American education reform

American education reform The vision for all children, regardless of their societal setting, should be to receive meaningful education that prepares them for responsibilities, opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, in order to have a significant impact in not only their societies, but also the international economy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on American education reform specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is for this reason that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and their affiliates continue to push for Common Core State Standards (CCSS), though their efforts lack the support of policy makers, who are fixated on the use of standardized tests for the purpose of accountability. Following the enactment of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in 2001, more attention was given to fulfilling the needs of students by employing CCSS and assessments to evaluate student and school performance. However, this system left educators as the only par ty responsible for the performance of students and schools, while policy makers set out to increase the number of standardized tests administered to students as a way to benchmark their performance levels and set prerequisites for graduation or promotion. Educators acknowledge the importance of measuring student learning through the appropriate use of standardized testing and logical accountability measures, though they continue to assert that there should be proper balance between teaching and testing. As such, reforming the American education system requires a lot of work to be done, beyond the administration of regular assessments, through professional development, aligned curriculum, and access to resources for educators to advance their knowledge and collaboration efforts. One of the requirements of the NCLB is the administration of standardized testing in all 50 states on an annual basis for all students above the third grade. These tests are motivated by the notion that stude nts will feel increased pressure to perform well, owing to the eventual reward or punishment, which will then increase their learning and achievement. The use of tests is vital for monitoring student learning, but the current accountability system under the NCLB Act has brought about serious implications including: reduced attention to critical elements of the curriculum that are not mandated to accountability testing, compromise of student learning time to test preparation and testing, and the shift of educators attention to attaining a minimum score as opposed to gaining knowledge. Popham (11) claims that the use of a test-based accountability system is rational since it provides educators with a means to assess the comprehension level of their students, though the absolute reliance on this strategy obstructs proper teaching and learning.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lu nenburg (2) argues that high-stakes testing does not increase student learning. Instead, it interferes with student motivation and narrows the curriculum as teachers provide instruction based on the appropriate response to test questions. This is done at the expense of vital skills traditionally provided in schools, including problem solving, critical thinking and group work. In the last decade, the time spent on test preparation and testing has increased drastically, in similar proportion to the lost instructional time and additional testing expenses. Proponents of more testing argue that the improved rate of student achievement, owing to additional tests, outweigh the extra costs of testing or money paid to testing companies, and fail to realize that the increase in number of ‘bubble students’, or those whose scores are concentrated at the minimum score, compromises the development of every student’s full potential (Nelson 8). There are different kinds of asses sments administered in schools including those mandated by the state and those developed at the district level, though the recent focus on data reporting and analysis has made all assessments high-stakes assessments with implications for students, schools and teachers. State tests mandated by NCLB are aimed at determining whether the students are satisfying state standards on an annual basis, and are administered in the spring to sum up the school year. The test scores are then compared to those of previous years in order to determine the effectiveness of a school. However, Lunenburg (3) argues that the use of a single summative test score to assess student achievement is flawed as it does not reflect on the progress of the students. A study performed by Nelson on two mid-sized urban school districts revealed that students in grade 3 to 10 spend between 20 and 50 hours every year taking high-stake tests, and an additional 60-110 hours preparing for those tests. In addition, an estim ated cost of $6.15 for every lost instructional hour translated to an annual testing cost of about $700 per students. However, this study did not take into consideration a variety of other time and testing costs including: cost of test prep materials, the teacher’s non-classroom time spent preparing the test, time and cost of special education testing, cost of preparing hardware and technology for testing, and time spent on data reporting and analysis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on American education reform specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other costs not incorporated in the study are those pertaining to time spent by students on quizzes or teacher-made tests, and the time spent on assessing homework and grading tests (Nelson). Nonetheless, Nelson (27) observed that the scrutiny of current testing policy, in regard to budgetary costs, would spark policymakers to consider alternative uses of teacher and stud ent time, like allocating more time to non-test subjects in the curriculum. According to the study performed by Nelson, the abolishment of testing