English Language Arts: Argumentative Writing (TEKS.ELA.9-12.11.C)
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Texas High School ELA › English Language Arts: Argumentative Writing (TEKS.ELA.9-12.11.C)
Schools should permit carefully supervised use of artificial intelligence tools in secondary classrooms because, when framed as partners rather than shortcuts, they can expand access to rigorous feedback and diverse models of discourse. Blanket bans often push usage off-campus, where inequities widen and guidance disappears. Students who learn to interrogate an AI's sources, note its blind spots, and revise accordingly practice a meta-literacy that mirrors college and workplace demands. Critics warn that AI erodes originality and assessment integrity; those risks are real, yet they are not unique to AI and are manageable through transparent citation norms, process-oriented grading, and task designs that privilege reasoning over recall. Still, current policies often swing between hype and panic. Districts need a principled pathway for adoption that sets guardrails, audits outcomes, and shares findings publicly. Without intentional integration, we will cede the terrain to unexamined habits rather than ethical, high-cognitive uses.
Which revision would most effectively strengthen the argument by improving evidence quality, logical reasoning, and counterargument handling?
Replace the policy paragraph with an anecdote of a student "sobbing after a heartless robot accused her of cheating," then warn that AI "steals our souls."
Add a concession that, since originality cannot be protected in an AI era, major writing assignments should be eliminated and replaced with oral tests.
Insert peer-reviewed evidence that supervised AI feedback improves revision quality without increasing plagiarism; define guardrails (citation protocols, process logs, random oral defenses), and rebut integrity concerns by showing how process-based assessment reduces cheating incentives.
Ask a series of rhetorical questions, cite a survey that "most students use AI," claim this proves bans are illogical because "everybody does it," and predict dramatic score boosts.
Explanation
Option C strengthens the sophisticated argument by adding credible research, specifying enforceable mechanisms, and directly addressing counterarguments about integrity with a reasoned rebuttal. The other choices rely on emotion, undermine the claim, or use fallacious reasoning.
Texas's water future depends less on a single mega-reservoir than on thousands of modest decisions made by landowners, cities, and industries drawing from shared aquifers. The state should expand the authority and coordination of groundwater conservation districts to require transparent metering, data sharing, and drought-triggered, tiered pricing that rewards efficiency while preserving agricultural viability. Right now, a patchwork of rules invites a race to pump, especially in fast-growing corridors. Opponents argue that stronger district oversight tramples property rights and burdens small producers. But porous boundaries already let one user's withdrawals lower a neighbor's well, and drought does not recognize fence lines. The goal is not centralized micromanagement; it is a predictable framework that reduces uncertainty, protects rural economies, and keeps taps running in San Antonio and the Permian alike. Absent coherent governance, we will lurch from emergency to emergency, paying more later for fixes we could stage now.
Which revision would most effectively strengthen the argument by adding credible evidence, clarifying logic, and ethically addressing the property-rights counterargument?
Cite recent Texas Water Development Board and USGS data quantifying aquifer declines and efficiency gains from tiered pricing; outline a governance model with transparent meters, drought triggers, and an appeals process; address property rights by proposing conservation credits or compensated curtailment for small producers.
Replace policy details with vivid descriptions of cracked creek beds, thirsty livestock, and suffering families to show the stakes.
Concede that property rights should always trump district coordination and restrict districts to voluntary recommendations only.
Add dense hydrogeologic terminology and a long excursus on karst formations while removing the proposal for coordinated pricing and data sharing.
Explanation
Option A best strengthens the argument by supplying credible, Texas-specific evidence, detailing workable policy mechanisms, and addressing the counterargument through compensation-based safeguards. The other options rely on emotion, concede away the claim, or add irrelevant detail without policy logic.
Municipalities should adopt a narrowly tailored moratorium on public-space facial recognition, limited to a short list of high-threshold uses such as imminent threat response approved by a judge. The technology's error rates are improving, yet even small inaccuracies cascade when linked to policing and immigration databases. Without codified limits, agencies normalize dragnet identification that chills protest, misidentifies marginalized residents, and quietly builds dossiers citizens cannot inspect. Proponents claim that if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear, and they point to quicker suspect identification. But speed alone is not a public value; accountability is. A pause would allow independent audits, clear retention schedules, and democratic debate about when identification is proportionate to the harm prevented. Otherwise, cities will inherit vendor-driven standards by default. Policy should be set by elected bodies after scrutiny, not by procurement timelines or the ambient pressure to modernize.
Which revision most effectively strengthens the sophisticated argument through credible evidence, precise policy design, and responsible counterargument handling?
Add a paragraph warning that "we are watched every second" and that "freedom dies" if cameras exist, without addressing specific policy design.
