Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Why American Students Can't Write

The Atlantic wants a debate. Don't worry, Penn GSE Reading/Writing/Literacy students will have the final say. And by final say, I mean a a well-read scholarly critique that you don't necessarily have to agree with, but be open to...

Why American Students Can't Write

In "The Writing Revolution," Peg Tyre traces the problems at one troubled New York high school to a simple fact: The students couldn't write coherent sentences. In 2009 New Dorp High made a radical change. Instead of trying to engage students through memoir exercises and creative assignments, the school required them to write expository essays and learn the fundamentals of grammar. Within two years, the school's pass rates for the English Regents test and the global-history exam were soaring. The school's drop-out rate — 40 percent in 2006 — has fallen to 20 percent.

The experiment suggests that the trend toward teaching creative writing was hurting American students. In a debate about Tyre's story, we asked a range of experts, from policymakers to Freedom Writers founder Erin Gruwell, to share their thoughts on Tyre's story. This page will be updated with new entries each day through mid-October.

Continue Reading at the Atlantic....

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