would free up between 20 and 40 minutes in every school day for most grades, and in some cases, add an entire class period for students in grades 6-11. Furthermore, it would be possible to relocate about $100 of the amount used on every student for testing to buy instructional programs or provide technology. According to Nelson (28), reducing the time and costs of testing by even half of the current levels would still produce considerable benefits to the learning school day, and create funds for the preparation of tests that are better suited to enhance knowledge acquisition, and even increase the access of teachers, students and parents to valuable resources and information. In the recent past, different states have started to acknowledge the pleas of educators to focus less on excess-testing and more on imparting meaningful knowledge. T he Texas legislature, for instance, decided to slice the amount of high school end-of-course mandated exams for graduation from fifteen to five. On a similar note, the New York Orchard Park Central School District proposed that the 2013 state assessments be used in evaluating the progress of the state in introducing the CCLS, as opposed to assessing the performance of students or the effectiveness of educators (Popham). According to Popham, the level of poverty in the communities where various schools are situated does not serve as an indicator for the quality of education or instruction that occurs in the classroom, but has the largest impact on the variation of test scores from one institution to the other. Besides the amount of wealth in the community where a school is located, the resources available in that school also affect its performance and test scores; hence the distinction in the scores of Beverly Hills’ schools and those in Birmingham. Using test scores to evalua te teachers is erroneous since the scores of the students are only partly dependent on the kind of education that they receive. These scores are also a reflection of the interference of the community on the student’s education, long before the child interacted with the teacher in the classroom (Popham).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The results obtained from high-stakes tests inform the state of the resources available in a school, and the socioeconomic status of the community, but not about the quality of education provided within those schools. If standardized tests continue to be administered, the outcomes of those tests should be provided to parents, teachers, school districts, and other relevant parties for accountability purposes instead of using them for research and intricate systems for evaluating schools and teachers (Lunenburg). In addition, the purpose of testing should be to enhance instructions offered to students and assist in improving schools, rather than to sanction, punish and shut down schools. It is not rational to issue tests to students for the sole purpose of determining the impact that their educators have on imparting knowledge. A measure of achievement should be one of the components used when assessing the school. Nelson (31) suggests that state and school districts should evaluate t he cost implications of the entire testing and assessment systems employed in typical school districts, including the cost and time for test preparation and lost instructional time. Nelson also proposes the incorporation of support measures to enhance the evaluation literacy of teachers that is required for improving and employing classroom assessments, as well as the appropriate utilization and interpretation of formal tests. It would then be the responsibility of the state to hold teachers accountable for employing the best assessment practices. It is important that all parties concerned with testing students to determine their progress or check teacher and school effectiveness to streamline their processes. To achieve this, school districts should include educators in the evaluation of testing systems to establish their usefulness in improving teaching, and in so doing, abolish any assessments that are not meaningful. In the effort to promote student knowledge acquisition, it may also be advisable to either reduce or abolish interim testing since they have no useful impact in promoting the teaching process. Nelson claims that these tests are exceedingly complicated, confusing, and do not reflect the state standards, but instead lead to an increase in â€Å"bubble students† and mediocrity. While in this process, it may also be advisable to do away with redundant, obsolete state tests and establish Common Core assessments designed by PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) or SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium) as the only state-mandated assessments. In conclusion, teachers should embark on processes that allow them to drastically reduce the time spent on assessment preparation and benchmark testing. This can be achieved by shifting their focus from administering old tests to gaining new skills and knowledge that is vital for executing the Common Core standards in a setting that does not motivate learning throu gh the promise of reward and punishment. Another way to save on time and costs is to embed assessments in instructional materials. This can be achieved through challenging tasks and projects that require students to engage at their own pace, and use brief tests to check their comprehension in the course of the training schedule. Lunenburg, Fred C. America’s Obsession with Student Testing: Costs in Money and Lost Instructional Time. International Journal f Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity 15.1 (2013): 1-4. Print. Nelson, Howard. Testing More, Teaching Less What America’s Obsession with Student Testing Costs in Money and Lost Instructional Time. Washington, D.C: American Federation of Teachers, 2013. Print. Popham, James. Classroom evidence of successful teaching, mastering assessment. Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon, 2011. Print.

