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Blog Post #8: OFCARL of the AC Press

Works Cited

Claire Lowe (April, 2018)

Ocean City joins South Jersey high schools eliminating class rank
Opinions adequately supported?
The opinions presented are adequately supported in this article. The author cites statements from Ocean City Principal Matt Jamison, Ocean City School Superintendent Kathleen Taylor, Kevin Burke, Dean of Academics at St. Augustine Prep, Mainland Regional High School Vice Principal Nathan Lichtenwalner, Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District Superintendent John Keenan, and more.

Are the facts verifiable?
There are not too many statistical or numerical facts that need verification in this article. Though, meetings between “Vineland High School officials” and the Board of Education can be proven through searching school websites and administration calendars.
Is material outdated?
The material is not outdated and was published only days ago on April 30th, 2018. This topic of eliminating class rankings is relevant to our time and in our local area.

Author credibility?
The author has enough qualifications to publish works in a local newspaper. Claire Lowe has been writing about South Jersey for around 10 years now, so she certainly has some experience. She graduated from Rowan University with a Journalism Degree and in 2013, she won an NJPA award for feature writing. All in all, Lowe is credible for this type of paper.
Sources Cited?
The author directly sources information from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling to make a point regarding the importance of class rank as weighed by college admissions advisors. In a quotation from Ocean City High School Principal Matt Jamison, he claims that “research shows that a class ranking from number one on down is simply not the best measurement of overall student engagement, achievement and success.” Neither Principal Jamison or the author state what research this idea is based upon, thus making it seems as though some source is not cited or just doesn’t exist.
Logical reasoning? Fallacy?

The article does not appear to contain fallacies of any sort. Each statement is either a quotation from a local official or is a commentary on that quotation. Each source speaks with logical reasoning on the topic of what is best for students in terms of class rank and motivation in high schools.

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