Running Head: GENRE ANALYSIS

Genre Analysis
Karla Janet Madriles- Ortiz
University of Texas at El Paso

GENRE ANALYSIS

2
Effects of Standardized Testing

In recent past, parents and educational instructors had an outrage regarding the amount of
pressure standardized testing was putting on students and teachers. Back in 2002, George W.
Bush released an action bill under the name of No Child Left Behind, consisting of a set of
standardized tests to be released in all states from grade levels 3 through12. If schools failed to
comply to the standard, they would lose annual federal money. Additionally, teachers fostered a
teach to the test policy, evoking a boring atmosphere in the classroom. The act required
standardized tests with an extreme emphasis on Math and Reading, diminishing the students' and
instructors' creativity. Students were only evaluated on their performance during test day, leaving
out any external factors, thus hindering anxiety. Furthermore, they have developed health issues
and lost interest in learning, due to lack of teaching in the Liberal Arts section. The issue will be
addressed and analyzed through the usage of two different genres. The comic No Child Left
Behind by David Horsey published on the Seattle Post, portrays a sketch of the everyday struggle
of a classroom student, and the article Crash Test by Nate Blakeslee published on Texas Monthly
Magazine, depicts the point of view of parents and educational officials on excessive testing.

Structure and Delivery

The structure and delivery of No Child Left Behind and Crash Test clearly differed in
essentially every element. No Child Left behind was a clear image that took up a whole quadrant
in order to exaggerate a situation that is very commonly seen in classrooms. The first side of the
sketch were students being induced with two very common subjects, Reading and Math, through
pipes that led into brain receptor bowls, while they simultaneously took a standardized test. The

GENRE ANALYSIS

test takers appear to be anxious and frustrated with cold frowning faces. They are only taught
what will be on the test and have side covering boards to prevent any peeking into other subjects.
The second side demonstrated a student trying to go outside the window into the Art, Science
and Physical Education section, but what appears to be a combination of a government official
and teacher encourages the student to do what everyone is doing, otherwise she is left behind.
The liberal arts subjects are outside, because is something thats so natural to human beings, and
yet so ignored by the education coordinators. No Child Left Behind image is a common
classroom that has no particular sign of a targeted race, religion, or economic group. The year of
publication is two years after 2002, the signing year of the act No Child Left Behind,
symbolizing a quick failure and urge to action avoid what the education system was turning into.
Some limitations, include the ability to interpret the sketch of Horsey and the square closed
framework. Moreover, the comic has only a limited quantity of words in the image itself, thus,
requiring the viewer to connect the phrases wisely to the meaning of the sketch. Regarding the
time, the viewer is able to look at the picture several times with no time limit, giving it time to
evaluate the content. No Child Left Behind comic displayed formal language from a teacher to
student through the line of Come away from the window! You dont want to be a child left
behind, do you? (Horsey, 2004) The side of students who are taking the test and prevented from
looking around in order to avoid any opposing change, have a dull color scheme. The colors
display a highly mechanistic system, where it can be inferred that rules are strictly followed
because the teacher encourages that sort of order. Furthermore, she has a smile on her face as she
tells the student to go back to test taking mode, in which she can probably think shes doing the
right thing when actually shes only fortifying the strictly organized testing system. On the
second side, outside the window where other subjects can be found, the colors are brighter and

GENRE ANALYSIS

the child trying to get seems ready to jump out, desperate for the knowledge out there. The font
is commonly seen in comics, thus, displaying a form of ridiculing something so valued to
Americans, which is education. On the other hand, Crash Test took a different approach. Crash
Test includes paragraphs full of information for a general audience however, the targets are those
who are involved in public education such as parents, teachers, or alumni. The year of
publication was 2013 during the release of the STAAR test which caused commotion among
school administrators, students, and parents due to the emphasis to pass the new exams or fail the
whole grade level. Limitations found in the article included the reading level of the spectator.
The vocabulary or phrases could be a factor to lack of understanding. Additionally, there is no
time limit to reading the passage, however, it is lengthy, thus, it can be assumed that the reader
wont read it more than one or twice. Since that release, Texans became more inspired to take
action, thus, causing the author to explain important expenditures taking place because of the
tests. Crash Test is a multi-paged article with only one image and the rest being a well written
article and summarization of an interview. The layout gives the hint right off that it is no research
passage due to the lack of graphs, tables, and images. The information is plenty across the article
and has no clear dividing sections, making it easy to get confused. However, the article does go
in order of explaining what the No Child Left Behind reform is and the beginning of the STAAR
test. It continues into explaining expenditures, eventually to the standards required by tests and a
comparison into those of other states, later turning into arguments by opponents of the exams.
Crash Test displays no colors, and only one visual which is a student sitting on a desk whose face
is covered by a large stack of papers which can be inferred to be standardized exams. The font is
formal because it is an article published on a well- respected magazine and includes a
summarized interview with a professional. The comic image and the article share con view