Analysing elements of integrated marketing communication

Analysing elements of integrated marketing communication In the past, the various elements of marketing communication mix were handled by experts in the relevant areas and regarded as separate functions. For example, sales department managed its selling activities independently; advertising campaigns conduct by advertising agencies whereas the sponsorship and direct marketing are conduct by specialists or consultants in these areas. Obviously, it can lead to frequently inconsistent and uncoordinated. Therefore, to change this situation to be better, integrated marketing communication should be implementing. There are some factors of implementing the IMC which are significant political and social changes, rapid technological development, and the empowerment of consumers. All these powerful forces have all contributed to creating a business climate in which marketers can no longer afford to ‘dictate’ to their target audience. Hence, marketers should learn to adapt with the new environment because marketing landscape has much ch anged over the last decade. It is an environment where consumers are able to evaluate the offers being made to them and to decide more independently how to satisfy their requirements. Consumers are more selective where they will ensure that the company provides what and when they want it. Thus, this has lead to significant changes in the way marketers promote their product offerings to consumers. So, we can say that the era of IMC is very important to company. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Integrated means that combine or coordinate separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole. In other word, when all marketing communication tool work together, it will be more effective than work as a single component. It will create more competitive advantages, boost sales and profit, while saving cost, time and stress if this concept is incorporated in marketing strategy. So, if the marketing communication tools are combined as a group it will produce more powerful outcome in the process of delivering customer superior value. Marketing The root word for marketing is market. Market is defined as a place for consumer and sellers to carry out transaction that required cash as an exchange medium for obtaining a product or service. Marketing can be defined in two perspectives which include old view or new view of marketing. From the new view of marketing, it is all about the creation of superior value for customers and building strong customer relationship in order to capture value and feedback from customer. It is different from old views of marketing which focus only on process of selling and telling the product to target market. Communication In  general, communication is defined  as  a  process of transmitting information and meaning from sender to receiver  either  in  verbal  or  nonverbal no matter it is occurred in a group or interpersonal.   This  process of communication  is considered successful if the receiver understanding inf ormation or message conveyed by the sender. There are two types of communication which is verbal communication and non verbal communication. Verbal communication includes written and oral presentation while non verbal communication includes an overall body language of the person which included the body posture, gesture and facial expressions. In marketing perspective, communication is defined as a process by which persuasive information is transmitted as promotional messages through one or more channels such as print, radio, television, direct mail, and personal selling.

Risk identification is an underdeveloped art Discuss and include an Essay

Risk identification is an underdeveloped art Discuss and include an overview of risk identification aids and techniques in yo - Essay Example These entrepreneurs are called trendsetters in a market. In a dynamic environment, swift business decisions are required to be taken in response to the fast changing environment. This adaptability is essential for the survival of the business. Risks in a business cannot be avoided. Is the management risk averse? Risk is inevitable in a business process and it is involved in every activity of the business, though the degree of the risk is insignificant in many cases. Therefore, the approach should be: Is a particular risk tolerable, considering the willingness and ability of the management to take risk? The business decisions need to be consistent with the management’s policy with regard to risk. In all other cases, the management has to decide whether the risk is acceptable at all. Therefore, risk identification is a continuous process in an organization to evaluate the risk potential of the business decisions, its impact on the business in the worse scenario and the risk rewa rd ratio. Risk Analysis If risk identification or analysis is considered as an art, the passion and ability for analysis on the part of the personnel is important, and the management’s recognition and support for this function should form the basis for its efficient and successful functioning and contribution to the business development. Risk analysis or risk identification in this sense is as a continuous process as a part of the management function with necessary authority at its disposal and suitable place in the management structure. Risk analysis calls for collecting information from external and internal sources. The analyst needs to possess the analytical ability and proficiency in using various analytical tools for the purpose of analysis. Collection of information from the internal sources through various periodical reports, surveys, job cards and other records is a regular process. Classification of this information for various analytical purposes for the current us e or storage of the classified information for future use is important. The information has to be cross-verified for its correctness and reliability by using various auditing and other techniques. The information is analyzed for abnormalities or other indications and recorded either for future use or further action by the different departmental heads. Barron and Barron (2011) suggest keeping the management informed of project risks and potential impacts at all times. The understanding of the business by the analyst in this process is enhanced and it would be useful in evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses in the system. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Organization Analysis of the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organization is the first step in risk identification because opportunities and challenges in the environment have to be analyzed in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of the organization to evaluate the preferred course of action or to formulate adaptive strategies. Starr et al. (2003) state, ‘Enterprise resilience is the ability and capacity to withstand systemic discontinuities and adapt to new risk environments. A resilient organization effectively aligns its strategy, operations, management systems, governance structure, and decision-support capabilities so that it can uncover and adjust to continually changing risks, endure disruptions to its primary earnings drivers, and create advantages over less

