Transcript Writing for College Readiness

In the Era
of College
Readiness
Some information adapted and modified from Joseph M. Williams and Lawrence McEnerney’s “Writing
in College, Part I”
#
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
Iceland
31%
44%
8
Norway
38%
43%
16
U.S.
34%
34.5%
Average
29%
39%
From: ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC
CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Jobs are becoming
increasingly
competitive due to
globalization.
 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.
Source: New York Times, Once a
Leader, U.S. Lags in College Degrees,
July 23, 2010
English
English I
Questions
Reading
Writing
English II
Reading
Writing
English III
Reading
Writing
38 Multiple Choice
2 Short Answer
30 Multiple Choice
3 Compositions
38 Multiple Choice
2 Short Answer
30 Multiple Choice
3 Compositions
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
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…
Analysis
Is the cornerstone, or
foundation, of effective
argument
It is the key to effective
college level and
professional writing.
Bachelor’s Degree:
Professional Degree:
$53,976.00/yr
$1,079,520.00/
20yrs
$83,720.00/yr
$1,674,400.00/
20yrs
Less than a high school
diploma:
$23,088.00/yr
$461,760.00/
20yrs
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.