Sunday, November 17, 2019
High Stakes Testing Essay Example for Free
High Stakes Testing Essay Tests are a very important tool for measuring achievement; therefore, they should be part of a system which provides equitable learning access to all students. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB) which requires states to develop accountability systems and provide assessment of the students’ performance in order to receive federal funding accordingly has led to the necessity of implementing large-scale testing. The goal of using these types of tests can be considered praiseworthy if the tests are designed in such a way that all students are tested on a curriculum they have had a fair opportunity to learn (especially racial and ethnic minority students or students with a disability or limited English proficiency) the tests are scored properly, taking into account that the test scores of those students with limited English skills should be interpreted in accordance with those limitations the tests are used appropriately. For example, a test that has been validated only for diagnosing strengths and weaknesses of individual students should not be used to evaluate the educational quality of a school. The public schools of North Carolina, for example, carry a very high-stakes accountability program known as The New ABCs of Public Education. which has had a major impact on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and school personnel throughout the state. The program requires: End-of-Grade Tests (3-8 and 10), End-of-Course Tests (on Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Civics Economics, English I, Geometry, Physical Science, Physics, U. S. History, NCCLAS ), Tests of Computer Skills, Competency Tests, Writing Assessments Grades 4, 7, and 10, IDEAÂ ® English Language Proficiency Tests. Each North Carolina school, as well as any school in any other state has to give itself an annual report card, with assessment results broken down by poverty, race, ethnicity, High Stakes Testing 2 disability, and English-language proficiency. In this way, the race for more and better information about school performance sets off. More attention should be paid to the quality of data educational authorities receive as it is a fact that there are schools which are painting a picture prettier than reality, thus misleading authorities, taxpayers and what is even worse, keeping students trapped in low quality institutions. Under NCLB, if schools fail to make adequate yearly progress on state tests for three consecutive years, students can use federal funds to transfer to higher-performing public or private schools, or to obtain supplemental education services from providers of their choice but this could not be possible if the low-quality institutions they attend remain invisible under misleading reports of pretended excellence. In many districts, raising test scores are the most important indicators of school improvement so teachers feel the pressure to ensure that test scores go up. Knowing that schools that fail for four to five consecutive years may face state takeovers, have their staffs replaced, or be bid out to private management some teachers narrow the curriculum and teach only what is covered on the test. There are many issues that should be taken into account when it comes to evaluating high stake assessment. One of them is the reliability of high stake tests which is definitely at risk when large subject domains (mathematics, language arts) are measured with relatively few questions and a narrow focus on skills and knowledge. Major decisions like getting a diploma or being promoted to the next grade require a balance of information including in-class performance, interviews, observation, projects, and class work. Perhaps the most important critical claim is that standardized tests do not measure critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and other similar important aspects of intelligence. Students who are perfectly intelligent can perform poorly in high-stakes testing, and this can have serious consequences for the student as well as his or her school. High Stakes Testing 3 In my opinion, the first of the three most important issues in high stakes testing is the type of test used. Large-scale high-stakes testing programs are primarily focused on serving the goals of norming and selection rather than student mastery of content and problem-solving (Pellegrino, Chudowsky, Glaser, 2001). These two types of testing are almost impossible to reconcile. A second issue of great importance is assessment of learning versus assessment for learning (Stiggins, 2002) There is a distinction between high-stakes testing (assessment of learning) and the formative assessment techniques that teachers may use throughout the year to foster learning (assessment for learning). In the case of the former, the goal of the test is to measure what students know or can do. In the case of the latter, the goal of the test is to provide information that will improve student learning. The third most important issue is, in my opinion, the test / curriculum adjustment. Appropriate assessments measure the objectives set out at the classroom level and at the same time reflect curriculum (or content) that has been selected to reach the specified objectives. To sum up, any decision about a students continued education, such as retention, tracking, or graduation, should not be based only on the results of a single test, but should include other relevant and valid information. The classroom is the realm of the teacher. State tests do not tell teachers how to teach, they suggest what should be taught, so there is no reason why students cannot learn how to think critically, solve problems or develop their creativity. State tests are taken at the end of the year or course, so teachers have the opportunity to diagnose their students’ needs and work on their improvement so that by the time they sit for the tests they can feel confident and succeed as expected. It is only fair to use test results in high-stakes decisions when students have had a real opportunity to master the materials upon which the test is based and this cannot be achieved without an active and professional teacher.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
