SECTION 110.53. Research and Technical Writing (One-Half to One Credit)

(a) Introduction.

(1) The study of technical writing allows high school students to earn one-half to one credit while developing skills necessary for writing persuasive and informative texts. This rigorous composition course asks high school students to skillfully research a topic or a variety of topics and present that information through a variety of media. All students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the recursive nature of the writing process, effectively applying the conventions of usage and the mechanics of written English. The students' evaluation of their own writing as well as the writing of others ensures that students completing this course are able to analyze and discuss published and unpublished pieces of writing, develop and apply criteria for effective writing, and set their own goals as writers.

(2) For high school students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition and language learning.

(3) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(4) The essential knowledge and skills as well as the student expectations for Research and Technical Writing, an elective course, are described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Knowledge and skills.

(1) The student writes for a variety of purposes and audiences. The student is expected to:

(A) write informative and persuasive texts, including essays, reports, and proposals;

(B) use the distinguishing characteristics of various written forms, including essays, scientific reports, speeches, and memoranda;

(C) write in voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose; and

(D) organize ideas in writing to ensure coherence, logical progression, and support for ideas.

(2) The student selects and uses recursive writing processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. The student is expected to:

(A) apply prewriting strategies to generate ideas and plan;

(B) employ precise language and technical vocabulary to communicate ideas clearly and concisely;

(C) use sentence structure, organization, and rhetorical devices appropriate to audience and purpose;

(D) use effective sequence and transitions to achieve coherence and meaning;

(E) revise drafts by rethinking content, organization, and style to better accomplish the task;

(F) edit as appropriate for the conventions of standard written English;

(G) use resources such as texts and other people for editing;

(H) use available technology for aspects of creating, revising, editing, and publishing texts; and

(I) write both independently and collaboratively.

(3) The student writes to investigate self-selected and assigned topics. The student is expected to:

(A) use writing to formulate questions, refine topics, and clarify ideas; and

(B) organize all types of information from multiple sources, including primary and secondary resources, using available technology such as audio, video, print, non-print, graphics, maps, and charts.

(4) The student applies the conventions of usage and mechanics of written English. The student is expected to:

(A) use correct capitalization and punctuation;

(B) use correct spelling in the final draft;

(C) demonstrate control over grammatical elements such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and verb forms in final drafts;

(D) use appropriate technical vocabulary; and

(E) consistently use a documentation manual or form consistent with the student's field of study such as Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS).

(5) The student evaluates his/her own writing and the writing of others. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze and discuss published pieces as writing models;

(B) apply criteria to evaluate writing; and

(C) accumulate, review, and evaluate his/her own written work to determine its strengths and weaknesses and to set goals as a writer.

Source Note: The provisions of this §110.53 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7549; amended to be effective August 22, 2011, 35 TexReg 3261