Monday, March 19, 2012

Did Anyone Run This Prompt Past David Coleman?

GothamSchools has posted some slides from the NYC Dept. of Education with some examples of Common Core aligned prompts:

What puzzles me here is the difference between the prompt above and the text of the standard for writing arguments (which I presume this is supposed to assess):

  • a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
  • b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.

There are a few more, but that's the most relevant part. Why are the two so different, and in particular, why is the NYC assessment so concerned with the student's point of view, which is not required at all by the standards themselves, as has been repeatedly explained to us by David "people really don’t give a shit about what you feel or what you think" Coleman?

I'm not saying this prompt is eeevil, but I could certainly write one for your state that was easier and aligned more closely with the actual standards. If your state buys my solution, you'll look better than New York.

No comments: