Assignment: This assignment is detailed analysis of an education law case of your choosing (Kitzmiller v. Dover, a federal case in Pennsylvania regarding the inclusion of intelligent design into public school curriculum).
Professor Directions:
You will address the following questions, using the case itself, including decisions, as well as any other resources (I have attached sources to this order).
- Overview
- In about 1-2 paragraphs, provide a brief overview of the case.
- Facts of the case
- Please describe the parties involved in the case (the parties on either side of the vs.), the matter that is being disputed, and what happened procedurally.
- By procedurally, I’m asking you to describe where the initial suit was filed, as well as any subsequent appeals. For example, if a lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court, explain how it got there.
- Please describe the parties involved in the case (the parties on either side of the vs.), the matter that is being disputed, and what happened procedurally.
- Plaintiffs’ arguments
- Describe what the plaintiffs argued and why they are argued for that position. How did they make their case? What did they say was the legal basis for their argument?
- Defense arguments
- Describe the defense’s argument, as well as the legal basis for the defense.
- Decision(s)
- Summarize the trial decision, as well as any subsequent appellate decisions. If dissents are available, summarize those as well.
- What was the legal basis for the decision? How was the decision justified?
- Comments & Impact
- To the extent possible, describe the impact of this case. If available, you may use research to describe how this case impacted education policy. You may also refer to later cases that derive from this decision.
- You may also write about the extent to which you think this case was rightly decided, and why you think that.
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Message to writer: This is a detailed analysis of an education law case (Kitzmiller v. Dover, a federal case in Pennsylvania regarding the inclusion of intelligent design into public school curriculum). Please make sure to address the questions as directed by the professor using the case itself, including decisions, as well as my sources attached.
*This is a Doctoral level essay, so please be mindful of your quality of writing and the grading rubric.
All written work is expected to be submitted in APA style following the 7th APA manual.
Please use APA format and support all assertions with citations.
Example of citations:
Do not do this: Gottlieb (2018) and Smith (2021) say cats are nice to play with outside.
PERFECT: Cats are nice to play with outside (Gottlieb, 2018; Smith, 2021).
****Cite every evidence and resource.
Critical Case Analysis – Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Developing (50%) | Proficient (80%) | Mastery (100%) |
| Completeness | The case analysis is not detailed, or many aspects of the analysis are not addressed. | Most aspects of the case analysis are detailed, thoughtful, and complete, but there are some small oversights. | All aspects of the case analysis are detailed, thoughtful, and complete. |
| Use of evidence & reasoning | Evidence/reasoning is used, but it does not support the argument and/or is not from reliable sources. OR No evidence or reasoning is provided. | Some evidence is presented, but it is not always well used in the case analysis. | Evidence from reliable sources and/or primary sources is used to provide clarity and support for the case analysis. |
| Writing/APA Style | Writing is grammatically or mechanically incorrect, prose is difficult to follow, and academic style and language are not used. APA style is not used, or APA style is attempted but there are numerous mistakes. | Writing is mostly grammatically and mechanically correct, but the prose and logic are difficult to follow at times. Academic language and style is not yet at a doctoral level. APA style is used with one or two small mistakes. | Writing is at the doctoral level, with only a few minor grammatical or mechanical mistakes. APA style is correctly used. |
