Monday, May 25, 2020

Standardized Testing Controls Much Of The Academic Career...

Standardized testing controls much of the academic career of a student. Today, tests such as the ACT and SAT determine the probability of getting into college while state tests such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) serve as an assessment of preparedness toward the upcoming grade of learning. There is still controversy over the workings of standardized tests. While it does check the proper essentials needed to progress from grade to grade, these tests fail to portray the real depth of student learning, student success and knowledge by instead testing ability to take a test. The test also disadvantages those in a lower socioeconomic status benefiting those who can afford the necessary prep for testing. As a result, reform should be put in place to educate students for their futures better such as teacher evaluations. For students to truly show their potential the No Child Left Behind Act must be changed. The act deems it necessary for every student to take the same test in efforts to achieve a standard score. The lack of said score not only leaves the individual student in a worse off position but poor scores as a school forces a drop in state and federal funding received by a school The children of today’s society are diverse, each of different background and different skill sets. When students are tested, they are given the same test for all, even those with learning disabilities, although applicationsShow MoreRelatedStandardized Testing And High School Education888 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Standardized testing has swelled and mutated†¦to the point that it now threatens to swallow our schools whole† (Kohn, 2000). Comparing standardized testing to a swelling monster that is taking over the school systems is a bit of a reach but there is some weight to this statement. Stand ardized tests have become so frequent in elementary and high school education that they have become the most important tool that is used by school boards and colleges to determine a student’s achievements, but howRead MoreTesting Controls Much Of The Academic Career Of A Student1203 Words   |  5 PagesIt seems standardized testing controls much of the academic career of a student. Today, test such as the ACT and SAT determine the probability of getting into college while state test such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) serve as an assessment of preparedness toward the upcoming grade of learning. There is still controversy over the workings of standardized test works. While it does check the proper essentials needed to progressRead MoreEssay On No Child Left Behind1333 Words   |  6 Pagesretirement—No Child Left Behind. I could no longer tend to the needs and wants of my students. All I was sup posed to do was to get them ready to take tests.† Intro (with thesis): The surviving NCLB mindset of standardized tests being an accurate measure of a students achievement is a problem because it affects our student’s education and increases performance pressure on teachers. What people fail to realise is that students are receiving a worse education because they are not learning, rather being taughtRead MoreThe Common Core State Standards 1791 Words   |  7 Pagesclassroom for many reasons including too much government control, teaching to the test, an excessive focus on language arts and math, and wasted resources, others agree with the NCTM statement about that claims the standards help increase conceptual understanding, reasoning, and skill fluency. The Common Core State Standards are considered to be a high-quality group of academic standards. Before the standards were developed, it seemed as if the progress of the students in the United States was remainingRead MoreHomework Is The Thing That Controls Most Of A Teenagers Life839 Words   |  4 PagesHomework in Moderation = Successful Students Homework; the thing that controls most of a teenagers life. Most students have three or more hours of homework per night. It puts a strain on students sleep, social and family life. â€Å"Some school districts [like ours] are considering time limits on homework and a few are considering making homework optional† (Toppo). I completely agree. An hour of homework should be the time limit for the amount of homework that students in our school district should haveRead MoreThe Mcdonaldization of Society1549 Words   |  6 Pagesmore and more sectors of American society, and as well as of the rest of the world. There are four primary concepts of the term â€Å"McDonaldization†: Calculability, Predictability, Efficiency, and Control. Education is now a form of Mcdonaldization, the education system is now set up in a way whereas students are in at a certain age and out before or by the time they turn eighteen. Efficiency: an optimal method for accomplishing a task; for example, customers that goes to a fast food restaurant, expectRead MoreWhat Do You Agree With Gatto That Compulsory Schooling? Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pageseducate its students like most people assume, but instead, to keep them in line and maintain the current social hierarchy. He begins his article, ‘Against School’, by recounting his time as a school teacher in Manhattan, explaining that the students and teachers always seem to be bored. He asserts that boredom is a symptom of childishness and that the reason students act this way is because schools are designed to prevent children from maturing and gro wing up. Schools do this to make sure students growRead MoreThe Importance Of Computer-Based Assessments In Children1580 Words   |  7 PagesDisorder†). These drugs have also been shown to have the same addictive qualities like oxycodone. Furthermore, Ahmann et al. (2017) noted, psychostimulant medications are not known to improve peer relationships, reduce family conflict, or enhance academic achievement (p. 2). Nevertheless, pharmaceutical companies and some physicians have claimed that psychostimulant medications can improve all these things. Even though the pharmaceutical companies like to claim that stimulants help with homework tooRead MorePresident George Bush s No Child Left Behind Act Of 20071263 Words   |  6 Pageshistory of the United States and are still apparent today. Beginning with assimilation and acculturation in the 17th century and continuing on to programs such as President George Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Mississippi Healthy Students Act of 2007, it is clear that governmental policies have and will always affect public education in the United States. As many European settlers made America their new home, their main goal was to assimilate Natives and create a country based offRead MoreThe Education System Of Education1728 Words   |  7 Pageslearning I reflect on the lessons taught by our school system. It seemed to me that the lessons were not to challenging. In middle school, the teachers showed great care for the students. By the time I was in high school, it seemed that the biggest goal of the teachers had shifted from giving a proper education, to rushing students through the next few years to push them out of high school as fast as possible. The questions that arise are: â€Å"What happened to create the shift of effort†? â€Å"Where did the change