The Most Influential Woman of the Past Millenium: Elizabeth Cady Stanto
The Most Influential Woman of the Past Millenium: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Rosa Parks Elizabeth Cady Stanton If there had never been born an Elizabeth Cady Stanton, women may have never seen the rights and privileges granted to us in the Nineteenth Amendment. She was the leading fighter and driving force for women's rights; she dedicated her whole life to the struggle for equality. Elizabeth had learned from her father at an early age how to debate and win court cases, and she had also experienced the discriminations against women first hand. These two qualities lead to the most influential and motivating speeches against inequality when she was older. Elizabeth vowed to herself that she would "change how women were viewed in society" (Hildgard 2); and that, she did! Due to her strong belief in equality, she had the word "obey" removed from her wedding vow before she would marry Henry Brewster Stanton, an abolitionist, who "loved her haughty nature and strong will" (Raven 85). While partaking in their honeymoon, they attended the World's First Anti-slavery Convention in London, Stanton and Lucretia Mott were failed to be noticed as "legitimate delegates"(Read 417). The convention's sexual barrier humiliated and angered Stanton; she promised to start a women's convention to battle the issue of equality. A cause that she faught against for most of her lifetime. Eight years later, Stanton, along with four other women, held the first women's convention at Seneca Falls. Here hundreds of women met to discuss the fact that they had been denied their natural rights and religious freedom. The women used the Declaration of Independence to write the Declaration of Sentiments, which included the women's bil... ...king Press, 1972. "Hildgard." Distinguished Women, Fields of Activtity. Distinguished Women. 28 January 2000 . James, Edward T., et al ed. Notable Women. Volume I. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press. Martin, Linda, et al., eds. 1000 Makers of the Millenium. New York: DK Publishing, 1999. Raven, Susan, and Alison Weir. Women of Achievement. New York: Harmony Books, 1981. Read, Phyllis J., and Bernard L. Witlieb. The Book of Women's Firsts. New York: Random House, 1992. Saari, Peggy, ed. Prominent Women of the 20th Century. Volume 4. New York: International Thompson Publishing Company, 1996. Schlesinger, Arthur M. Jr. Eleanor of Acquitaine. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. "The National Women's Hall of Fame." Internet. 19 January 2000 .
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Quaker up ad
There are eight grams of whole grains are chocolaty, pretzels-caramels mash-up the whole family craves. Its how we're fighting the human energy crisis one bar at a time (Quaker). The ad insinuates that any family that is in a rush should buy their product. It is a good healthy snack for families on the go. The ad is a good target for families that are in a rush all the time. They can Just eat a Quaker bar on their way to work. School, taking your kids somewhere, or really anywhere. It also targets young people that aren't always home o eat all the time, even people trying to eat healthy.The #Quaker is a hash tag and It targets people that keep up with social media. It shows people that Quaker Is also up to date on their social media. Everyone that puts that on their social media the hash tag #Quaker will show on their page or wall and Its pretty much free advertisement for Quaker products. The product is something fast and easy. The ad tries to persuade people by the saying MM MM and families GO GO GO. Its a fast and easy treat that the whole family will love. The ad tells us how many grams here are in a bar. It explains what the Quaker bar will Bates 2 taste like.A chocolate, caramel, and pretzel mash up. The Quaker up theme also helps the ad sell this product. Its a good saying. Pretty much saying wake up and Quaker up, by having a Quaker bar. Which also lets you know its something fast and easy for breakfast. One thing that doesn't seam to fit the ad is when it says, â€Å"It's how we're fighting the human energy crisis one bar at a time. †That means, the Quaker bar saves peoples energy and time you would have to make a meal. Also, here won't be a crawls or a hassle by trying to make something In a short period of time.This ad suggests that Quaker big chewy bars are good and helps families on the go. It repeats GO GO GO and MM MM MM. It stresses that so people will know how good Quaker bars really are. Also, it lets people know how fast and easy the bars are on the go. This ad is successful because it shows the Quaker big chewy floating in the air by a parachute, on a perfect blue sky day. The ad make life look so simple and easy. Of course, the Quaker up theme is a personal identity which intensifies all the Quaker ads.It simply says wake up world, you would have a Quaker bar and everything will be okay. Its the best saying for Quaker products. Anyone that is hungry and Is on the go go go. Go grab a snack that's fast and easy. The Quaker bar ad shows the box in the air, which also goes good with the Quaker up thyme. The Quaker bars are up up and away. This ad could easily persuade anyone. The small bar that you can take with you anywhere, and tastes great Is the Bates 3 Work Cited Quaker. Advertisement. Redbook July. 2014: Print.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Questions: Making Comparisons Essay
Is Lim’s speaker angrier than Clifton’s, Hayden’s, or Roethke’s? Is there a resolution in Lim’s poem? Is there in the other three poems?            Lim’s speaker is much angrier that Hayden’s, but Clifton and Roethke’s are equally angry. There is now understanding in the speaker of Lim’s poem. Her father has given nothing but bad memories that would only hold her back if she took the time to dwell on them. There is no room to understand that this father might have done the best that he could with what he had or with the knowledge that he had. She seems to especially blame him for the poverty of her childhood. There is an immense amount of resentment toward her father.            There is a resolution in that the speaker she has decided to put him behind her so that she will not think of him. She will not allow him to enter her thoughts. To her Asia and all that it was to her is dust, which is worthless and can blow away. Clifton’s speaker seems to be forgiving her father for something. Is Lim’s forgiving her father? Is Hayden’s? Roethke’s? Lim does not seem to be forgiving her father of anything. Instead she is banishing him from her existence. By getting rid of him, she is not forgiving or dealing with the feelings that she has about him. She is trying to convince herself that she can eliminate him from her mind, but instead she is only burying them.            Hayden is displaying some forgiveness. He allows himself to share in the blame for the poor father/son relationship and in through the reasoning that he has done, he is able to work through some of his resentment toward his father and his past. Roethke has also displayed a level of forgiveness. If the poem is seen as though the father has abused the son, then, Roethke has forgiven the event by turning it into a dance or waltz which is something pleasant. Abuse is not pleasant at all, but by taking the memory and turning it into an enjoyable dance, he has allowed himself to deal with his emotions. Which speaker’s attitude seems the healthiest? Which the least?            I think that Hayden’s attitude is the healthiest because allows himself to focus on his father’s positive contributions as well as the negative. He remembers that his father was the one who got up early to provide the small comforts of life for his family. He realized, as the last stanza points out, that his father did provide warmth and cleanliness for his son.            Forgiving My Father by Lucille Clifton:            The poem by Lucille Clifton Forgiving My Father has a resentful and angry tone. She is paying her bills when the ghost of her father comes to her and this allows many unpleasant memories to flood her thoughts. She does not actually see his ghost, but his deeds haunt her. These are memories of a father who was not there for his family and took from its members instead of giving as anyone would expect a father to do.            Clifton is not as angry for what has been done to her as she is for her mother. She has obviously been close to her mother and felt that she has done her best to provide while her husband bled her of money and her emotions. This made me think of the people I know who are in a relationship which should be productive but instead are counterproductive.  Every member of a family should contribute to the unit so that it can be a healthy and vital body. Even small children play a role in the family. They contribute to the love and serve as teachable units who will one day provide extra strength to the unit. All of the family must work together to strengthen each other and occasionally each member will be in need and will require the support of the other members. As soon as he /she is not in a position of need any longer, he/she will be able to be an asset.            Instead of being the provider for the family, Clifton’s father has bee a leach. He has been this to his children as well as his wife. He has taken so much from her that we suspect that he is partly to blame for her death. He has sucked the life out of her just as a leach will suck the blood from its victim This father is useless and does not deserve is daughter’s forgiveness. She is not offering it to him for him, but for herself.            Those Winter Sunday s by Robert Hayden is set in the winter so that the cold can symbolize lack of emotions or the coldness of the heart. It is about the speaker’s father and the relationship that they shared. Sunday is symbolic of a day when a person is usually with the family because it is a day when there is no work It is a day of closeness and togetherness.            The father of the family gets up early to build the fire so that when the rest of the family rise, the house will be warm for them. He also polishes the shoes. He does not do it out of love but out of duty. There is no warmth from him as there is from the fire which is warm and inviting. His hands are cracked from the hard work that this father does, but again it is out duty instead love.            It is obvious that the father also resents what he must do for the family. This is evident when Hayden tells us that the house is full of anger. He does not understand his son and his son does not understand him. They do nothing to alleviate the problem. They just keep growing farther apart. The father provides without explaining why he does the things that he does and the son keeps taking and does not express his appreciation. So the father feels as if not one is grateful to him and therefore feels worthless.            It is not until the son is grown and looks back that he realizes the work and sacrifices that his father has done and made. If he had done so earlier and his father had realized that he was appreciated, he might have performed his duties out of love.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
