My College Story Can Be Yours

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A: Which two statements best describe how the author uses phrases like “have to,” “need to,”and “my hope” to advance her purpose? (R.2.3)

• To challenge adults to support young people in their pursuit of education.

• To emphasize her message to young people to take charge of their education.

• To challenge the traditional education system's focus on standardized testing and grades.

• To entertain the audience with her personal anecdotes of her experience with education.

• To convince her audience to vote for policy proposals to aid challenges faced by underprivileged students.

Part B: Which two sentences provide additional support for the answer chosen in Part A? (R.2.3)

• "That means going to class every day, setting their goals high, and working like crazy to achieve them." (Paragraph 3)

• “They even have pre-kindergarten kids create college-themed art projects, because it's never too early to start talking about higher education.” (Paragraph 10)

• 1. “So we've got to make the sacrifices and investments that will inspire every child to reach higher and give them an opportunity to fulfill their boundless potential.” (Paragraph 11)

• "That's simply not acceptable, and that's why my husband set his ‘North Star’ goal: that by the year 2020, we will once again have the highest college graduation rate in the world." (Paragraph 7)

• “As I traveled the country, whether I was talking to kids or adults, whether I was in big cities or rural areas, I was struck by the strength and depth of people's commitment to education." (Paragraph 6)

3. Read excerpt from Paragraph 11:

“There are young people just like Rocio in every community in this country. Young people with so much promise and so many skills like grit and resilience that will carry them to success. All they need is a little extra support from folks like us. So we've got to make the sacrifices and investments that will inspire every child to reach higher and give them an opportunity to fulfill their boundless potential. If we do that, then I am confident that we can give all our kids the bright futures they so richly deserve..” (Paragraph 11)

How does the speaker's use of words such as “promise”, “sacrifices”, and  “opportunity” achieve her purpose in this paragraph? (R.2.3)

• To make the excerpt more interesting and engaging for the reader.

• To portray young people as helpless and in need of constant adult support.

• To boast about her own achievements and encourage young people to follow in her footsteps.

• To create a sense of responsibility to motivate adults to invest in young people’s education.

Select the detail that provides evidence to support the speaker's argument that Americans need to work toward a common goal of increasing the number of young people who graduate with college degrees. (R.2.4)

• “We need a highly trained, highly educated workforce to compete in the 21st century.” (paragraph 5)

• “I've heard about their hopes of going to college, getting good jobs, and one day starting families of their own.” (paragraph 1)

• “A generation ago, America had the highest percentage of college graduates in the world. But today, we've dropped all the way to 12th in terms of young adults.” (paragraph 7)

• “So Rocio rose from English-as-a-second-language classes all the way to Advanced Placement classes-and next fall, she is heading off to the University of Texas at San Antonio to pursue her degree.” (paragraph 10)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A: Which logical fallacy does the author rely on throughout her speech? (R.2.4)

• She draws on her own experiences to observe the challenges and successes encountered by young people.

• She distracts  her audience by bringing up other problems facing young people that the community must solve

• She leans on the generalization that if young people want to be successful, then they need to simply work hard and put in the effort.

• She utilizes reasoning to build her argument on the importance of increased access to education and individual responsibility.

Part B: Select two examples from the text that best support your answer to Part A. (R.2.4)

• “All they need is a little extra support from folks like us.” (Paragraph 11)

• "That means more parents pushing their kids and demanding more from their kids' schools." (Paragraph 8)

• "I heard about parents making unbelievable sacrifices so their kids could attend school." (Paragraph 6)

• “That means going to class every day, setting their goals high, and working like crazy to achieve them." (Paragraph 3)

• “At the end of the day, they also need to step up and take responsibility for their education themselves.” (Paragraph 2)

How does the author use text structure in paragraph 7 to convey that America can become the leader of college graduates again? (R.2.1)

• The chronological structure shows the progression of American college graduation rates over time.

• The cause and effect structure shows the many positive results of the policies being used to improve young peoples’ lives.

• The problem and solution structure shows how the issues that cause college graduation to decline have been solved.

• The compare and contrast structure shows how America has historically compared to other countries and the differences in educational expectations.

Using the graph below, select a statement that explains how the addition of this graph could have helped the author convey her purpose. (R.2.1)

• The graph supports the author’s claim that as long as students work hard they will be able to go to college.

• The graph supports the author’s concern that the number of unemployed young people is increasing with time.

• The graph supports the author’s claim that young people must graduate college to get a good job and be successful.

• The graph supports the author’s concern that the number of young people going to and graduating from college is declining.

Part A: What central idea about education does the author express in the passage? (R.2.2)

• Young people in America need more encouragement to achieve their dreams.

• A college education is not as important to Americans as it is to the rest of the world.

• The government is invested in helping support young people’s education as a way to support the nation.

• Some individuals may successfully graduate college without the support of the community, but that is not true for most.

Part B: Which two details develop the central idea identified in Part A? (R.2.2)

• "I saw the power of cultural norms around education in March, when I visited China." (Paragraph 6)

• “That's simply not acceptable, and that's why my husband set his "North Star" goal: that by the year 2020, we will once again have the highest college graduation rate in the world." (Paragraph 7)

• "So when I talk to these young people, my hope is that they see that our story can be their story too." (Paragraph 3)

• "So when I talk to these young people, my hope is that they see that our story can be their story too." (Paragraph 3)

• “Every day, we're seeing examples of communities stepping up to support their young people in places from California to Iowa to New York.” (Paragraph 2)