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Women and their eating disorders Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Eating disorders are known to affect both women and men, but are more common among women and less common among men (Keel et al. , 2007). A variety of studies, including Keel et al. (2007) have reported that the development of eating disorders is triggered by the cultural ideals socialised within society, about the ideal shape and size of the body of women, which is considerably below the weight of an average woman. The social model communicated by the media and the society triggers the feelings of dissatisfaction, which are complemented by the attention offered to weight changes among women, leading to depression. This paper will explore the eating disorders of women, contrasting incidence levels with those of men, where it can shed more light on the depth of the problem. DISCUSSION The eating disorders of women Disordered eating and eating disorders are complex problems affecting both women and men, but which are more common among women. The development of eating disorders is triggered by a variety of factors: familial, cultural, social, biological and psychological. Contrary to the thinking of many people, eating disorders are not entirely related to weight issues and food (Becker et al. , 1999). We will write a custom essay sample on Women and their eating disorders or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Instead, weight and food issues are the indicators of the intrinsic problem underlying the symptoms. In order to understand disordered eating and eating disorders more deeply, it is important to examine these problems and the people affected by them, as well as the many factors that contribute to the development of the problems (Becker et al. , 1999). Many women suffer from the difficulties caused by disordered eating, but only the behaviours of a few progress into full-blown disorders, including bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder (Becker et al. , 1999). Anorexia nervosa This disorder refers to self-imposed starvation, which is caused by the fear of becoming fat or gaining weight. In many cases, the victims are underweight, at below 15 percent the weight of a healthy person of their height and stature. The disorder is characterised by the distortion of the body image of the victim; she will hold the opinion that she is fat, irrespective of being underweight (Becker et al. , 1999). Among women, this eating disorder triggers amenorrhea, which is the loss of three consecutive menstrual cycles. Bulimia nervosa This disorder refers to the recurrence of purging and binge eating, for at least twice a week. During the incidence of a binge, the person will consume foods that contribute uncontrollably large calorie counts of between 1500 and 3000 in a span of less than one hour (Becker et al. , 1999).

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Hofstede, Kolb and Raths Critiques - 698 Words

Critique Three critiques will be explored in this section of the paper including; †¢ Hofstede’s critique on the basis of cultural consideration †¢ Kolb’s critique on the basis of dynamic group effectiveness †¢ Rath’s critique on the basis of situational differences Hofstede’s critique is based on that the world is too diverse for followership theories to be applicable in different circumstances (Hofstede, 2001). Theories limited to their origin cultures are not effective, especially when it’s dealing with universally occurring issues, such as followership. In order for a theory to be effective, it must address various issues, including the society’s gender, virtue, identity, truth, and hierarchy (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). Kelley addresses four of these areas, leaving out gender, which is a critical part of societal relations and ultimately, the nature of followership. There are cultures within which women will behave like passive followers regardless of the situation for fear of repercussions. In societies that have experienced prolonged periods of war in recent decades, the females may exhibit the traits of alienated followers owing to their experience s. Hofstede (2001) expresses that this type of exclusion leaves no room for culture and no sense of dimensionality. The critique gives a credible argument, since cultural differences are increasingly becoming an issue owing to different cultures coming into contact all over the world. While this happens, there are no