How to Find Your Birth Parent or Child
How to Find Your Birth Parent or Child It is estimated that 2% of the U.S. population, or about 6 million Americans, are adoptees. Including biological parents, adoptive parents, and siblings, this means that 1 in 8 Americans are directly touched by adoption. Surveys show that a large majority of these adoptees and birth parents have, at some point, actively searched for biological parents or children separated by adoption. They search for many different reasons, including medical knowledge, the desire to know more about the individuals life, or a major life event, such as the death of an adoptive parent or the birth of a child. The most common reason given, however, is genetic curiosity - a desire to find what a birth parent or child looks like, their talents, and their personality. Whatever your reasons for deciding to start an adoption search, it is important to realize that it will most likely be a difficult, emotional adventure, full of amazing highs and frustrating lows. Once youre ready to undertake an adoption search, however, these steps will help you get started on the journey. How to Begin an Adoption Search The first objective of an adoption search is to discover the names of the birth parents who gave you up for adoption, or the identity of the child you relinquished. What do you already know? Just like a genealogy search, an adoption search begins with yourself. Write down everything you know about your birth and adoption, from the name of the hospital in which you were born to the agency which handled your adoption.Approach your adoptive parents. The best place to turn next is your adoptive parents. They are the ones most likely to hold possible clues. Write down every bit of information they can provide, no matter how insignificant it may seem. If you feel comfortable, then you can also approach other relatives and family friends with your questions.Collect your information in one place. Gather together all available documents. Ask your adoptive parents or contact the appropriate government official for documents such as an amended birth certificate, petition for adoption, and the final decree of adoption.Medical historyHealth statusCause of and age at deathHeight, weight, eye, hair colorEthnic originsLevel of educationProfessional achievementR eligion Ask for your non-identifying information. Contact the Agency or the State that handled your adoption for your non-identifying information. This non-identifying information will be released to the adoptee, adoptive parents, or birth parents, and may include clues to help you in your adoption search. The amount of information varies depending upon the details that were recorded at the time of the birth and adoption. Each agency, governed by state law and agency policy, releases what is considered appropriate and non-identifying, and may include details on the adoptee, adoptive parents, and birth parents such as: on some occasions, this non-identifying information may also include the parents ages at time of birth, the age and sex of other children, hobbies, general geographical location, and even the reasons for the adoption.Sign up for adoption registries. Register in State and National Reunion Registries, also known as Mutual Consent Registries, which are maintained by the government or private individuals. These registries work by allowing each member of the adoption triad to register, hoping to be matched with someone else who might be searching for them. One of the best is the International Soundex Reunion Registry (ISRR). Keep your contact information updated and re-search registries on a regular basis. Join an adoption support group or mailing list. Beyond supplying much needed emotional support, adoption support groups can also provide you with information concerning current laws, new search techniques, and up-to-date information. Adoption search angels may also be available to assist with your adoption search.Hire a confidential intermediary. If youre very serious about your adoption search and have the financial resources (there is usually a substantial fee involved), consider petitioning for the services of a Confidential Intermediary (CI). Many states and provinces have instituted intermediary or search and consent systems to allow adoptees and birth parents the ability to contact each other through mutual consent. The CI is given access to the complete court and/or agency file and, using the information contained in it, attempts to locate the individuals. If and when contact is made by the intermediary, the person found is given the option of allowing or refusing contact by t he party searching. The CI then reports the results to the court; if the contact has been refused that ends the matter. If the person located agrees to contact, the court will authorize the CI to give the name and current address of the person sought to the adoptee or birth parent. Check with the state in which your adoption occurred as to the availability of a Confidential Intermediary System. Once youve identified the name and other identifying information on your birth parent or adoptee, your adoption search can be conducted in much the same way as any other search for living people.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Australopithecus Facts and Figures
