Practice Writing Students Are Being Constantly Judged

Practice Writing

Students are being constantly judged and analyzed based upon their academic achievements. The texts presented question the validity of assessment and question how and why students are limited in their ambitions. Emphasis is put on certain aspects of academia but others are overlooked entirely. There is a decided need for reevaluation of what should be expected of students and how they are judged by those in positions of authority over them.

Students who attend Ivy League schools are supposed to be somehow more intelligent or more capable than students who go to public schools (Easterbook). However, research indicates that the only thing that matters is that a student attends some college. People who go to college will generally earn more money than those that do not, but the type of school does not necessarily impact the income level of the person.

Research conducted by Catherine Rampell found that in private institutions there was a larger degree of grade inflation than in public schools. That is to say that a high grade in a private institution would probably earn a lower grade in a public one. The grade point average (GPA) is higher for private schools because of pressure on instructors to grade lightly rather than because of substantial levels of achievement. Students are not learning anything more in private schools but get higher grades because of the high cost of attending private institutions. In total, students are not doing as well in the current time as they have historically. On average, GPAs have dropped half a point in the last thirty years (Average).

Writing is a process of creative thought and revision of original ideas. A change has been made in recent decades so that the process of writing is given attention rather than the final product. The reason for this change in perspective is to encourage students in their writing and also allows evaluators to find how the individual writer has progressed from their first draft up to and including the final project. A student may not be the best at writing and thus comparing his or her work to others puts that student at a disadvantage. If, however, the student is judged against him or herself, those performing the evaluation can see what the student has done in the steps which led up to the completed assignment. This is a much more fair way to evaluate students' writing.

No writing is perfect the first time the thoughts are put to paper. Ideas may be disorganized, grammar may be incorrect or any number of other issues may arise. In a secondary draft, additional ideas can be found as well as further supportive information which will strengthen the argument of the written work. Revising a piece of writing can only improve its quality and scope.