1.

Aschoolboardisconcernedthatthestatesrequirementsforcorecoursesinmathematics,English,science,and
socialstudiesmaypreventstudentsfromtakingimportantelectivecourseslikemusic,otherlanguages,and
vocationaleducation.Theschoolboardwouldliketoencouragemorehighschoolstudentstotakeelective
coursesandisconsideringtwoproposals.Oneproposalistolengthentheschooldaytoprovidestudentswiththe
opportunitytotakeelectivecourses.Theotherproposalistoofferelectivecoursesinthesummer.Writealetter
totheschoolboardinwhichyouargueforlengtheningtheschooldayorforofferingelectivecoursesduringthe
summer.Explainwhyyouthinkyourchoicewillencouragemorestudentstotakeelectivecourse.Beginyour
letter:DearSchoolBoard.
2. Manysuccessfuladultsrecallatimewhentheywereconsideredafailureatonepursuitoranother.Someofthese
peoplefeelstronglythattheirpreviousfailurestaughtthemvaluablelessonsandledtotheirlatersuccesses.
Othersmaintainthattheywentontoachievesuccessforentirelydifferentreasons.Inyouropinion,canfailure
leadtosuccess?Orisfailuresimplyitsownexperience?Inyouressay,takeapositiononthisquestion.Youmay
writeabouteitheroneofthetwopointsofviewgiven,oryoumaypresentadifferentpointofviewonthis
question.Usespecificreasonsandexamplestosupportyourposition.
3. Educatorsdebateextendinghighschooltofiveyearsbecauseofincreasingdemandsonstudentsfromemployers
andcollegestoparticipateinextracurricularactivitiesandcommunityserviceinadditiontohavinghighgrades.
Someeducatorssupportextendinghighschooltofiveyearsbecausetheythinkstudentsneedmoretimeto
achieveallthatisexpectedofthem.Othereducatorsdonotsupportextendinghighschooltofiveyearsthey
thinkthatstudentswouldloseinterestinschoolandthatattendancewoulddropinthefifthyear.Inyouropinion,
shouldhighschoolbeextendedtofiveyears?
4. Insomehighschools,manyteachersandparentshaveencouragedtheadministrationtoadoptadresscodethat
setsguidelinesforwhatstudentscanwearintheschoolbuilding.Someteachersandparentssupportadresscode
becausetheythinkitwillimprovethelearningenvironmentintheschool.Otherteachersandparentsdonot
supportadresscodetheythinkitrestrictsanindividualstudentsfreedomofexpression.Inyouropinion,should
highschoolsadoptdresscodesforstudents?
5. TheChildrensInternetProtectionAct(CIPA)requiresallschoollibrariesreceivingcertainfederalfundsto
installanduseblockingsoftwaretopreventstudentsfromviewingmaterialconsideredharmfultominors.
However,somestudiesconcludethatblockingsoftwareinschoolsdamageseducationalopportunitiesfor
students,bothbyblockingaccesstoWebpagesthataredirectlyrelatedtothestatemandatedcurriculumsandby
restrictingbroaderinquiriesofbothstudentsandteachers.Inyourview,shouldtheschoolsblockaccessto
certainInternetWebsites?
6. Newlawsarebeingproposedthatwouldrequireschoolstoaccommodatestudentswhowishtotransfertoa
differentschooliftheschoolfallsbelowacertainlevelonstatewidestandardizedtests.Supportersofthislaw
believethatitisastudentsrighttotransfertoanewschoolifhisorhercurrentschoolisnotfulfillingitsduties.
Opponentsarguethatthislawisimpracticalwhatwouldhappenifallthestudentsrequestedtransfers?and
unfairlyweighstestscoreswithoutconsideringotherfactorsataschool.Inyouropinion,shouldstudentsbe
allowedtotransferifschoolsscorebelowacertainlevelonstandardizedtests?
