ENGL 115 Professor Schultz

Conquering Counterargument: A Sample

Thesis: Although standardized tests are costly and rigorous, the Common Core State Standards
should be implemented because they do not inhibit teachers’ creativity, they present a reasonable
progression for students through the grade levels, and equip students with necessary skills for
college, career, and life.

Counterarg ¶: With Common Core comes a new set of standardized tests aligned to the

standards, which are always a source of contention. Diane Ravitch, a professor of education at

New York University, condemns the new standards due to the high cost of the tests and the

emotional toll on students. Ravitch’s New York Times article “The Common Core Costs Billions

and Hurts Students” notes that implementing the CCSS is an expensive process. According to

Ravitch, “states and school districts have spent billions of dollars to phase in the standards…and

to buy the technology needed to administer them online.” Adapting to the technology required

for administering the assessments is an arduous task, and Ravitch does not believe it is worth the

immense cost, especially to student morale. In reference to the increased difficultly of Common

Core’s tests from previous ones, Ravitch states that a harder test “predictably depresses test

scores, creating a sense of failure and hopelessness.” Ultimately, Common Core could be costly

to school budgets and student morale. While these arguments seem plausible at first, Ravitch’s

proposed problems are solvable. For instance, the Public Policy Institute of California found that

“California’s old standards are pretty similar to the [CCSS],” which would logistically require

less transition than Ravitch suggests (“Implementing”). Additionally, the relationships between

harder tests, depressed scores, and sense of failure and hopelessness are not permanent or

irreversible. Students need time to adjust to the new tests, and the increased difficulty better

prepares them for a world in which college-acceptance rates and job markets are growing more

competitive. While Ravitch’s points are understandable, Common Core’s benefits outweigh her

counterarguments.