This document provides instructions and guidelines for creating an annotated bibliography. It explains that an annotated bibliography includes bibliographic citations followed by a summary and assessment paragraph for five references. The summary paragraph should describe the key points and conclusions of the source as well as evaluate its credibility, reliability and relevance to the research topic. The document provides an example of an introductory paragraph and bibliographic citations in APA format, followed by instructions for writing the summary and assessment paragraphs for each source. Students are directed to follow the guidelines to complete the annotated bibliography assignment.

1. Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR XX
TOPIC 1
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR XX TOPIC 3
Annotated Bibliography for [your topic here]Your Full Name
Your University
Annotated Bibliography for [Your Title Here]
To start your Annotated Bibliography, write an introductory
paragraph to gain the attention of your reader and set the
context for your research. Start with the attention-grabbing
idea, such as an anecdote or fact about your topic. Provide your
working thesis statement that answers your research question
and provides the direction of your argument. Make corrections
to your working thesis based on feedback from your Proposal
assignment. The annotated bibliography will include five
annotated references and is to include a summary paragraph that
summarizes the source and the author’s main points and
relevance to your research, and the credibility, reliability and
timeliness of the source material.
Put your first alphabetical reference here in correct APA
format. Consult the textbook or Noodle Tools for tips on using
APA style. Use a hanging indent paragraph structure; pay
attention to capitalization, spacing, italics, and punctuation.
Click here for more on Noodle Tools
http://library.devry.edu/pdfs/using-NoodleTools.pdf
Start the summary by stating the main points of the article here.
Provide a high-level summary of the author’s main points and
assess the credibility, reliability, and timeliness of the source.
Start your assessment here: Next add your comment. How will
you use the source? Does it define or explain the problem or
issue? Support or contrast your thesis? Identify the section of
your project where you could include your source. Avoid

2. obvious ideas such as “this article was interesting and will be
used in my paper” or “this source will help me prove my ideas.”
Instead, be specific about where this source will be used and
which ideas it will help to prove. Do not copy and paste
anything; instead, summarize ideas in your words. Explain
specifically the type of support that the source will provide and
where it can be used in your project. Add the remaining entries
to meet the minimum assignment requirements. Before you turn
in the assignment, select the Review tab from the MS Word
toolbar above and click on Spelling & Grammar. Check each
flagged error. Then rename this document using File>Save As
and save the file with your last name.first.Anno Bib.doc. Be
sure when it’s graded to read the comments so that you can
incorporate improvements into your next assignment.
Put your second alphabetical reference here in correct APA
format. Consult the textbook or Noodle Tools for tips on using
APA style. Use a hanging indent paragraph structure; pay
attention to capitalization, spacing, italics, and punctuation.
Click here for more on Noodle Tools
http://library.devry.edu/pdfs/using-NoodleTools.pdf
Start the summary by stating the main points of the article here.
Provide a high-level summary of the author’s main points and
assess the credibility, reliability, and timeliness of the source.
Start your assessment here: Next add your comment. How will
you use the source? Does it define or explain the problem or
issue? Support or contrast your thesis? Identify the section of
your project in which you could include the source. Avoid
obvious ideas such as “this article was interesting and will be
used in my paper” or “this source will help me prove my ideas.”
Instead, be specific about where this source will be used and
which ideas it will help to prove. Do not copy and paste
anything; instead, summarize ideas in your words. Explain
specifically the type of support that the source will provide and
where it can be used in your project. Add the remaining entries
to meet the minimum assignment requirements. Before you turn
in the assignment, select the Review tab from the MS Word

3. toolbar above and click on Spelling & Grammar. Check each
flagged error. Then rename this document using File>Save As
and save the file with your last name.first.Anno Bib.doc. Be
sure when it’s graded to read the comments so that you can
incorporate improvements into your next assignment.
Put your third alphabetical reference here in correct APA
format. Consult the textbook or Noodle Tools for tips on using
APA style. Use a hanging indent paragraph structure; pay
attention to capitalization, spacing, italics, and punctuation.
Click here for more on Noodle Tools
http://library.devry.edu/pdfs/using-NoodleTools.pdf
Start the summary by stating the main points of the article here.
Provide a high-level summary of the author’s main points and
assess the credibility, reliability, and timeliness of the source.
Start your assessment here: Next add your comment. How will
you use the source? Does it define or explain the problem or
issue? Support or contrast your thesis? Identify the section of
your project in which you could include the source. Avoid
obvious ideas such as “this article was interesting and will be
used in my paper” or “this source will help me prove my ideas.”
Instead, be specific about where this source will be used and
which ideas it will help to prove. Do not copy and paste
anything; instead, summarize ideas in your words. Explain
specifically the type of support that the source will provide and
where it can be used in your project. Add the remaining entries
to meet the minimum assignment requirements. Before you turn
in the assignment, select the Review tab from the MS Word
toolbar above and click on Spelling & Grammar. Check each
flagged error. Then rename this document using File>Save As
and save the file with your last name.first.Anno Bib.doc. Be
sure when it’s graded to read the comments so that you can
incorporate improvements into your next assignment.
Put your fourth alphabetical reference here in correct APA
format. Consult the textbook or Noodle Tools for tips on using
APA style. Use a hanging indent paragraph structure; pay
attention to capitalization, spacing, italics, and punctuation.