Senator Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Senator Profile - Essay Example Corker is a Presbyterian and in his late twenties, he participated in a mission trip to Haiti. This trip inspired him to become proactive in the welfare of his home community. He remarkably pioneered the founding of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, a nonprofit organization aimed at providing low interest home loans as well home maintenance knowledge to thousands of Tennesseans since 1986. This enterprise since its inception in 1986 has aided many families to enjoy decent, fit, and affordable housing. Prior to his graduation from the university, Corker worked as a construction laborer. This points out to his love for hard work and determination to succeed in life. Upon his graduation, he worked as a construction superintendent where he managed to save adequate money. He later commenced his own construction company in 1979 with $ 8,000 he had saved from his former job. Admirably, this company grew tremendously gaining reputation owed to meeting deadlines not only on time but also b elow the budget. This attracted numerous clients prompting him to expand operations in eighteen states. In 1999, he had gathered enough funds to purchase two of the largest and oldest commercial real estate companies in Chattanooga. When appointed Tennessee Commissioner of Finance and Administration by Governor Don Sundquist in1994, bob exhibited exemplary leadership. In his two years in this docket, he tightened the state’s budget and helped eradicate poverty by creating jobs for almost forty thousand Tennesseans. In 2001, Corker rises to become the mayor of Chattanooga where he serves for one term. During his tenure as the mayor, he is famous of fascinating $ 2.1 billion new investments to Chattanooga. He also transformed the waterfront as well as implemented the merit bonus pay for teachers. This program improved student achievement especially in most poor performing schools. He also markedly contributed to crime reduction by working closely with local law enforcement offi cials. Focusing on his political life, Bob’s interest in politics dates back in 1994 when he declared his interest in contending for the senatorial seat on a Republican ticket. Unfortunately, he lost to his major opponent Bill Frist during the Republican primaries. However, even after losing to Bill, he continually supported Bill to the general election. This is adorable as it portrays his partisanship and loyalty to the Republican Party. Remarkably, the critics of Bill’s campaign manager who tagged him â€Å"pond scum† did not move him. Soon after the 1994 elections, Don Sunquist appointed him the Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee where he served between 1995 and 1996. During his time in this office, Bob is attributable with numerous achievements like the $2.1 billion investment, cutting down crime by almost half, improving the quality of education amongst others. Bob served as the Mayor for Chattanooga following his victory in the 2001 elections. As a Mayor, he is significant for his value addition to education in Chattanooga. This he achieved by implementing a â€Å"merit based bonus system.† This program entailed giving bonuses to principals and teacher whose students exhibited improved performances. This encouraged competition amongst schools and ultimately improved performance of the students around Chattanooga. It is also during this time that Corker established a program aimed at facilitating monthly meetings with public

