The Culture of Overtesting in Americas Public Schools

Over the past several years, many parents and students have begun to launch movements against overtesting and the high stakes testing movement. They have begun to realize that their children are being stripped of an authentic educational experience that instead hinges on how they perform on a series of test over a period of a few days. Many states have passed laws that tie student test performance to grade promotion, the ability to obtain a driver’s license, and even the earning of a diploma. This has created a culture of tension and anxiety among administrators, teachers, parents, and students. High Stakes and Standardized Testing I spend quite a bit of my time thinking about and researching the topics of high stakes and standardized testing. I have written several articles on those subjects. This includes one where I consider my philosophical shift from not worrying about my student’s standardized test scores to deciding that I need to play the high stakes testing game and focus on preparing my students for their standardized tests. Since I made that philosophical shift, my students perform significantly better when compared to my students before I shifted my focus to teaching towards the test. In fact over the last several years I have had a near perfect proficiency rate for all of my students. While I am proud of this fact, it is also extremely disheartening because it has come at a cost. This has created a continuous internal battle. I no longer feel like my classes are fun and creative. I do not feel as if I can take the time to explore the teachable moments that I would have jumped on a few years ago. Time is at a premium, and nearly everything I do is with the one singular goal of preparing my students for testing. The focus of my instruction has been narrowed to the point that I feel as if I am trapped. I know that I am not alone. Most teachers are fed up with the current overtesting, high stakes culture. This has led many excellent, effective teachers to retire early or to leave the field to pursue another career path. Many of the remaining teachers have made the same philosophical shift I chose to make because they love working with kids. They sacrifice conforming to something which they do not believe in to keep doing the job they love. Few administrators or teachers see the high stakes testing era as something positive. Many opponents would argue that a single test on a single day is not indicative of what a child truly has learned over the course of a year. Proponents say that it holds school districts, administrators, teachers, students, and parents accountable. Both groups are right to some extent. The best solution to standardized testing would be a middle ground approach. Instead, the Common Core State Standard era has in some degree ushered in increased pressure and continued over-emphasis on standardized testing. Common Core States Standards The Common Core States Standards (CCSS) have had a significant impact on ensuring this culture is here to stay. Forty-two states currently utilize the Common Core State Standards. These states utilize a shared set of English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics educational standards. However, the controversial Common Core has lost some of its luster due in part to several states parting ways with them after initially planning to adopt them,  Even still there is rigorous testing intended to assess student understanding of the Common Core State Standards. There are two consortiums charged with building these assessments: Partnership for Assessment and Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC) SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). Originally, PARCC assessments were given to students over the course of 8-9 testing sessions in grades 3-8. That number has since been reduced to 6-7 testing sessions, which still seems excessive. The driving force behind the high stakes testing movement is two fold. It is both politically and financially motivated. These motivations are interlocked. The testing industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Testing companies win political support by pumping thousands of dollars into political lobbying campaigns to ensure that candidates who support testing are voted into office. The political world essentially holds school districts hostage by tying both federal and state money to standardized tests performance. This, in large part, is why district administrators put pressure on their teachers to do more to increase test performance. It is also why many teachers bow to the pressure and teach directly to the test. Their job is tied to the funding and their family understandably trumps their internal convictions. Overtesting Era The overtesting era is still strong, but hope arises for opponents of high stakes testing. Educators, parents, and students are beginning to awaken to the fact that something needs to be done to reduce the amount of and overemphasis of standardized testing in America’s public schools. This movement has gained much steam within the past few years as many states have suddenly reduced the amount of testing they required and repealed legislation that tied test scores to areas such as teacher evaluations and student promotion. Even still there is more work do be done. Many parents have continued to lead an opt-out movement in the hope that it will eventually rid or drastically reduce the public school standardized testing requirements. There are several websites and Facebook pages dedicated to this movement.   Educators like me appreciate the parental support on this issue. As I mentioned above, many teachers feel trapped. We either quit what we love to do or conform to how we are mandated to teach. This does not mean that we cannot voice our displeasure when given the opportunity. For those who believe that there is too much emphasis placed on standardized testing and that students are being overtested, I encourage you to figure out a way to make your voice heard. It may not make a difference today, but eventually, it could be loud enough to put an end to this insatiable practice.

