Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide students an opportunity to answer one of the central questions of our course. Students should develop an argument, or THESIS, based on their response to the question below, and include readings from the course to support their argument.
The Audience: Your audience is college-educated adults, who may or may not agree with your position.
Task: Write a 7-10 page paper addressing the prompt below. Include at least 5 resources to support your claims.
Prompt: What is the opportunity gap in American Public Schools? Why do we have an opportunity gap? What can we do about the opportunity gap?
Identify the significant cultural issues that interfere with educational achievement and cause the Achievement Gap / Opportunity Gap. Identify the issues from both the students’ and the educators’ perspective. What issues influence the educational attainment of students within different underrepresented groups (race, gender, culture, academic proficiency, social development, motivation, learning styles, discipline, socioeconomic class, religion, language, home/school conflicts).
Select 3-4 issues. Use course readings and optional additional research (you can use additional sources) to define, explain and develop these as core topics in your paper. Review the readings from the quarter and the class discussions and presentations.
Select 3-4 actions. Brainstorm what actions and behaviors can we take to address the causes of the opportunity gap. These are “possible” solutions that include actions/alternatives to current practice. Be sure to include who should take the actions (parent, student, teacher, administrator, community) and why.
The Writing Process: You must choose a reasoned, well-researched position to argue. Focus on issues and actions we’ve learned this quarter. The problems are complex, and it would be difficult to solve all the problems in only one essay.
Free write on your topic.
Review key thinkers and texts we’ve studied this quarter. Pull out a few appropriate and meaningful quotes to use in your paper.
Draft your paper. I strongly suggest that you consider visiting the writing center or asking a peer editor to look at your draft.
The final essay will be 7-10 pages and will require students to synthesize at least five sources we’ve read in class. Other sources may be included, but are not required. All sources must use correct APA documentation—in text citations and a Works Cited page. Please edit your work, do not submit the first draft. In the body of your paper, support (by citing the literature) the existence of the issues and actions you identify and their effect on the opportunity gap.
Your final product must include:
Your definition of the Opportunity Gap and why it continues in American Public Schools.
A description of the 3-4 issues selected as the cause of the Opportunity gap.
A summary of the possible actions/solutions to address the gap, and who should take these actions.
Research to support issues and plan (5 sources).
Works Cited information for each the source (use APA format)
You will hand in a typewritten finished product in APA style and submitted to canvas by the due date