4. Click here for more on Noodle Tools
http://library.devry.edu/pdfs/using-NoodleTools.pdf
Start the summary by stating the main points of the article here.
Provide a high-level summary of the author’s main points and
assess the credibility, reliability, and timeliness of the source.
Start your assessment here: Next add your comment. How will
you use the source? Does it define or explain the problem or
issue? Support or contrast your thesis? Identify the section of
your project in which you could include the source. Avoid
obvious ideas such as “this article was interesting and will be
used in my paper” or “this source will help me prove my ideas.”
Instead, be specific about where this source will be used and
which ideas it will help to prove. Do not copy and paste
anything; instead, summarize ideas in your words. Explain
specifically the type of support that the source will provide and
where it can be used in your project. Add the remaining entries
to meet the minimum assignment requirements. Before you turn
in the assignment, select the Review tab from the MS Word
toolbar above and click on Spelling & Grammar. Check each
flagged error. Then rename this document using File>Save As
and save the file with your last name.first.Anno Bib.doc. Be
sure when it’s graded to read the comments so that you can
incorporate improvements into your next assignment.
Put your fifth alphabetical reference here in correct APA
format. Consult the textbook or Noodle Tools for tips on using
APA style. Use a hanging indent paragraph structure; pay
attention to capitalization, spacing, italics, and punctuation.
Click here for more on Noodle Tools
http://library.devry.edu/pdfs/using-NoodleTools.pdf
Start the summary by stating the main points of the article here.
Provide a high-level summary of the author’s main points and
assess the credibility, reliability, and timeliness of the source.
Start your assessment here: Next add your comment. How will
you use the source? Does it define or explain the problem or
issue? Support or contrast your thesis? Identify the section of
your project in which you could include the source. Avoid

5. obvious ideas such as “this article was interesting and will be
used in my paper” or “this source will help me prove my ideas.”
Instead, be specific about where this source will be used and
which ideas it will help to prove. Do not copy and paste
anything; instead, summarize ideas in your words. Explain
specifically the type of support that the source will provide and
where it can be used in your project. Add the remaining entries
to meet the minimum assignment requirements. Before you turn
in the assignment, select the Review tab from the MS Word
toolbar above and click on Spelling & Grammar. Check each
flagged error. Then rename this document using File>Save As
and save the file with your last name.first.Anno Bib.doc. Be
sure when it’s graded to read the comments so that you can
incorporate improvements into your next assignment.
Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR
STANDARDIZED TESTS 1
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR STANDARDIZED
TESTS 7
Annotated Bibliography for Standardized Tests
Sammy North
DeVry University
Annotated Bibliography for Standardized Tests
Everyone is affected by the strength or weakness of our
educational system, from the students and their ability to
succeed in college and in the workplace, to the employers who
hire them—and everyone in between. Every taxpayer is a
stakeholder in education, because these tests are paid for by tax
dollars, and the return on investment in education is not where
it should be. Standardized tests should be abolished and
replaced with end-of-year subject tests because they will save
time and money, lead to increased mastery of core subjects, and
diminish dropout rates.

6. Clemmitt, M. (2007, July 13). Students under stress. CQ
Researcher, 17, 577–600. Retrieved from
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
This article discusses the pressure that students face in public
schools today. Homework has increased, as has stress caused by
high-stakes standardized testing. This type of pressure results in
less time for children to play, sleep, and interact with their
parents. The solution is to limit the time children spend on
homework, but given that American students lag behind their
international peers in tests of basic subjects, decreasing
schoolwork seems not to be the answer. Although Clemmitt is a
journalist and not an expert on the subject, she cites many
experts and authoritative sources to lend credibility to the
article, including books and surveys from education researchers
and college professors. The article provides a balanced view of
homework with arguments from experts across the country.
My assessment: The article indicates that standardized testing
discourages teachers, and the pressure to perform on these tests
results in teachers transferring the pressure onto their students.
This idea can be used to support the argument that these tests
reduce schools to test-taking institutions.
Hillocks, G. (2002). The testing trap: How state writing
assessments control learning. New York, NY: Teachers College
Press.
Hillocks, a University of Chicago professor of English and an
author of several books and articles on teaching and writing,
investigated writing assessment in five states and interviewed
state test officials, teachers, and administrators in six districts
in each state. He developed a comprehensive picture of writing
instruction and the “organized blether” (p. 80) seen as good
writing. Nine conclusions resulted from Hillocks’ investigation:
including the finding that the standard five-paragraph essay
taught in these schools is detrimental to students’ growth as

