Stefen makes a valid point in light of "cut & paste." I homeschooled my kids and had my own pedagogy... instead of lecturing, I gave my kids reading assignments and had them write papers. We then would go over them correcting for grammar, spelling and content. That way I could teach more than one subject at a time.

When I taught college, my focus was on writing... all exams were "Bluebook." I have a friend that works at a think tank in Michigan doing studies on education. The biggest complaint he got from employers is that "nobody can write." The focus on testing is counterproductive, in my opinion. But if it's going to be the benchmark... writing should be the basis.