High school students who feel that

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct70% picked this

   There was a recession that caused a high level of unemployment

   Why this is right

   If there was a recession causing high unemployment in the city, students might have realized that job prospects were limited, leading them to stay in school rather than drop out and seek work. This provides an alternative explanation for the reduced dropout rate and suggests it might not be due to the morale program.

   Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   70%
2. B

   No Impact10% picked this

   The morale of students who dropped out of high school had been low even before

   This statement refers to students who have already dropped out, but does not offer insight into why fewer students dropped out last year. We don't care what the backstory is for why they had low morale. We're only trying to figure out if the new program had any causal influence in improving morale.

   10%
3. C

   No Impact5% picked this

   As in the preceding year, more high school students remained in school

   This statement describes a situation that could have been true regardless of the effectiveness of the program. It doesn't provide a reason for the rate change.

   5%
4. D

   Weaker Impact12% picked this

   High schools in the city established placement offices to assist their graduates

   This may strike some of us as an Alternate Explanation for why fewer students are dropping out. Maybe it's not because a program improved their morale but because they think if they stay in school and graduate, then a placement office will help them find a job. It's not a great alternate explanation, though, since we don't know if high school students would be aware of these offices that deal with graduates. And since dropouts have historically dropped out in order to get a job, it doesn't seem like a potential high school dropout is that worried about getting help with finding a job. This really only works as an incentive to stay in school if we know that the students considering dropping out are aware of the program and are worried about their ability to find a job without such assistance.

   12%
5. E

   Opposite (if anything)3% picked this

   The antidropout program was primarily aimed at improving students’ morale in those high schools with

   This seems to make the author's explanation seem more plausible, since the program was primarily aimed at morale, for schools with high dropout rates.

   3%