Ruth Thomas

Ropko
UWRT 1102-041
17 March 2016
Annotated Bibliography
Bjrk, Lars G, Tricia Browne-Ferrigno, and Theodore J. Kowalski. "The Superintendent and
Educational Reform in the United States of America." Leadership and Policy in Schools
13.4 (2014): 444-465. Web. 8 March 2016.
The point of this article is to explain the basic structure of the chain of command in the
US education system and describe the role of superintendents and discuss the evolution
of the position due to reform. The purpose is to inform the reader about the complexity of
the superintendent and of common misconceptions about the position. The authors of this
article are all highly qualified professors in the departments of educational academics or
educational leadership studies. Professor Kowalski even teaches a class on
superintendency. The article contains mostly logos, as it is based on many studies and
facts. I think this article is effective for the subject at large, but it is not helpful for my
individual essay as I am focused on the United States education system compared to
other countries systems rather than one specific position in the education system.
Dimmock, Clive and Cheng Yong Tan. Explaining the Success of the Worlds Leading
Education Systems: the Case of Singapore. British Journal of Educational Studies.
(2015): 1-24. Web. 12 March 2016.
This article summarizes the teaching style and other factors that lead to the success in
Singapore and compare these methods to research about what makes a successful

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education system. Its purpose, however, focuses more on arguing why Singapores model
would not necessarily be successful if applied elsewhere. Both the authors are
experienced professors with impressive rsums who study education, which makes them
credible. The authors use logos, as it a research based article. The piece is also
argumentative and uses strong diction. This article will be helpful for my essay, because
it provides information about teaching styles in different countries as well as techniques
to improve education.

Hendrickson, Katie. Assessment in Finland: A Scholarly Reflection on One Countrys Use of

Formative, Summative, and Evaluative Practices. Mid-Western Educational Researcher.
25 (2013): 33-43. Web. 10 March 2016.
The point of this article is to inform the reader about differences between education in
Finland and the United States. The purpose is to propose that the United States may
benefit from considering the Finnish educational policies. The author works in education
management at code.org, making her a credible source on education. The article uses
logos by referencing many studies. It may be helpful for my essay if I decide to focus on
aspects of the Finnish education system.
Kumashiro, Kevin. Reframing the Bad Teachers in the United States and Beyond.
Multicultural Education Review 6.1 (2014): 1-20. Web. 14 March 2016.
The point of this article is to outline the underlying issues masked by blaming teachers
and principals. The purpose is a call to action (or as the author puts it, a call to engage)
to increase equitable public education for all students. Kevin K. Kumashiro, Ph.D., is
currently the dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco, which
makes him a credible source on issues in the education system. The article uses logos and

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an anecdote to demonstrate how we ask the wrong questions about education. This will
be helpful for my essay because it discusses the problems in US public education, gives
background information, and describes some of the differences among countries.

Li, Dongmei. Surpassing Shanghai: an agenda for American education built on the worlds
leading systems. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 28.5 (2015):
632-635. Web. 10 March 2016.
The point of this article is to review a book. The purpose is to agree with and stress the
ideas listed in the book. The author is credible source as she is with the department of
educational administration at the University of Texas. The article mostly just describes
the information that is in the book, but does support the opinions by appealing to ethos.
She mentions the author of the book has been a researcher for 22 years. This review is
helpful for my inquiry project and has made me want to read the book for more
information.
Porter, Eduardo. School vs. Society in Americas Failing Students. The New York Times. 3
November 2015. Web. 8 March 2016.
The point of this article is to discuss whether United States education is really as far
behind as national scores often make them seem. The purpose is to show both sides of the
argument on the impact of socioeconomic status in the US on education. The author is a
credible journalist who often writes about economics. The author uses ethos by quoting
professors and referencing studies. This article is helpful for my inquiry project because it
gives studies and quotes from professors that can be useful in my paper.
Schmidt, William and Nathan Burroughs. Puzzling Out PISA: What Can International
Comparisons Tell Us about American Education? American Educator 39.1 (2015): 24-

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31. Web. 12 March 2016.
The point of this article is to discuss learning gaps and unequal opportunity to learn. Its
purpose is to discuss these gaps as well as explain how to properly interpret PISA test
rankings. The authors are credible sources. Schmidt is founder and director of the Center
for the Study of Curriculum, and director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan
State University, and Burroughs is a research associate at Michigan State University. The
authors use several research studies and graphs (logos) to support their article. This is a
helpful article for my project, because it provides information about how to interpret and
determine the relevance of PISA test scores.

Tung, Stephen. How the Finnish school system outshines U.S. education. Stanford Report. 20
January 2012. Web. 10 March 2016.
The point of the article is to describe the differences between educational philosophies in
Finland and the United States. The purpose of the article is to propose that the United
States analyze the philosophies of Finland and apply what could be culturally
appropriate. The author is a credible source; he is science-writing intern for the Stanford
News Service. The article employs logos and ethos by quoting and referencing research.
This will be a helpful source for my essay if I focus on aspects of the Finnish education
system.
Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination. Dir. Chad Heeter. Broken Pencil Productions,
2008. Film.
The point of the documentary is to exhibit the differences in the high school experiences
of students in the United States, India, and China. It models that students in China and
India have a greater intensity of studies and more drive than students in the United States.

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The purpose of the documentary is to bring awareness to United States students before it
is too late, as it will take years to reconcile the issue. Chad Heeter is an international
journalist and filmmaker. He has worked with BBC, PBS Frontline/World, PBS
Newshour, POV, Washingtonpost.com, and Al Jazeera International, among others. As
he has done a great deal of work writing and filming around the world, he is a credible
source to bring information by way of documentary comparing these countries. The
documentary uses logos by providing statistics throughout the film. The film also uses
pathos through interviews where professionals and educators discuss the consequences of
the lack of competitiveness of students in the US. These same interviews appeal to ethos
as they are speaking with knowledgeable sources. This documentary will be helpful for
my essay, because it provides statistics and examples of specific differences in education
systems around the world.