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Divisional Performance Reporting - Evaluation And Ethics

Question : 1. Discuss the value of the annual performance report presented for the Bondi Division in evaluating the division and its management in terms of : (a) Accounting techniques employed in the measurement of divisional activities. (b) Manner of presentation. (c) Effectiveness with which it discloses differences and similarties between years. 2. Present specific recommendations for the management of Darwin Ltd that would improve its accounting and financial reporting system. 3. Suppose that Bondi Division's chief accountent, Jake Thompson , was approached on 28 December by the divisional general manager with the following request : Answer: 1. Value of Annual Performance Report (a) Accounting Techniques employed in measuring Divisional Activities In this particular context, the Economic Value Added or EVA can be considered as it is the effective method for analysing and measuring the performance of the divisional activities and managerial effectiveness. The reliability and effectiveness of this particular process is referred to the measurement of the financial performance displayed by the companies that are currently operating at a divisional basis. This particular process is suggested by many of the consultants. According to the literatures of management accounting and their performance in the different divisions, it is important to analyse and measure the financial performance of the individual divisions and their effectiveness. According to Emmanuel et al, (1995) and Keating (1997), there are different techniques of accounting are available in order to evaluate the economic performances of the divisions involved in the operating processes of the company. According to the instance of Darwin Ltd, by considering the evaluation of the performance report provided by the related case study of the company, it can be acknowledged that management accountant gave their focus on two areas and these areas can be considered for the measurement of the divisional performance of the company. The first of them is related to the improvement in the financial performance measurement and it is guided by the EVA. On the other hand, the second technique used by the management is related to the integration made to the financial and non-financial elements of the divisions operation. (b) Manner of Presentation According to the case study related to the company of Darwin Ltd, the financial performance report for the year ending 31st December has been published and the entire report is presented for its one of the two divisions, named as the Bondi Division. The department is classified and utilized by the company in order to process the smooth progress of manufacturing and assembling the raw material that can be used for the purpose of basic house components. Therefore, the entire report has been produced and presented to declare the different types of overhead cost involved in the manufacturing process and thus declaring the net income earned in that particular financial year by the division. The entire presentation of the different values and figures has been published by considering the comparative basis. The basic comparison is done on the basis of the financial performance of the same division in the previous financial year. Also, in the report, the percentages of net growth increases o r decreases have been displayed by conducting the comparison of performance. Also, on the basis of the different financial data extracted from the financial and non-financial activities of the Bondi Division, the particular representative values have been generated. Considering those values, the effective financial display of the major areas are being sorted out in the summarized portion. This particular method is the effective manner of presenting the divisional performance of the company at it helps the management and key decision makers to take the intended steps as necessary. (c) Effectiveness of disclosing Differences and Similarities The particular style that is applied in order to present the financial performance of the Bondi Division as specified earlier is done on the basis of the Comparative Statement for Financial Analysis. According to this case, the management accountants of the head office of Darwin Ltd prepare the financial performance report at the end of each financial time period. It declares the vital financial information about the company which is considered helpful and important for the managers of the company. In this case, if the financial performance is analysed by the way of making the comparison related to the last year performance of the division, it helps the management as well as the company to identify different types of issues and constraints. The comparative performance similarities and differences help the management and the head office to identify the measures that can be taken in order match the desired level of criteria and to achieve the company objectives. Therefore, the disclosing differences and similarities by the way of comparative analysis give the company the clearer picture and information that are not present in the different financial reports. 2. Recommendation on Improving the Accounting and Financial Reporting System The accounting systems and the financial reporting systems inside an organization are the major part that report and forecast the different types of vital information related to the company. Financial reporting system plays a vital role in determining the financial position of the company in the market. The financial reporting helps to provide a clear and precise idea about the condition of the market with the help of the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement of the company, the financial statement are produced on the basis of the information and activities carried out by the company for the given fiscal year. Therefore it is evident that the accounting and financial reporting system are improved which eventually help the company to determine and identify the loopholes which defer the company overall profit for the given fiscal year. In this portion, the management and the company of Darwin Ltd will be given with the