Capital budgeting with hedging is advantageous to a firm conducting

Essays on Capital budgeting with hedging is advantageous to a firm conducting business in the international business environment Research Paper Capital Budgeting with Hedging is Advantageous to a Firm Conducting Business in the International Business Environment Literature Review Large and drastic fluctuations in exchange rates pose a primary challenge to corporates firms operating in the current globally integrated market. Today’s business environment is complex, the competition most corporates face leads to artificial selection process whereby only organizations that can conform to the rule of the game play it for long. Otherwise, the unlucky ones who play the wrong economic cards bow out of the race unless they make quick survival decisions. As a result, most businesses are ever on the lookout for any risk and how they can shield themselves from such threats. The economic risk-shielding tool of interest to this review is hedging. The paper reviews research papers authored Cong and Carter and their counterparts. Studies have been carried out to gauge how hedging affects the value of the firm. Specifically, the Carter, Rodgers, and Simkins considered how hedging influences the value of the U.S Airline Industry. According to their examination of the jet fuel hedging behavior in the U.S Airline Industry between 1992 and 2003, they noticed that jet fuel is hedgeable. The financial and investment climate in the Airline industry conform to the theoretical frameworks. Carter and his colleagues discovered that the availability of airline investment opportunities correlates positively with the costs of Jet fuels (2006). On the contrary, higher prices of fuel are consistent with a small investment and reduced cash flows. From this study, it is remarkable that a firm that desires expansion and growth should consider hedging it purchases such as fuel in the future. Indeed, it is within these premises that the two airline companies, Airbus Group, and Delta, run their firms. Cong et al. (2014) studied the scenario in the UK, based on interest rate hedging and the effect of foreign exchange on firms. They used UK data to evaluate the empirical evidence in debt and appraisal capacity influences of foreign currency and the hedging on interest rates. As opposed to Carter et al. (2006), it found the significant relationship between foreign currency, the value of the firm and interest rate hedging. The outcomes are stronger that the results of the previous studies that have considered firm in the U.S. It is because studies carried out of U.S include non-hedging firms in their samples. The companies use non-derivative approaches for hedging that bias the outcome of the study. For this reason, the paper discusses two non-U.S airline companies that practice hedging. Rao (2011) realized that as a way to caution themselves against short-term risks of price volatility, the corporate firms have devised some of the best hedging methods they apply to their regular transactions. Their study revealed that firms hedge risks primarily because the fluctuations threats are peripheral to the core business operation. Financial hedging helps the company through enabling it to lock its profits irrespective of the volatile exchange rates. That is to say, hedging is an optional side gamble, which entails adding to the profits made by rising exchange rates while subtracting the same value of benefits when the exchange rates are falling. If the company wishes to hold onto its gains when the exchange rates are down, it has to pay an optional premium to compensate the firm selling the hedge. Fiscal hedging can improve a company’s prospects by improving or maintaining its competitiveness. It is true companies to exist in isolation but rather operates in a multi-player environment. Therefore, they compete both internally and externally. The companies that manage their risks well may use the stability to minimize their funding costs and resultantly lower their market prices that are strategic and critical to the future of the firm. The situation below is how a company may make a hedging decision. Consider a European firm that sells 75% of its goods in U.S dollars ($) to its clients all over the globe. The company has just contracted a deal for $8 million worth of items and expects to receive payment in a months’ time. The company is undoubtedly exposed to exchange rate fluctuation since the payment is not immediate. If the company hedges the transaction by entering into a forward deal in which it will have to purchase Europe sterling pound (â‚ ¬) and sell $ for delivery on the similar date on the items contract. That way the company can be sure of the exchange rates that