7. Collegeprofessorswhohavesignificantresearchandteachingexperienceareoftenrewardedwithtenure.Once
tenured,aprofessorholdshisorherjobwithoutreviewandwithlittledangerofbeingfiredorreplaced.Some
peoplebelievethathighschoolteachersshouldbetenuredasarewardfordedicatedservice.Thesepeopleargue
thattenurewillattracthighlyqualifiedcandidatestotheprofessionandalsoallowteacherstodotheirjobs
withoutfearoflosingthem.Opponentsofthisplanbelievethattenureonlyleadstopoorteaching.Withoutany

fearoflosingtheirjobs,teacherswillnotcareasmuchabouttheirstudents.Inyouropinion,shouldhighschool
teachersreceivetenure?
8. Manycommunitiesareconsideringadoptingcurfewsforhighschoolstudents.Someeducatorsandparentsfavor
curfewsbecausetheybelieveitwillencouragestudentstofocusmoreontheirhomeworkandmakethemmore
responsible.Othersfeelcurfewsareuptofamilies,notthecommunity,andthatstudentstodayneedfreedomto
workandparticipateinsocialactivitiesinordertomatureproperly.Doyouthinkthatcommunitiesshould
imposecurfewsonhighschoolstudents?
9. Inresponsetoarticlesexaminingsensitivetopicssuchasdatingandpartying,manyschoolsareconsidering
censoringtheirnewspapers.Someschoolsbelievethatthesetopicsarenotappropriateforstudentrunpapers,
whileothersbelievethat,aslongaswhatisprintedistrue,studentpapersshouldhavethesamefreedomsas
regularnewspapersdo.Whatisyouropiniononthistopic?
10. Insomestates,legislatorshavedebatedwhetherteenagersshouldberequiredtomaintainaCgradeaveragein
schoolbeforereceivingadriverslicense.Somepeoplethinkthiswouldbeagoodpolicybecausehavingpassing
gradesshowsthatstudentsareresponsibleenoughtobegooddrivers.Otherpeoplethinksuchapolicywouldnot
beappropriatebecausetheyseenorelationshipbetweengradesinschoolanddrivingskills.Inyouropinion,
shouldteenagersberequiredtomaintainaCaverageinschoolbeforereceivingadriverslicense?
11. Insomehighschools,studentsarerequiredtocompleteacertainnumberofcommunityservicehourspriorto
graduation.Somepeoplethinkcommunityserviceisagoodrequirementbecausetheythinkstudentswillbenefit
fromthisexperience.Otherpeoplethinkschoolsshouldnotrequirecommunityservicebecausestudentswill
resenttherequirementand,asaresult,willnotbenefitfromtheexperience.Inyouropinion,shouldhighschools
requirestudentstocompleteacertainnumberofhoursofcommunityservice?
12. SomehighschoolsintheUnitedStateshaveconsideredcreatingseparateclassroomsformaleandfemale
studentsinsubjectssuchasmathematicsandscience.Someeducatorsthinkseparateclasseswillbebeneficial
becausestudentswillbelessdistractedfromlearning.Othereducatorsthinkhavingseparateclassesforfemales
andmaleswillnotbebeneficialbecauseitwillseemtosupportstereotypesaboutdifferencesinabilitybetween
malesandfemales.Inyouropinion,shouldhighschoolscreateseparateclassesformaleandfemalestudents?
13. Inrecentyears,manyschoolshaveadoptedacurriculumbasedongreatbooks.Theseschoolsrequirestudents
tostudycertainclassicbooksofWesterncivilization,arguingthatfamiliaritywiththesegreatbooksisessential
toeducation.However,opponentsofthiscurriculumarguethatforcingteachersandstudentstouseonlythe
greatbooks,mostofwhicharewrittenbywhite,Europeanauthors,resultsinabiasedviewoftheworld.In
youropinion,shouldschoolsadoptacurriculumbasedongreatbooks?
14. Schoolsinsomestateshavechangedtheirschoolcalendarssothattheyarenowyearroundschools.Advocates
ofyearroundschoolingarguethatthetraditionalsummerbreakisawasteofstudentstimethatcouldotherwise
bespentlearning.Opponentschargethattodaysstudentsarealreadyoverburdenedwiththestressesofschool,,
andneedthesummertogetamuchneededbreak.Inyourview,shouldthetraditionalthreemonthsummer
vacationfromschoolbemaintained?