Elements of Marketing New Zealand for Tourism :: Tourism Destination Marketing

Introduction The Bay of islands is one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand and has 144 islands. It can also claim to be the birth place of New Zealand. The Bay Island with its warm climate and water based activities is a popular destination for New Zealand holiday makers and international tourist. The bay has many interesting historic towns including Pahia, Russell, Waitangi and Kari Keri. There is a broad range of accommodation in the bay of island, as well as attractions and activities, place to eat, and entrainment of all age. Tourists are more dependable on website to get the information and overview of destination. Therefore one of the website of bay of island is www.tourism.net.nz, which gives complete information. In this assignment, we will mainly discuss about marketing mix, customer wants, creating value for the customer, destination location and tangible experience from tourism marketing perspective. Marketing Mix 1) Product A service is something that cannot be touched. This means that it is harder to market, than a physical Product. Its quality cannot be perceived before it is used. This can complicate convincing a potential tourist to acquire the service and to choose one service offering over any other. Many of the services/products that Bay of Islands offers could easily be offered by other destinations in New Zealand or even abroad. What distinguishes Bay of Islands is that they were first to the market with this type of nature and culture-based tourism product in New Zealand. This is a simple rule of business and it applies greatly in the case of New Zealand. Bay of Islands has managed to carve out some sort of niche product for itself in the north of New Zealand. It is seen as the exemplar of the natural, adventure and heritage product that New Zealand has to offer. 2) Price A very important factor in the marketing mix is the price. Since a service is not physical, its value must be carefully thought out. The price is sometimes the first thing which tourists look at. Depending on the type of service, perceptions of value differ. The price can act as an indicator of quality. A low price may seem as an attempt to cheat the customer in some way. People expect quality to cost and are willing to pay a higher price for it. That is why the service provider must be aware of how much people would pay for his service and why.

