Santa Monica College Communications Paper

SAMPLE #2Annotated Bibliography
Fulda, J. (2009). Perfectly Marked, Fair Tests with Unfair Marks. The Mathematical Gazette, 93
(527), 256–260. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/40378728
Fulda begins by setting the standard of what a fair test is. The two main requirements are that the
questions be a representative sample of the material covered and its level of difficulty. However, the
author begins to acknowledge that more than one fair test can exist and that fair tests may be an
inaccurate representation for some students. Fulda explains that even though the test may be perfectly
designed, it is also dependent on the student to see how accurate the test design was. There is also
further explanation on how the teacher grading the test shouldn’t skew the test scores for that will
cause unfairness, but that there must still be an adjust for the reality that not every student is the
same.
The author tackles issues that pertain to the way tests are formatted and how that may affect the
scores of a student. This is relevant to my research in education and how people are treated unfairly
because of where they come from. Even though Fulda’s article doesn’t address the social class
portion of the issue, it does address the bias and ineffective measurements of tests. This is an
important talking point because in most school systems, tests are what distinguish between the
“smart” and “not smart” students.
Gross, C., Gottburgsen, A., & Phoenix, A. (2016). Education systems and intersectionality. In
Gross C. & Hadjar A. (Eds.), Education systems and inequalities: International
comparisons (pp. 51-72). Bristol: Bristol University Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctt1t892m0.9
In the beginning of the chapter “Education Systems and Intersectionality,” the authors define
intersectionality and other relevant terms, such as intersectional analysis, multidimensionality, and
contextuality, to explain how inequalities people may experiences aren’t limited to one category.
Gross, et al. acknowledge that intersectionality comes into play in education. They provide the
example differentiating the student success rate in a classroom depending on the level of migrant
status. The research is based on research done in Europe, but it does delve into the outcomes of the
different student backgrounds and their test scores. Comparisons are made with similar research done
in the US and Mexico. Gross also dives into how the environment affects a student’s performance;
environments such as if the student plays sports.
This research will come in handy for my paper since it focuses on the idea that one of the reasons
students underperform in school is because of their kind of background. It relates to the artifact in the
way that most students represented in the show are from various backgrounds and have multiple
layers of intersectionality. The research will help support my argument that sometimes a background
is what makes a student appear less valuable on paper.
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Howe, L., Lawlor, D., & Propper, C. (2013). Trajectories of socioeconomic inequalities in
health, behaviours and academic achievement across childhood and adolescence. Journal
of Epidemiology and Community Health (1979-), 67(4), 358-364. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/43281528
The authors provide insight on the changes humans go through depending on their socio-economic
background. Initially, the authors focus more on the health changes that occur from childhood to
adolescence. They also track changes through education. Since the authors focus on health, they also
mention on how health in lower income communities can affect educational outcomes. The article is
broken down by sections including explicit descriptions, the results, how credible they are, and how
they were obtained. Their conclusion is that “low socioeconomic status is associated with worse child
health, behavior, and educational attainment” (364).
This research is helpful because it biologically provides some insight to how low socioeconomic
statuses can create an obstacle for students to success in higher education and later in life. Despite
much of the argument focusing on the social stigmas and assumptions made by adults towards nonhonors students, this kind of research gives insight into the kinds of struggles that students in the
show could be facing in real life and how that would affect their scholastic performance.
Hughes, R., & Perry-Jenkins, M. (1996). Social Class Issues in Family Life Education. Family
Relations, 45(2), 175-182. doi:10.2307/585288
The authors argue that a power dynamic occurs when social class comes into play. They mention
how external forces tends to place families in a form of hierarchy. The authors mention how
economics play a part on patterns that tend to establish “norms” about a group. The combination of
the economics and the power dynamics between groups will support the arguments I am making in
the paper. This research will relate to the power dynamics that happen within the school
administrators and Mr. Iglesias’s kids. The authors also mention a cultural approach, which they
contend also influences different meanings into what each social class should be doing.
Zweig, M. (2012). Looking at values—family and otherwise. In The Working Class Majority:
America’s Best Kept Secret (pp. 97-115). Ithaca; London: Cornell University Press.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.csun.edu/stable/10.7591/j.ctt7v7g0.10
This chapter focuses specifically on the working class in the US. Zweig first examines current
working-class conditions. She points out how those in working class come from a place of selfinterest, and then transitions into the influences that keep those in the working class. One of the first
examples is about a computer technician who states that it was his family that influenced his decision
to choose the career path that he did. From there the author analyzes that despite a person wanting to
make a name for themselves, they still want to find a heavy influence from those around them
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because it is those kinds of relationships that shape a person. The author also tries to contract this
idea about heavy family influences with the idea of individualistic thinking the US.
This chapter is effective in my argument because it provides information from both sides of the
argument. The idea that family and external forces influence a person into what they will be as an
adult pertains to my artifact. The students are all in high school, and that is synonymous with the
time in a person’s life where they are trying to figure out what they want to be post-graduation.
Around this time, specifically seniors in high school, will begin to choose career choices and join the
working force. It is the influence from the adults on the show that make this kind of article relevant
and useful.
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