do not know if it is necessarily offering a way forward on the issue at hand. It does in fact hint at and echo the thesis, which is good, but I think that if you maybe changed it a little bit, it would highlight more of the paper. You could maybe use words like outdated tests, or somehow mention like how students will no longer have a number define their intelligent. I am not good at making titles, but I hope this kind of gets your juices flowing.
2). Does this piece’s title and introduction respond to an exigence? Does it make the issue pressing or connect to other pressing needs and issues? Make suggestions.
Yes, both the title and intro response to an exigence regarding the standardized tests and the college admissions process. You did a great job towards the end of the intro on pressing the issue to today and how it is relevant. Also, your thesis does a great job of making this a today kind of issue by your mentioning of the temporary policies that are in place right now. I do not think you need to do anymore in regards to pressing the issue.
3). Comment on the thesis. Does it set up a clear argumentative claim? Is it advancing a specific policy or practice? Can you imagine how the rest of the argument will unfold?
I think your thesis does a great job of setting up an argumentative claim (“to recognize that standardized testing is no longer a fair way to measure students’ future performance”). You are advancing a specific policy by stating “allow them to permanently remove this requirement for all applicants”. You are suggesting a permanent removal of this standardized test requirement. I can definitely imagine how the rest of this brief will look.
-I think my title might be a little awkward so if you have any suggestions about that in particular I’d love to hear them!
see my above note about the title (first question).
-I’m not sure if my first 2 sentences flow that well with the rest of the paragraph because I want to set up the idea of public colleges as accessible and how standardized tests make them less accessible, so any comments about improving clarity would be really helpful!
I know what you are saying and I get why you would have that worry, but I think that they flow fine. I also think that for your point you wish to get across, these sentences are needed and relevant to the issue. I would not change them.
Overall, everything looks really good!!
1). Comment on the title. How does it offer a way forward on the issue? Does it hint at or echo the paper’s thesis? Make suggestions.
I think the title can be more creative. How can you draw the audience in by giving them a little piece of what your paper is about? You can even be clever and play on words a little bit like the word test, just an idea.
2). Does this piece’s title and introduction respond to an exigence? Does it make the issue pressing or connect to other pressing needs and issues? Make suggestions.
I think it does as you kind of bring up covid and schools dropping test scores. I think adding a data or stat in there can help strengthen the importance of your topic. It is really solid though otherwise.
3). Comment on the thesis. Does it set up a clear argumentative claim? Is it advancing a specific policy or practice? Can you imagine how the rest of the argument will unfold?
I think your thesis is a good start but I feel like there is no argument set up. Do you want the current policies to become permanent? State that! Right now it feels like just a statement rather than a claim.
Other ???
I think my title might be a little awkward so if you have any suggestions about that in particular I’d love to hear them!
Look at #1 Lol maybe something like standardized or traumatized? The effect tests have had on students… idk something fun like that!
I’m not sure if my first 2 sentences flow that well with the rest of the paragraph because I want to set up the idea of public colleges as accessible and how standardized tests make them less accessible, so any comments about improving clarity would be really helpful!
I think the first two sentences are fine but I do suggest making them more of an attention grabbing sentence, how can you grab the audience’s attention while introducing your topic?
1). Comment on the title. How does it offer a way forward on the issue? Does it hint at or echo the paper’s thesis? Make suggestions.
Your title is super straightforward, in that you are able to help the reader clearly understand what will be discussed. However, I think you can be more creative. I feel that you can create a total with both stating what will be discussed and creating something to bring others to want to read.
2). Does this piece’s title and introduction respond to an exigence? Does it make the issue pressing or connect to other pressing needs and issues? Make suggestions.
Yes it does, I feel like you have created a solid introduction paragraph. When I read, I can feel the sense of urgency and clearly what areas you feel need to be pressed. I also liked how you included current policies, because that helps add relevance to the current climate.
3). Comment on the thesis. Does it set up a clear argumentative claim? Is it advancing a specific policy or practice? Can you imagine how the rest of the argument will unfold?
I actually really liked your claim, it felt strong and very well organized. It gives me reassurance that there is a road map to policy, and a vision about what will be discussed.
Additional Comments
I think you did a great job overall! If anything I would work on the title, just add a bit of flavor. Not only do I feel your title could be informative but just as engaging.
Looking forward to reading more!