Step 1: Plagiarize any portion of the original text by copying portions of it word-for-word.
He found that the average “margin of error” of a New York City teacher was plus or minus 28 points. So, a teacher who has ranked at the 43rd percentile compared to his or her peers might actually be anywhere between the 15th percentile and the 71st percentile.
Step 2: Plagiarize any portion of the original text by paraphrasing its structure too closely, without copying it word-for-word.
A teacher who receives a specific ranking during one year of work is likely to get a different ranking during the next year. There will always be uncertainty in these rankings.
Step 3: Plagiarize any portion of the original text by paraphrasing its structure too closely, with a citation the original source (using any academic citation style). Remember, even if you include a citation, paraphrasing too closely is still plagiarism.
But it is hard to trust any performance rating if the chances of receiving the same rating during the next year are no better than the flip of a coin (Ravitch, 270-271).
Step 4: Properly paraphrase any portion of the original text by restating the author’s ideas in your own diction and style, and include a citation to the original source.
The rankings of the teachers in New York City have a large margin of error. It has grown as large as 28 points. This margin of error also oscillates every year therefore it is very unpredictable (Ravitch, 270-271).
Step 5: Properly paraphrase any portion of the original text by restating the author’s ideas in your own diction and style, supplemented with a direct quotation of a key phrase, and include a citation to the original source.
The margin of error amongst the teachers in New York City is very large and unpredictable. Corcoran supports this claim with, “the average “margin of error” of a New York City teacher was plus or minus 28 points. So, a teacher who has ranked at the 43rd percentile compared to his or her peers might actually be anywhere between the 15th percentile and the 71st percentile. The value-added scores also fluctuate between years (Ravitch, 270-271).”
Original source: Diane Ravitch, The Death and Life of the Great American School System(New York: Basic Books, 2011), pp. 270-71.
You grasp the key concept, but need to work on the details of quoting. In step 5, place single quotes around the internal quote, like this:
“the average ‘margin of error’ of a New York City teacher. . .”
Also, at the end, place the final quote before the page number, not after it.