Daniels, Nicole. “How Do You Think American Education Could Be Improved?

” New York
Times, 10 Dec. 2019,
www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/learning/how-do-you-think-american-education-could-be-improv
ed.html.

This article noted that the average scores from American students on standardized exams are
lower than many other countries, and that the gap between the lowest and highest performing
students is increasing. It interviewed different specialists in the field, who attributed this to a
multitude of factors, such as excessive time spent on technology, low pay for teachers, lack of
a safety net for those doing worse, and inadequate funding for schools in general. It then
prompted students who felt strongly on this topic to comment, and it was apparent that many
students felt strongly about it, with the article garnering hundreds of comments.

The author, Nicole Daniels, is/are qualified to discuss faults in the education system because
her credentials (or experience) include being a former teacher, herself and being a staff editor
with the Learning Network, a subgroup of the New York Times, and his/her contact information
is included in the article.

Written less than 3 years ago, this source is current on the topic of humanities.

The author of this article thoroughly evaluated all sides of the issue. For example, they
acknowledge that many of these solutions are very difficult to execute, like increased funding
for schools, and then address that opposing viewpoint by saying some ideas can be executed,
if not all. Daniels says that if we incentivise time away from screens, it is likely to have a
positive impact on the youth. This inclusion shows that the article’s author acknowledges
alternative viewpoints because they accept that not everything is possible, but what is possible
should be achieved.

The information contained in the source can be verified elsewhere. For example, the author
says that spending less time in front of a screen allows children to interact with adults, in turn
increasing their vocabulary and helping perform better on tests.This can be corroborated by
Katherine Lee in her publication “Less Screen Time Means a Healthier Mind and Body for
Kids”. Lee discusses how students have become preoccupied with technology, and often have
more virtual concerns than in the real world. She also mentions how it reduces interactions
between people, citing studies and surveys.

The purpose of this article is to analyze factors that contribute to the U.S.’s scores on
standardized tests, which have been lower than expected. The audience is virtually anyone
involved in the education system, be it parents with a voice, teachers who want to improve, or
students who want to do better. The article is appropriate for this purpose and audience
because it was published by the New York Times, one of the most esteemed papers. Her
information has been corroborated by other professionals, and it has been rigorously reviewed,