A position paper is an essay that effectively expresses your opinion about a spe

A position paper is an essay that effectively expresses your opinion about a specific issue. Position papers enable the presentation of an emerging or present issue that can be supported by existing research. Though biased in nature, a position paper is rooted in facts that will provide a solid foundation for your position. The purpose of developing a position paper is to generate support for a given issue. In order to effectively communicate a position statement, you must be well versed on both sides of the given issue. In concluding a position paper, you should be able to provide possible solutions or courses of actions that would improve or address the issue. This assignment requires critical thinking, specifically, your final grade for this assignment will largely depend upon your ability to meet intellectual standards associated with the element of thoughts (see assessment rubric for SLO 1,2,3 attached).
Your position paper must address a critical topic associated with something for which you are passionate about. It is recommended that you choose an issue that has a clear debatable division in the research and one that you can manage the presentation and support of an effective position. The expectation is that your position paper will be 3 pages (no more, no less), double typed in size 12 font. The format should contain a creative title, an introduction (identifying the issue and statement of your position: start with a provocative statement), the body (which should include background information, research based supporting evidence and/or facts for a discussion of both sides, examination of the strengths and weaknesses of your position), a conclusion (suggesting a specific, reasonable course of action or possible solutions, and concluding sentence that summarizes or justifies your position). Additionally, you will need to include a title page and a separate reference page at the conclusion of the paper (all citations must be APA format- you will need a minimum of 5 refereed journal publications).
This will represent your formal assessment task and will be valued at 250 points. You will be assessed on the quality of the following elements: Correct format; Use of research-based evidence and authoritative references to support your position; Examination of the strengths and weaknesses of your position; Reliable possible solutions; and, Writing Conventions. Specific criteria are indicated on the rubric (provided in the final pages of this syllabus).
The following topics are possible choices (it does not have to be listed below) for you to consider if you are not sure of a topic issue.
Assessment
Response to Intervention
Inclusion
Discipline
Assistive Technology
Assessment levels for each student will be Unacceptable, Acceptable, Excellent, or Incomplete which allign with criteria on the provided rubric