Note that error rates are improving and therefore a moratorium is unnecessary; urge agencies to adopt whatever vendor standards are available.
Replace the policy section with a sweeping metaphor and alliteration, trimming the concrete details about warrants, audits, and retention limits.
Incorporate comparative evidence from cities that enacted time-limited moratoria with narrow exigency exceptions; specify warrant plus probable-cause thresholds, independent audits, retention schedules, and a sunset review; address safety by citing studies showing no drop in clearance rates when alternatives (witness canvassing, targeted warrants) are used.
Explanation
Option D strengthens the argument with comparative data, clear governance mechanisms, and a reasoned response to public-safety concerns. The other options rely on fear appeals, cede the claim, or substitute style for substance.
To balance growth with cultural continuity, Texas cities should require community benefits agreements and cultural easements as conditions for approving large redevelopment in historic corridors. These tools can lock in affordable commercial space for legacy businesses, fund language-access services, and protect festivals that stitch neighborhoods together. Current zoning bonuses often extract only generic amenities - a pocket park here, a facade there - while escalating rents push out the very bakeries, music venues, and mutual-aid centers that made districts desirable. Critics worry that added requirements will scare off investment or freeze neighborhoods in amber. But predictable, citywide standards would reduce ad hoc bargaining and reward developers who plan for long-term place stewardship. A policy that prices cultural value into deals does not halt change; it shapes it. Without enforceable commitments, we risk trading depth for novelty, and once a continuity of practice is dispersed, no ribbon-cutting can reconstruct it.
Which revision would most effectively strengthen the argument by adding credible evidence, clearer reasoning, and strategic counterargument handling?
Add an opening vignette describing the smell of pan dulce and the sound of old songs from a beloved bakery to "show what's at stake," leaving the policy proposal unchanged.
Cite research on community benefits agreements and cultural districts showing higher retention of legacy businesses and event continuity; set enforceable terms (dedicated square footage at below-market rents indexed to area median income, penalties for noncompliance, third-party monitoring) and counter investment fears with Texas permitting data showing steady approvals under predictable rules.
Concede that market forces should decide cultural survival and recommend eliminating set-asides in favor of developer discretion.
Require unanimous neighborhood approval for any project, making redevelopment nearly impossible and contradicting the essay's claim that policy should shape - not halt - change.
Explanation
Option B strengthens the argument with credible studies, concrete and enforceable policy terms, and evidence-based rebuttal to investment concerns. The other choices rely on emotion, undermine the claim, or propose impractical measures that conflict with the essay's rationale.
States have long measured high school learning by seat time, a proxy that flatters compliance more than mastery. Districts should transition to competency-based graduation systems that award credit when students demonstrate durable skills through authentic tasks. This is not a call to lower standards; in fact, it invites higher ones that require transfer, revision, and public defense of work. Critics warn that such models could privilege well-resourced students who have mentors and time. That risk is real, and any policy must attend to equity. But the current model already masks deep inequities by graduating students who accumulate hours without ever getting timely feedback on what they can and cannot do. A competency framework, implemented thoughtfully, could make learning goals visible and allow varied pathways to reach them. Moreover, employers increasingly care less about transcripts than about evidence. The question is whether we will align schools to that reality without losing fairness and coherence.
Which revision most effectively strengthens the argument by adding credible evidence and addressing counterarguments with sound reasoning?
Add: Imagine classrooms where every student beams with pride as they "finally get it"—that feeling alone proves we must abandon seat-time forever.
Add: Skeptics are right that competency models will privilege affluent families, so districts should accept some inequities as inevitable while moving forward.
Add: One innovative school already proves this approach works, so statewide adoption will certainly produce the same results without complication.
Add: A 2023 meta-analysis of 61 studies across 14 states found modest gains in graduation and no widening of achievement gaps when competency systems included transparent rubrics, targeted tutoring, and teacher moderation of scoring; therefore, policy should fund these guardrails and require public reporting of outcomes to deter grade inflation.
Explanation
Choice D strengthens the draft with credible research and a concrete implementation strategy that addresses equity and rigor; the others rely on emotion, concede the claim, or overgeneralize.
Central Texas's Hill Country is built on limestone that stores water in fragile karst aquifers. As suburbs push west from Austin and San Antonio, wells are drilled deeper, and springs that anchor tourism, ranching, and wildlife run thinner. Regional groundwater districts currently issue permits largely on a first-come basis, treating water like an inexhaustible reserve. The state should require science-based pumping caps tied to aquifer recharge, and pair them with tradable water rights so landowners can be compensated for conservation rather than punished by it. Detractors argue that any cap is an infringement on property rights and rural economies. Yet no economy survives when streams dry and wells fail. If we value the Hill Country's character, doing nothing is not neutral; it is a decision to deplete. A cap-and-trade approach would set a firm ecological guardrail while letting markets discover the least-cost path to keeping springs flowing for future Texans.
