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­To evaluate the validity of "social promotion," the most useful question would be one that directly assesses the impact and effectiveness of this practice. This includes understanding whether the criteria used (the state-wide standardized test) are appropriate for determining a student's readiness to advance to the next grade level.

Answer: C) How rigorous are the questions on these standardized tests that pertain to English skills?

Explanation:
The main concern about "social promotion" as mentioned in the passage is that the only criterion for promotion is passing a standardized test. Understanding the rigor of these questions would help evaluate if passing the test is a sufficient measure of a student's English skills and readiness to advance. If the questions are not rigorous enough, then passing the test may not adequately reflect a student's competence in English, thereby supporting the argument that "social promotion" is flawed.


Evaluation of Other Options:

A) Do students have the option of taking a standardized test in a language other than English?
This question addresses language accessibility but does not directly evaluate the practice of "social promotion" in terms of academic standards and readiness.

B) What is the rate of graduation from schools at which "social promotion" is commonly practiced?
While graduation rates might provide some insights, they do not directly evaluate the validity of using a single test as the criterion for promotion.

D) How prevalent is "social promotion" among school districts in more suburban areas?
This question pertains to the distribution of the practice rather than its validity or effectiveness.

E) If a student fails a standardized test, is he or she given the chance to take it again before having to be kept back?
This question deals with the procedure after failing the test but does not directly assess the appropriateness of the test as the sole criterion for promotion.
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@martymurray - can you please explain this question
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Although this question makes sense and the answer choice is in line, this question is grammatically flawed and should be revised. The last sentence should begin with a capital "B" "Because".
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The answer is (C) because it would help to determine how well the test measures the student’s English proficiency and whether it is a fair and reliable criterion for promotion. If the test questions are too easy or too hard, then the test may not reflect the student’s true ability and may not prepare them for the next grade level.

Bunuel
A growing number of urban school districts have embraced the practice of "social promotion,” whereby a student is automatically promoted to the next highest grade regardless of whether he or she has passed or failed English class. This policy is flawed. because the only criterion that a student must fulfill in order to advance is to pass a state-wide standardized test.

The answer to which of the following questions would be most useful in evaluating the validity of ”social promotion"?

A) Do students have the Option of taking a standardized test in a language other than English?

B) What is the rate of graduation from schools at which social promotion" is commonly practiced?

C) How rigorous are the questions on these standardized tests that pertain to English skills?

D) How prevalent is “social promotion" among school districts in more suburban areas?

E) If a student fails a standardized test, is he or she given the chance to take it again before having to be kept back?
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