Australopithecus Facts and Figures Name: Australopithecus (Greek for southern ape); pronounced AW-strah-low-pih-THECK-us Habitat: Plains of Africa Historical Epoch: Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene (4-2 million years ago) Size and Weight: Varies by species; mostly about four feet tall and 50-75 pounds Diet: Mostly herbivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Bipedal posture; relatively large brain About Australopithecus Although theres always the possibility that a stunning new fossil discovery will upset the hominid apple cart, for now, paleontologists agree that the prehistoric primate Australopithecus was immediately ancestral to genus Homo- which today is represented by only a single species, Homo sapiens. (Paleontologists have yet to pin down the exact time when the genus Homo first evolved from Australopithecus; the best guess is that Homo habilis derived from a population of Australopithecus in Africa about two million years ago.) The two most important species of Australopithecus were A. afarensis, named after the Afar region of Ethiopia, and A. africanus, which was discovered in South Africa. Dating to about 3.5 million years ago, A. afarensis was about the size of a grade-schooler; its human-like traits included a bipedal posture and a brain slightly bigger than a chimpanzees, but it still possessed a distinctly chimp-like face. (The most famous specimen of A. afarensis is the famous Lucy.) A. africanus appeared on the scene a few hundred thousand years later; it was similar in most ways to its immediate ancestor, although slightly bigger and better adapted to a plains lifestyle. A third species of Australopithecus, A. robustus, was so much bigger than these other two species (with a bigger brain as well) that its now usually assigned to its own genus, Paranthropus. One of the most controversial aspects of the various species of Australopithecus is their presumed diets, which is related intimately to their use (or non-use) of primitive tools. For years, paleontologists assumed that Australopithecus subsisted mostly on nuts, fruits, and hard-to-digest tubers, as evidenced by the shape of their teeth (and the wear on tooth enamel). But then researchers discovered evidence of animal butchering and consumption, dating to about 2.6 and 3.4 million years ago, in Ethiopia, demonstrating that some species of Australopithecus may have supplemented their plant diets with small servings of meat- and may (emphasis on the may) have used stone tools to kill their prey. However, its important not to overstate the extent to which Australopithecus was similar to modern humans. The fact is that the brains of A. afarensis and A. africanus were only about a third the size of those of Homo sapiens, and theres no convincing evidence, aside from the circumstantial details cited above, that these hominids were capable of using tools (though some paleontologists have made this claim for A. africanus). In fact, Australopithecus seems to have occupied a place fairly far down on the Pliocene food chain, with numerous individuals succumbing to predation by the meat-eating megafauna mammals of their African habitat.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
The SWOT and the PESTLE Analysis of Morrison Plc Essay - 1
The SWOT and the PESTLE Analysis of Morrison Plc - Essay Example This paper illustrates that expanding the network of new stores is a unique opportunity for Morrison and the current discount policy and other incentives from competitors to the retail customers are the biggest threat to the company. In the PESTLE analysis, tax imbalance puts the unfavorable effect on Morrison’s performance. Inflation offers similar challenges. Socially, Morrison has signed ethical audit agreement and technologically it has replaced manual system with machines. Legally, it may face litigation cost whereas environmentally it has received an award for reducing carbon footprint. Organisations face numerous internal and external threats. For assessing and understanding the type and level of their impact on their financial performance, different macro analysis tools are used including the SWOT and the PESTLE analysis. The SWOT analysis is mostly used for assessing both internal and external capabilities and challenges in which strengths and weaknesses evaluate the internal capabilities whereas the opportunities and threats are used for investigating the external factors which directly or indirectly affect the financial and operational performance of organizations. Similarly, the PESTLE analysis is a typical external environment tool which is fundamentally used to highlight those factors which have the capability to affect the organizations. in this regard, it is important to point out that the PESTLE analysis reflects only those factors which are beyond the control of organizations and they are only required to adjust their strategic marketing for avoiding or gaining advantage from the effects of external factors. In this regard, Morrison has different internal strengths and weaknesses and there are some threats along with opportunities for the organizations. In the following parts of this report, first Morrison’s background is provided in which some basic information for the company has been given. It is followed by the SWOT analysis in which Morrison’s existing competence level has been evaluated. Subsequently, before the conclusion and recommendations part, the PESTLE analysis has been carried out.
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