Victoria Sellick
ENGL 101
1/27/2023
Prof. Pike
Proposal Classical Argument Thesis/Outline Assignment
I. Introduction
A. The topic of education reform has been debated in the United States for years- but the
state of American education has remained poor. In the absence of serious reformation,
schools and school systems would remain as they are.
B. As is evident by the lack of skills among American students, reform is needed. “For
example, one study found that only 31 percent of fourth graders are proficient in reading
on the NAEP(National Assessment of Educational Progress) and by eighth grade this
number is virtually the same (33 percent)” (Vindis,2012).
C. Thesis: A more comprehensive curriculum and more resources can be used to implement
education reform in the United States.
II. 1st paragraph
A. The improvement of education can be achieved by increasing resources and
implementing government funding programs.
B. Resources, materials, and funding are some of the primary causes of educational
imbalance. “Dollars must be at the start of every conversation around equity. Funding is a
central component to providing a high- quality education and often leads to improved
outcomes” (Baffour, Benner, Boser, & Martin, 2018).
C. Students and educators will benefit from more funding for education as they will have
access to better materials, lessons, textbooks, and benefits that can enhance learning.
III. 2nd paragraph
A. In addition to paying teachers a higher wage, schools can confirm that their teachers are
highly qualified and dedicated.
B. Studies have consistently shown a link between higher teacher salaries and higher
cognitive skills. “Notably, teachers have stronger reasonable skills- and their students
perform better in math and reading- in countries that pay teachers more, like in Ireland,
Canada, and Finland” (Will, 2019).
C. Teachers' salaries should be raised not just to ensure that they are paid a living wage, but
also to help filter out the best educators and improve the quality of education for students.
This promotes a positive, healthy learning environment.
IV. 3rd paragraph
A. The current curriculum needs to be rewritten to become more comprehensive and
inclusive in order to ensure that students are receiving an excellent education that is
appropriate for today's world and will prepare them for the future.
B. In many schools, the current curriculum is outdated and fails to reflect the ongoing
changes of the 21 century. “We are faced with the challenge of redefining a foundational
st
education to keep up with the evolution of skills required to solve problems, innovate and
succeed. But, as a society, we are failing to meet that challenge and consequently failing
to adequately prepare the next generation for the future” (Partovi, 2018).
C. The current subjects taught in school need to be changed in order to properly prepare
students for the future while expanding their level of intelligence and skill.
V. Opposing Viewpoint
A. Education reform is not needed in American schools, according to many people. Despite
increasing standardized test scores, known as SOLs, students continue to drop out, which
results in poor performance.
B. It should be noted, however, that these claims are based on fact. These opinions cancel
out many American students. Students need to be prepared for the future with high-
quality education and skills that can help them succeed throughout their personal and
professional lives. Currently, students suffer under the subjects in class, and their
intelligence and confidence continue to deteriorate.
C. “National test scores declined for the lowest-performing high school seniors in math and
reading, and more than 6 in 10 seniors were not academically prepared for college”
(Meckler, 2020). Clearly, this data illustrates just how poorly students have performed
without education reform. These numbers will only continue to rise if nothing is done.
D. Despite some people's belief that education reform has passed, the truth is that education
reform must take place soon or students will continue to suffer.
VI. Conclusion
A. It is generally accepted that education reform negatively impacts the success of students
as well as their ability to make a living or survive in their professional and personal lives.
B. In the absence of more resources and funding, higher salaries for teachers, and revised
subjects, students' education will continue to deteriorate, and this will result in a suffering
society.
C. In order to ensure a highly functioning, tolerable future filled with well-prepared
individuals, education reform is necessary. Education is the foundation of society, and it
must be treated as such. This is not possible without a complete reformation.
References (APA)
Baffour, P., Benner, M., Boser, U., & Martin, C. (2018, November 13). A Quality
Approach to School Funding. The Center for American Progress.
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/quality-approach-school-funding/
Meckler, L. (2020, October 28). ‘nations report card’ shows declines for lowest-
performing students. The Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/education/naep-national-test-scores-
decline/2020/10/28/e797b50e-187b-11eb-aeee-b93bcc29a01b story.html
Partovi, H. (2018, September 17). Why schools should teach the curriculum of the future,
not the past. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/why-
schools-should-teach-the-curriculum-of-the-future-not-the-past/
Vindis, M. (2012, July 30). The decline of American Education. LBJ School of Public
Affairs. https://www.lbj.utexas.edu/news/2012/decline-american-education
Will, M. (2019, February 20). Higher pay leads to smarter teachers, Global Study says.
Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/higher-pay-leads-to-smarter-
teachers-global-study-says/2019/02