Which revision most effectively strengthens the argument through credible evidence and a balanced response to property-rights concerns?
Add: According to a 2021 regional aquifer study, spring flows in key Hill Country basins decline sharply once withdrawals exceed 8–10 percent of annual recharge; one county that set caps at 9 percent and created a simple water-rights exchange cut pumping peaks 15 percent while paying ranchers $4 million for conserved water—evidence that caps paired with markets can protect flows without confiscating value.
Add: If we let our rivers cry themselves to sleep, the Hill Country's soul will be lost forever, and no price is too high to stop that heartbreak.
Add: Opponents are correct that any cap violates property rights, so the state should let each landowner set a personal limit based on trust and neighborliness.
Add: We must impose strict caps this year or every spring will vanish forever; the only alternative is unregulated chaos that destroys rural life.
Explanation
Choice A introduces specific, credible data and a policy example that addresses economic and property-rights concerns; the others rely on emotion, concede the claim, or use false dilemmas.
Cities increasingly delegate sensitive decisions to algorithms, from triaging housing applications to routing inspectors. Proponents highlight efficiency, but opacity can quietly harden bias. Municipalities should adopt algorithmic accountability ordinances that require impact assessments before deployment, public explanations of model purpose and performance, and recurring independent audits. This is not hostility to innovation; it is the civic due diligence we demand of bridges and budgets. Skeptics worry that disclosure invites hacking or stalls progress under paperwork. The concern is understandable, and not every spreadsheet needs a courtroom. Still, when a model influences liberty or livelihood, residents deserve to know how it works in broad strokes and whether it works for different communities. If vendors claim trade secrets, cities can negotiate thresholds and protections. What we cannot accept is a governance vacuum in which "computer says no" becomes the final word. Technology should serve public values, and accountability is how.
Which revision most effectively strengthens the argument with credible evidence and a practical response to cost and confidentiality concerns?
Add: No parent should ever feel a "computer" rejected their child; that pain proves transparency is more important than anything else.
Add: Because vendors may refuse audits, the city should exempt high-impact systems from review to avoid expensive litigation and delays.
Add: In a 2022 municipal audit of an eviction-risk model, false positives affected 28 percent of flagged tenants; after independent audits and adjustments, error rates fell by 40 percent. An ordinance can limit disclosures to performance summaries and require third-party testing for high-impact systems, with phased timelines and cost caps to protect budgets and trade secrets.
Add: If we simply mandate that all code be open-sourced, bias will disappear and efficiency will soar, making other safeguards unnecessary.
Explanation
Choice C adds concrete evidence of harm and improvement, and proposes targeted, feasible safeguards; other options are emotional, self-defeating, or based on unrealistic assumptions.
Neighborhoods that incubate Texas's distinctive cultures—Tejano music corridors, Vietnamese markets, historically Black business districts—often become targets of speculative investment once their vibrancy draws notice. Cities should couple growth incentives with community land trusts and designated cultural districts that secure key properties for locally governed uses. The aim is not to freeze neighborhoods; it is to prevent displacement that erases the very value growth celebrates. Developers rightly note that restrictions can limit housing supply or complicate financing. Those concerns merit solutions, not dismissal: long-term ground leases, density bonuses, and public-private funds can align feasibility with stewardship. Absent such tools, "revitalization" too often means cultural eviction. Texas prides itself on economic dynamism, but durable prosperity rests on continuity as well as churn. If we care about opportunity, we must care who has the opportunity to remain, create, and benefit when the market finally arrives where community has long been.
Which revision most effectively strengthens the argument by adding credible evidence and addressing development feasibility without weakening the main claim?
Add: It would break our hearts to watch beloved murals fade from memory; that emotional loss outweighs any spreadsheet.
Add: A 2019 peer-reviewed evaluation of community land trusts in multiple cities found lower displacement rates and comparable foreclosure risk to market-rate housing; when paired with density bonuses and long-term ground leases, projects closed financing gaps without reducing overall unit production. Texas cultural districts can adopt similar tools through city-charter funds and state historic tax incentives.
Add: Since preservation may slow construction, cities should pause new housing in these areas entirely to protect culture until markets cool.
Add: Culture is a fragile butterfly that should not be jarred by bulldozer winds; therefore, policy must listen to the neighborhood's heartbeat rather than market metrics.
Explanation
Choice B strengthens the claim with credible research and feasible mechanisms that respond to developer concerns; the other options rely on sentiment, impose counterproductive bans, or use flowery but unsupported language.