GENRE ANALYSIS

towards the topic of standardized testing. Both genres agree upon a slave like education
system. The differences emerge through the perspectives of the genres. The comic seems to be
from the point of view of students, showing their frustrations and the only subjects they are
allowed to learn, while the article leans more towards the side of instructors, parents, and
educational officials. Secondly, the comic is very general regarding the No Child Left Behind,
displaying the essence of what the tests are causing at an early stage from its signing, while the
article gives detailed description of the history that the act has had upon public schools. The
details include areas of economical, psychological, and sociological and their comparison to
other states and countries. The comic is very symbolic of where the real scene taking place, the
classroom, disregarding what officials and parents are doing about it, the ones soaking the
experience are the students. The article in the other hand, explored what was outside the
classroom and how the system works.
Audience and Purpose
Although No Child Left Behind and Crash Test have very similar audiences and purposes,
they still have slight differences. The comic and article have an audience of parents and teachers,
because they are the ones who can raise their voice and take action into changing the educational
system. The discourse community is the school system and braches that expand within it,
including the designers of curriculums, instructors, district officials, and of course the
governments interference from the grade levels K- 12. Even though the comic is ridiculing the
educational system, neither genre is meant to entertain. The comic is an image that must be
looked at carefully to inform parents, who are not in the classroom, to take a look for themselves
into the stressing world of standardizes testing and the causes of their sons and daughters poor
education. The article, based on its length and eloquent vocabulary, its meant for adults to be

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informed of a system that manages public schools and how it is handled. Both genres are giving
an idea of what standardized testing is doing to students and to teachers, however, not much
action is being taken about it, thus encouraging to the audience to change their mind about
exams. Parents and teachers have everything to do with the educational system, both groups must
pay to get good results, instead they have little to no signs of an expanded knowledge, requiring
images and list of facts of what is happening in the classrooms. Both genres are trying to
generate awareness and leap for action into since they are targeting the same audience.
Rhetorical Issues
Horsey and Blakeslee kept the same target through their works, the rhetorical components
were a clear difference among the two. Regarding ethos, No Child Left Behind was created by a
political cartoon artist who often posts on an online newspaper, regarding many transcending
topics. David Horsey has been working for decades and make clear symbolism through the use
of images. Based on this career information, the comic can be assured to credible, however, the
artists cant be taken as an expert. Crash Test on the other hand, was published on a magazine
called Texas Monthly, which has also been on-going for many years and is not afraid to touch
controversial subjects, but still keeping a formal set. In conclusion, the professional scheme of
this source may be trusted, but the author is not an expert in the subject itself. The pathos aspect
of No Child Left Behind was a comic that evokes emotions, by creating a sense of pity for
students who are not able to explore other subjects and are instead absorbing over and over the
same Reading, Math, and Writing skills. Students are lacking Science, Physical Education, Art,
and Foreign Languages creating a sense of depression within the image. In contrast, Crash Tests
has no emotional response. The article is very formal and written for those who are really
interested into finding out what the topic is really about in depth. The passage creates no anger or

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fury, its just information worth knowing for further situations. No Child Left Behind lacked the
logical appeal, providing no background on the theme in any form. Crash Tests reveals no
pathos, and that lacks some attention or impact on the audience. The parents may still have little
understanding to what goes on in the classroom and why action should be taken, since the
relation to the student is not as clearly stated and they are going through stress and anxiety.
Conclusion
The comic achieved its purpose. It is a clear image where the viewer can successfully be
placed on the students shoes in the classroom. The image has ethos and pathos, although the
ethos are not very clear at first sight. The article, on the other hand, has clear ethos and logos, but
lacks pathos. The article has a long passage and is mild difficult to read. Readers might lose track
and be easily not interested in the article, because it shows not an exact connection to the
classroom to have a potential relation to pathos. The most effective genre is the comic, because it
is simple to interpret and feel pity for the students, while the article is plentiful of information,
its harder to interpret follow through. The passage takes time to be read and absorb what the
system is doing with the education. The comic is straight and forward, giving the viewer the
essence of public schools. The genres are not perfectly balances, but both have a purpose and
message that they clearly put through their audience. Both genre raise awareness but only one
can do it quicker and make one relate to their old school testing days.

GENRE ANALYSIS

8
References

Horsey, D. (2004, March 5) No Child Left Behind. [Cartoon] Seattle Pi. Retrieved from
http://www.seattlepi.com/davidhorsey/slideshow/David-Horsey-cartoons-March-200414739/photo-978866.php

Blakeslee, N. (2013, May). Crash Test. Texas Monthly Magazine. 65, 124- 128.