Diversity in UK universities as a result of Globalization Essay

interconnected both economically and culturally. Globalization is actually the process of economic, technological, political and socio-cultural forces i. e. globalization refers to the adaptation or development of values, knowledge, technology and behavioral norms across different societies and countries around the world. The characteristics of globalization are mostly linked with global networking (i. e. internet, electronic communication or technology etc. ) with interflow of information in the economic, social, political and cultural learning areas, interflow between international alliances and competitors, international collaboration and multi-cultural integration and global village and technology. There are four dimensions to globalization and they are 1) Building the global economy, 2) Formation of world opinion, 3) Democratization, or the creation of a global community and 4) The emergence of global political institutions. (Globalization) The positive effects of globalization in any economy is that, it has opened a broader concept of communication throughout the world, it helps on bringing in investment in a country, with the help of globalization people and companies now have access to different products of various countries, there is a consistent flow of capital and cash in the developing countries, there is also an increase in the production sector of the companies due to demand for their products worldwide. The governments around the world are trying to solve ecological problems with the help of globalization. The people are becoming more social and open towards each other and more importantly there has been an increased development in the area of technology, which has caused a reduction in the brain drain for example, the people of Asia are now working in the own countries but for foreign companies (rather than going abroad for work), these people are making foreign exchange for their respective countries. There is also an increase in the flow of communication within the world; the global market has the freedom to exchange goods and capital. Another positive effect of globalization is that there is an increased competition between the companies to lower prices which will benefit the end consumer. Globalization provides increased media coverage. Due to globalization the environmental issues can be solved with discussions. Another positive effect of globalization is that there are free trade zones and the countries have to pay less tariffs and quotas. Another effect of globalization is that international justice systems and courts have been launched and worldwide financial markets have been created as well. And let’s not forget immigration between the countries have increased tenfold. (Advantages of globalization, 2007) Globalization not only has advantages but there are some disadvantages to it also. The first disadvantage of globalization is that local companies are now been taken over by the foreign multinational companies. Due to globalization there is an increase in human trafficking, another disadvantage is that the benefits of globalization are not universal which means that the developed countries are becoming richer day by day and the developing countries are not advancing quickly and the poor countries are becoming poorer as the time increases. Another negative effect of globalization is that there has been exploitation of labor worldwide and the developed countries have started to outsource manufacturing and white collar jobs, which means that the number of jobs has decreased. And let’s not forget due to globalization the prices keep on increasing because the governments do not have the ability to maintain social welfare schemes within the countries. And last but not least due to globalization, terrorists can now obtain sophisticated weapons very easily for mass destruction. (Pros and Cons of Globalization) Different types of globalization As we know that globalization is the process of economic, technological, political and socio-cultural forces. There are different kinds of dimensions to globalization. And they are as follows:- †¢ Economic †¢ Sociology †¢ Anthropology †¢ Psychology †¢ Cultural †¢ Communication †¢ Political †¢ Geographic Economic Globalization: economic globalization can be defined as speeding up of the inter-connectedness between all the aspects. Economic globalization links the livelihood to the production of goods and services. The creation of global marketplace was done with the help of economic globalization. Economic globalization mostly depends on the positive and negative phenomenon. Recently with the help of economic globalization the developed countries like UK are integrating with the developing countries like India through foreign investment, it helps with reducing the trade barriers and by westernizing their cultures. (Economic Globalization) Political Globalization: political globalization can be defined as the emergence of a world government (like World Bank and IMF), which helps in regulating the relationship between the governments. With the help of globalization the developed country can enjoy a strong and healthy economy for example, USA. USA enjoys being the world power and having a strong and a wealthy economy and growth due to globalization. Geographical Globalization: geographical globalization actually means that with the help of globalization the geographical distances are reduced. As we know that distance is measured in time therefore distance usually goes through compression or annihilation when talking about geographical globalization. With the help of globalization information is able to reach to remote locations of the world. Cultural Globalization: cultural globalization can be defined as the transmission of culture worldwide. The transmission is done by the movement of people, objects, symbols and signs. The things that are considered important in cultural globalization are communication and transportation. The global culture markets are mostly driven by technology and these markets are mostly dominated by UK, US, Japanese and Chinese companies. Radio and music industry is considered to be the best way of communicating with the world; it is the major source of communication in the developing countries like India. Music is considered to be highly compatible with globalization because it does not have the need to be translated. Cinema and television are also considered one of the important ways for communicating worldwide. Psychology of Globalization: it is now being argued that these days’ people worldwide, with the help of globalization are now developing bicultural identity, which is a combination of local identity and global culture. That kind of identity creates confusion among the youth of non-westernized cultures. The effect of globalization is that it has created identity issues that is there are some people who themselves select their own culture which separates them from the global culture.

United States Government And The Government - 3865 Words

United States government is established by the constitution. United States is a federal republic country. The government consists of a federal power led by the president. There are state governments to assist in the decision makings by the federal government. United States federal government is divided into three different branches. The constitution allows a separation of power among the government. Legislative branch creates laws. They also have the ability to declare war on other countries. Inside the branch, the Senate, the House of Representatives, or the congress, and other agencies, are elected by the citizens. There are 100 senators and 435 representatives. In Georgia, the two Senators are Johnny Isakson and David Perdue. Some†¦show more content†¦Judicial branch interprets the laws and uses the interpretations to decide whether certain cases or events fail to follow the constitution or not. The Supreme Court is the head court that consists of justices chosen by the president and approved by the senate. The number of justices is decided by the senate. As of now, there are nine justices. The current Chief Justice is John G. Roberts, Jr. Other federal courts are also part of the Judicial Branch. Through checks and balances, the three branches maintain equal amounts of power. For instance, the executive branch confirms on the law propositions that the legislative branch makes, and then the judicial branch makes sure that law is constitutional. Power is also given to state governments. Individual states also follow the three branch system. In Georgia, the executive branch is led by a governor; currently, Nathan Deal is the governor of Georgia. The legislative branch is bicameral, meaning that the legislature consists of two chambers different responsibilities. The legislature is made up of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Georgia judicial branch is headed by the state supreme court. Hugh P. Thompson is the chief justice. Wars and treaties A declaration of war was made with Great Britain in 1812. Although the conflict was rather minor, it had a large impact on Canadians and Native Americans. The war was resoluted by the Treaty of