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<blockquote> <p>However, it's a matter of who will do better (the high-performing vs. the low-performing schools) and what the test scores by class, race, gender, etc. will show by the end of this year. If you have any thoughts, just vent.<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Well, duh? They wouldn't be "lower performing" schools if they taught their students how to write a coherent essay, however mechanical or contrived the process.</p>
<p>What I'm more concerned about is what will happen when we start seeing how bad the scores are from middle income white kids who have never been taught how to write an essay! I think there are going to be some unhappy folks everywhere, and a geat deal of discussion about teaching writing - not all good, because some very thoughtful, high performing writers won't do well on this because they do a lot of their proofing mentally. I predict we will see a lot of forced training of rapid fire writing.</p>
<p>By the way, I know whole states where algebra II is not required.</p>