I assign my students research papers (two).
Seriously, out of, say, 30 students in a class, about five will write something readable.
It is rare to find a freshman or sophomore that is able to read well, let alone express themselves coherently with thought and reason, backed by credible sources.
Sad to say the top performing students are the Asian students. This semester I have two, one from Singapore and the other from China. They both study, read, contribute and grasp the concepts of freedom, individual liberty and responsibility, and can explain why America has a constitution and why we have checks and balances. The US students barely keep their eyes open, if they come to class at all. Nonetheless, many are shocked and offended when they receive a grade less than a “B.”
While US students are mostly lazy, some wake up once they earn that “D” or “F” on their first paper. Some. Not many.
Better not hand out too many poor grades - not good for the college (or more properly, the accreditation mill).
Yes, same here. Every time.
This is what I hear, and for this reason these online Common Core standards seemed incredibly ambitious:
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well- structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to
convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details,
and sensory language to convey experiences and events. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
... that's 3rd in a list of nine writing standards for Grade Six!
( on page 20 of 39 at the link )