Each school year, eleventh graders at Lexington High School write the Junior Research Paper (JRP), a long-form research paper intended to help students develop the analytical writing skills that they may need for college. While the assignment has a similar rubric across all of LHS’s US History classes, the structure, expectations, and timeframe can vary between teachers.
Shane Wilson, an AP US History teacher at LHS, described the paper as one of the most substantial assignments of the class.
“The junior research paper is, in a lot of ways, the capstone project for the social studies department. It teaches a certain set of skills that go beyond just the paper itself: time management, learning not to procrastinate, [and] research skills,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s version of the JRP spans a total of eight weeks, making time management a crucial part of the assignment. His format consists of approximately seven check-ins, used for students to track their progress and stay on track with the paper’s timeline.
Students believe that the JRP has provided them with useful skills that apply to classes and experiences beyond their history classrooms.
“It teaches you to come up with eloquent sentences faster, and I found that it was really helpful. For example, when I had to write essays in English, I was able to write them a lot faster,” Katie Lin, a senior, said.
The core expectations of the JRP are, for the most part, consistent across teachers of different classes. The rubrics and grading requirements have remained the same through many years of collaboration in grading the papers. Wilson explained that most differences typically appear in formatting preferences and the timing of the assignment.
“I’ve always done it [earlier in the year], so that some of my students can compete in National History Day. Many of the CP classes will do it in [the] third quarter, and some teachers will do it post-AP exam,” Wilson said.
However, the different formats and procedures for writing the paper can also be confusing for students. Lin found that Wilson’s methods of grading the paper’s check-ins were sometimes unclear.
“I think it was kind of confusing which parts were graded, because he would ask us to write a research question, or a thesis, write an outline, and turn that in. And I don’t think those were actually graded based on how well you did on the outline; it was mostly to keep you in check,” Lin said.
Although the structure of the JRP hasn’t changed much over the years, the rise of artificial intelligence tools in recent times has prompted teachers to be more cautious when assessing student work. While rubrics remain similar, teachers have to verify students’ research and writing processes more closely.
“It used to be that the only thing you worried about was plagiarism. Well, now, you got to worry about other things than just plagiarism,” Wilson said.
Both Wilson and many of his students believe that the JRP is a valuable assignment that provides students with a chance to practice essential skills that extend beyond their years at LHS. Wilson noted that most returning alumni of LHS appreciated that they had written the paper.
“It prepares you for professionalism in the real world,” Lin said.
