Editorial Effectiveness

          With any controversial topic, it is usually imperative to include some sort of editorial content in a research paper in order to establish your own point of view on the issue. While remaining unbiased and objective, an author should use thesis statements and other aspects of opinionated writing to express his stance on the argument that he is either supporting or denying. Editorials are different from other articles because rather than just handing out the facts about a certain event, the author gives his own personal feedback and opinion on the topic. In editorials, it is necessary for the author to contribute his own views.
          As for my topic on the inaccuracy and ineffectiveness of standardized testing on measuring student intellect and competency, an editorial might be important to show how the general public feels about the vast overuse of standardized testing in the United States. Allowing a student to publish an editorial on standardized testing in a local newspaper would allow him to express how he, and most likely his peers, are affected by testing regiments and how they personally feel about it. Teachers could write about their opinions on how standardized testing is affecting the quality of classroom settings and it would allow individuals, such as teachers and administrators to have an insight into what it is like for teachers struggling to maintain an introspective learning environment while still having to teach to the test. In the editorial written by the editors of "Rethinking Schools," the sordid history of standardized testing is examined and criticized as well as the statements of several high ranking individuals who have spoken out about standardized testing. The editors of this column effectively evaluate outside sources while skillfully interjecting their own opinions to create a very successful editorial.