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AP Language students will have their research papers on education reform back when they return to class on Monday. The revisions will be due on Sunday, December 8th at 1:00 p.m. I’d suggest sending the papers in PDF format to preserve MLA formatting when you submit the final drafts.

We’ll conference about the papers during the block days on Wednesday and Thursday, but do not wait to work on the revisions until then. I’d recommend that you begin work immediately. In some cases, I’d begin work now before you get the papers back.

Resources for Revision

• Collection of academic research on many of the topics you’re writing about
• Purdue MLA formatting guide
• EasyBib: works cited automator
• MLA format checklist
• Sample Paper from 2010 (Not perfect, certainly, but an A)

Issues with the Papers (This list will grow over Saturday and Sunday)

• Thesis statements need to be clear, concise arguments for the change you’d like to see.
• Any specific claims, statistics and other information needs to be cited.
• The papers must have quality, academic research and not rely too heavily on web sites or informal interviews.
• The authors should apply broad, academic research to the specific situation facing HHS/HSD1. For instance, if you were arguing for better mentor programs, an academic article about the benefits of such a program can certainly and should certainly be applied to your specific proposal.
• The papers need to use quotations effectively. Too often, they are relying on very broad paraphrasing that does not a) capture the nuance of the original source or b) adequately support your arguments.
• Have a clearly defined proposal. The reader should have no doubt about what you plan to do.
• The papers need to feel like they have been written as part of a collaborative, cohesive process. Right now, many feel like the product of multiple authors working independently, leading to fragmented, disjointed, and/or repetitive papers.