7. writers, because tests teach students that any reasons used to
support ideas don’t warrant further examination for consistency,
impact, or relevance. Writing tests impose a way of thinking
during the timed writing that removes the necessity of critical
thought; teachers do not practice revision or drafting stages of
the writing process. Testing drives the curriculum in writing
courses toward formulaic thinking and writing.
My assessment: This book will be used to underscore the idea
that standardized tests in writing that Hillocks examined had a
negative effect on students, and that has not changed in the
years since the book was published. Hillocks’ ideas will be used
in the sections where I will report on the history of standardized
tests and how they have driven the curriculum, with negative
effects.
McNeil, L., & Valenzuela, A. (2001). The harmful impact of the
TAAS system of testing in Texas: Beneath the accountability
rhetoric. In M. Kornhaber & G. Orfield (Eds.), Raising
standards or raising barriers? Inequality and high stakes testing
in public education (pp.127–150). New York, NY: Century
Foundation.
McNeil, a professor of education at Rice University in Texas,
and Valenzuela, a professor of education at the University of
Texas, have written extensively on writing and assessment, and
in this study investigated the writing assessment in their state,
the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). They found
that TAAS lowers the quality of teaching in the areas tested and
particularly affects—in a very negative way—students from low
socioeconomic backgrounds. Plus, the time spent teaching and
learning about subjects not tested by TAAS suffers, because
many schools in urban areas spend considerable time just
teaching what is tested. The lowest levels of information are
taught, leaving many students disengaged. The test was once
seen as a reform of the educational system but according to the
authors, TAAS is not the answer and only benefits companies

8. who produce test-taking materials.
My assessment: This study will be used to establish common
ground and to recognize the opposing view that standardized
tests like the TAAS had good intentions—to help reform
education and improve learning. However, not only did it fail to
do so, but it also negatively affected the quality of teaching and
student learning. It reaches some of the same conclusions that
Hillocks’ study did, so the negative aspects of standardized
testing will be supported in my project by more than one expert
source.
Onosko, J. (2011). Race to the Top leaves children and future
citizens behind. Democracy & Education, 19(2), 1–11.
Retrieved from http://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/
Onosko’s article is about the Race to the Top (RTT) program
and its negative effects regarding education in general and
students in particular. Although it had good intentions—to
increase accountability, raise standards, and reward
improvement—it has only led to more problems. He explains
eight weaknesses of RTT, including the argument that high-
stakes tests endorsed by this initiative have not achieved the
goal of raising students’ math and reading test scores. Also, this
initiative created the conditions for the Atlanta teachers
cheating scandal; moreover, it lowers teachers’ morale, provides
a disincentive to enter the teaching profession, and limits the
development of students’ full intellectual potential. Onosko,
who is a professor of education at the University of New
Hampshire and wrote this article for the peer-reviewed journal
Democracy & Education, foresees further devastating
consequences unless the course of RTT is changed.
My assessment: This article about the Race to the Top (RTT)
initiative will help to support several of the points in my paper.
I will use the Atlanta teachers as a specific example and an
appeal to reason. The cheating scandal that is identified in this
article resulted from the environment of rewards and

9. punishment created in many school districts from this initiative.
Also, ideas from this article will help me in detailing the history
of the problem of RTT, as well as its effects on teachers and
their profession.
Ravitch, D. (2011). Dictating to the schools: A look at the
effect of the Bush and Obama administration on schools.
Education Digest, 76(8), 4–9. Retrieved from
http://www.eddigest.com/
New York University education Professor Ravitch is an
outspoken critic of the assessments that have come out of the
Bush and Obama administrations, which is intriguing, given that
she used to be a government education official (Assistant
Secretary of Education) when Bush was in office. So she comes
from a unique position to offer her arguments regarding
government policies on education, which have led the public to
believe that our schools are failing, when any failures are the
direct result of legislation that funds standardized testing, most
recently with Race to the Top (RTT). RTT creates competition
between states to raise test scores and receive the financial
rewards. There is no evidence that these tests or the reforms
that they have engendered have improved the quality of
education; on the contrary, these tests measure a narrow set of
skills, and teachers focus on these skills because their annual
performance evaluations are partly determined by students’ test
scores. In the future, she argues, we should expect more
cheating and “gaming” the system, as well as less time and
attention spent on any subject not directly tested, such as
science and history. Students are improving in test-taking
strategies and not math and reading; the number of college
students taking remediation courses in these subjects has not
decreased. Tests should be used to diagnose problems and help
students, not as a carrots-and-sticks strategy.
My assessment: This article will be used when I present
the history of standardized tests. The No Child Left Behind

10. legislation in the Bush administration, followed by Race to the
Top in the Obama administration, have made standardized tests
front and center in the national conversation about education,
and the negative effects of these tests will be discussed using
Ravitch’s ideas. Though they had good intentions, these tests
have not fulfilled the promise of raising the quality of education
in our schools, and have instead left a trail of broken promises,
high school dropouts, and no substantial returns on investment.
Our children have been left behind and are falling to the bottom
of the heap.