The following text is from historian Rebecca Chen's 2018 analysis of American reform movements. "The overcrowded classrooms of the 1960s...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from historian Rebecca Chen's 2018 analysis of American reform movements.
"The overcrowded classrooms of the 1960s sparked the open classroom movement, emphasizing individualized learning spaces. When standardized test scores declined in the 1980s, educators responded with rigorous back-to-basics curricula focused on core academic skills. The digital divide of the late 1990s prompted massive technology integration initiatives in schools nationwide. Most recently, concerns about student mental health have driven the adoption of social-emotional learning programs across districts. Each wave of educational reform emerges as a direct response to the pressing challenges of its era, with policymakers adapting pedagogical approaches to address the specific deficits they observe."
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To critique the lack of scientific rigor in educational policy decision-making
To argue that technological solutions are less effective than traditional teaching methods
To illustrate how educational reforms develop as responses to specific societal challenges
To demonstrate why educational reforms consistently fail to achieve their intended outcomes
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The overcrowded classrooms of the 1960s sparked the open classroom movement, emphasizing individualized learning spaces." |
|
| "When standardized test scores declined in the 1980s, educators responded with rigorous back-to-basics curricula focused on core academic skills." |
|
| "The digital divide of the late 1990s prompted massive technology integration initiatives in schools nationwide." |
|
| "Most recently, concerns about student mental health have driven the adoption of social-emotional learning programs across districts." |
|
| "Each wave of educational reform emerges as a direct response to the pressing challenges of its era, with policymakers adapting pedagogical approaches to address the specific deficits they observe." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
- [HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF REFORM PATTERN]
- 1960s: Overcrowding → Open classrooms
- 1980s: Low test scores → Back-to-basics
- 1990s: Digital divide → Technology integration
- Recently: Mental health → Social-emotional learning
- [EXPLICIT STATEMENT OF PATTERN]
Each reform = direct response to era's challenges
Main Point: Educational reforms consistently emerge as direct responses to the specific challenges and deficits observed in their respective time periods.
Argument Flow: The passage presents four chronological examples of educational reforms, each triggered by a particular societal challenge. After establishing this pattern through concrete examples, it explicitly states the general principle: that educational reforms develop as direct responses to the pressing issues of their era.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage gives us four clear examples of educational reforms, each triggered by a specific problem of its time
- The author ends by explicitly stating that reforms emerge as direct responses to challenges
- The purpose is to demonstrate this cause-and-effect relationship between societal problems and educational policy changes
- The right answer should describe how the passage shows educational reforms developing in response to specific societal challenges or problems
To critique the lack of scientific rigor in educational policy decision-making
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the passage critiques lack of scientific rigor in policy decisions
- The passage never mentions scientific methods or critiques decision-making processes
- Simply describes reforms responding to challenges without questioning their methodology
To argue that technological solutions are less effective than traditional teaching methods
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the passage argues against technology solutions
- The passage mentions technology integration as just one example among four
- Makes no comparison between technological and traditional methods
- What trap this represents: Students might focus too heavily on one example (technology) rather than seeing the overall pattern
To illustrate how educational reforms develop as responses to specific societal challenges
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures what the passage accomplishes through its structure
- Matches our prethinking: showing how reforms develop as responses to challenges
- Aligns with the explicit conclusion statement about reforms emerging as "direct responses to pressing challenges"
To demonstrate why educational reforms consistently fail to achieve their intended outcomes
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the passage demonstrates why reforms fail
- The passage never discusses failure or effectiveness of any reforms
- Only describes the cause-and-effect relationship between problems and policy responses