Dallas-Fort Worth students struggle with TAKS' short-response written test
09:16 AM CDT on Sunday, July 20, 2008
By LAURIE FOX and HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
Kids today are whizzes at text-messaging.
But when they're asked to craft a well-thought-out answer based on a short piece they've read, many are all thumbs.
A small part of the high school language arts TAKS tests has become a sinkhole for even the state's best students.
Three short-response questions require students to stretch their brains by generating clear, reasonable ideas from a reading selection.
Then they must support those ideas with evidence from the text in a well-written response.
It's a challenge that's vexing high school students and their teachers.
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