recommendation to improve their overall accountin g system and enhance the process of financial reporting system. In case of accounting system, it is more than tracking the cash inflows and outflows of the business. The effectiveness of the accounting system stands as identifying and eliminating the ways at which money is wasting and losing by the organizational processes and thus improving the overall profitability of the firm. Therefore, making the additional and recommended changes in the computerized or manual accounting system will let the company to save more time and money and also improve the quality of the financial statements. First of all, improving the accounts receivables is a major part of the accounting system and it includes the streamlining of the collection efforts made. In this context, each and every department of Darwin Ltd should need to record all the invoices in the system at an appropriate basis, so that, the late payments or unpaid invoices can be alerted and the company can start the process of debt collection procedures. Another effective recommendation can be given by the way of changes made to the account payable. If the changes are made effectively, it will certainly allow the company to avail all the discounts as offered by the vendors. In this case, the departments or divisions of Darwin Ltd should need to enter the invoice numbers at an appropriate basis into the accounts payable system. The establishment and the arrangement of the system need to be done on such a way that can notify the divisional heads of the company before crossing the deadlines of the payments. This will help the company to save the irrelevant and unnecessary late fine or penalties due to the late payments and the Darwin Ltd can save more money by the process. In case of Bondi Department of Darwin Ltd, the effective inventory management system needs to be carried out as it will reduces the chances of facing the money lost due to the damages, spoilages and obsolescence of the raw material used for the manufacturing process. In this case, the inventory accounting programme must be prepared and set up by the company in order to track and record the raw materials brought to the firm and the assembled kits transferred to the Bronte Department. As there is the absence of the finished goods in the inventory, the First-in First-out method should be applied so that the damages or obsolescence can be eliminated. Another useful recommendation is to provide the staffs and employees the proper training which will help them to understand adapt to the changes done in the entire accounting systems. It will ensure that their responsibilities can be maintained at a constant basis, at the same time the implementation process cannot be hampered. The above practices in order to build the effective accounting system in Darwin Ltd also help the company to improve the financial reporting system. Additionally, the companys management should need to review the peer organizations financial statement for maintaining the best practices and also examine the different financial statement and divisional financial performance reports at a regular basis to serve towards the organizational objectives of the company. 3. The Ethical Obligations Ethics is considered as the code of behaviour that is governed by the combination of moral, personal. Social and legal standards of what are appropriate and what is right for the entire community of working together. The appropriateness of the behaviour is varied by the way of changing situations and different types of conditions. Based on the factor, there are some number of ethical guiding principles that should need to be agreed by the different organizations and work cultures. In every business including Darwin Ltd should have the presence of the proper ethics program that helps the owners, managers, agents and employee to work together for the common purpose of the organization. It will also support the organization to achieve goals by considering various dimensions. In this particular case, the Chief Accountant of the Bondi Division, Jake Thompson was approached in the last time period of the financial year by the divisional general manger to book the sale that is destined to be happened later the specific financial year. Though, this particular function will represent the better picture for the companys stability and financial performance, but still it is considered as the unethical practice for the organization. Displaying the information that is relatively happened later the financial year is not the part of the process of that former operating year. Therefore, certainly it will represent a false value of the company and thus this factor should be con sidered as the ethical obligation faced by Thompson. References Berry, L. (2011).Financial accounting demystified. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. D'Angela, D. (2008).A study of the market's reaction to superior sustainability reporting as demonstrated by the financial performance of publicly traded companies. Delahanty, L. (2005).Accounting trends techniques, employee benefit plans. New York, NY: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Edwards, D. (2014).The Link Between Company Environmental and Financial Performance (Routledge Revivals). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Friedlob, G., Plewa, F. (2006).Financial and business statements. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series. Goldman, S. (2008).Temptations in the office. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. Gregoriou, G., Finch, N. (2012).Best practices in management accounting. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Mintz, S., Morris, R. (2008).Ethical obligations and decision making in accounting. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Schmidt, A. (2011).Financial markets and trading. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Tarantino, A., Cernauskas, D. (2009).Risk management in finance. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Vataliya, K. (2009).Practical financial accounting. Jaipur: Paradise Publishers. Warren, C., Reeve, J., Fess, P. (2005).Financial managerial accounting. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western.