Rhetorical Analysis

809 Words2 Pages

College level courses such as AP, IB, and AICE have not only become crucial for high school students, but increasingly controversial. In modern-day America, these courses have become the primary method used to prepare high school students for higher education. In order for all high school students to be college-ready, it is essential they all be allowed to take challenging college-level courses, even if these students are deemed ‘unready’. “Behold the Power of Challenging all High School Students-not Just the A Team” by Jay Mathews argues that all high school students benefit from the opportunity of taking college level courses in high school as preparation for college.
In the article, Jay Mathews uses persuasive appeals, such as logos and strategies such as rhetorical questions, to strengthen his argument. …show more content…

Mathews highlighted the differences between their views on AP classes: “Wakefield teachers urged everyone to try AP and got award-winning results” (Mathews) as opposed to T.C Williams High School which does not urge all of its students to take AP classes. Mathews supports his argument with facts by stating that, “The percentages of tests passed by Wakefield students were higher: 51 percent to 39 percent.” The author used data from the success of Wakefield on the AP Exam, compared to T.C Williams, to refute Welsh’s claims. Logically, one could conclude that a school performs better on AP exams when AP courses are offered to all students. The author discussed the success of Garfield High School in East Lost Angles where 85 percent of their students were low-income in 1987. The teachers took a bold risk and decide to improve courses in order to prepare their students for the AP exam. As a result, “85 out of the 129 students got a passing score of a three or better” (Mathews). Mathews included rhetorical

Open Document