it will use. However, it is a gamble because if the exchange rate does not change favorably the company loses. Nevertheless, if it is on the favorable side, then the company shields itself against the loss. Hedging is primarily a contingent plan. The recent reduction in oil prices that saw companies, which hedge, gain or lose depending on the nature of the contract. The temporary low oil prices that witnessed a shift in global operations had tremendous financial implications concerning the stock prices, the fuel prices and the general maintenance costs of most businesses among others. Business Scenarios In U.S, some known corporations use hedging policy to guard risks. For example, the Airbus group has a currency hedge policy, on its website. The firm documents that it intends to generate profits not only from its operations and but also through speculations on foreign currency rates changes. Therefore, the company uses hedging strategies primarily to control and minimize the impact on its Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) from the instability of the U.S dollar ($) (Airbusgroup, 2015). Airbus enterprise has a long-term hedge portfolio with a maturity of many years that it uses to cover its net exposure to $ sales fluctuations. Majorly it hedges in the operations of the Airbus, its helicopters, and its defense division. The company defines net exposure as the total firm audited currency, mainly US dollar-dominated incomes (Airbusgroup, 2015). Its hedging portfolio covers almost all its hedging transactions. From the hedging policy of Airbus Group, the primary aim is to ensure that the shareholders profits are increasing (2015). The case of Delta Airlines is a typical example of where hedging worked well for an airline firm. The company has consistently hedged its costs of fuel to guard against the risk of oil price spikes. The strategy has proven to be counterproductive in the past nine months. Owing to the measure, oil prices have declined by $50 per barrel. Delta has incurred hedging losses (Simon, 2012). Although, the Airline Company experienced a rough time when employing the strategy, its hedging losses will shrink considerably within a short period. Additionally, the company is expecting a total of 200 dollars million to 300 dollars in the second half of this financial year. The expected rates of the losses will bring its cost in line with the average prices of the industry in the first half of 2015. Using a proper hedging policy, Deltas all-in jet fuel value could be lowered to $2 per gallon, based on the current price of oil. By appraisal, Delta paid 2.90 dollars per gallon for jet fuel in Q3 2014 and 2.62 dollars per gallon in Q4 (Berghà ¶fer Lucey, 2014). Judging from afar, hedging can be seen to have underlying advantages to the Delta Airlines. In conclusion, the tough decision of whether to apply hedging as accompany policy is an economic gamble that requires outstanding research before enforcement. Hedging just like another financial control tools has its benefits and disadvantages that warrant exploration. Otherwise, big firms use the fiscal measure to minimize probable financial risks they may incur in their operation. References Airbusgroup, (2015). Figures Debt. Retrieved 29 April 2015, from http://www.airbusgroup.com/int/en/investors-shareholders/Key-Figures-and-Debt.html Berghà ¶fer, B., Lucey, B. (2014). Fuel hedging, operational hedging and risk exposure — Evidence from the global airline industry.  International Review of Financial Analysis,  34, 124-139. doi:10.1016/j.irfa.2014.02.007 Carter, D. A., Rogers, D. A., Simkins, B. J. (2006). Does hedging affect firm value? Evidence from the US airline industry. Financial Management,  35(1), 53-86. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208191035?accountid=8067 Cong, J., Tan, K. S., Weng, C. (2014). Conditional value-at-risk-based optimal partial hedging.  The Journal of Risk,  16(3), 49-83. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1627689996?accountid=8067 Ir.delta.com, (2015). Delta Air Lines, Inc. - News Events - News. Retrieved 29 April 2015, from http://ir.delta.com/news-and-events/news/default.aspx Rheinländer, T., Sexton, J. (2011). Hedging derivatives. New Jersey: World Scientific. Simon, D. (2012). The Intraday and Overnight Behavior of SPY Options and Adjusted Delta Hedging.J. Fut. Mark.,  33(5), 443-468. doi:10.1002/fut.21558

Eradicating Social Ills Free Essays

ASSIGNMENT 2 FIK 3042 ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION 2 ERADICATING SOCIAL ILLS AMONGST TEENAGERS GROUP: EL-AO4 Prepared by NAME| ID NUMBER| TELEPHONE NUMBER| Kasthuri Bai A/P Thangarajah| D20111049818| 013-9801264| Lecturer : Dr. Lajiman bin Janoory Dateline :6th November 2011 ERADICATING SOCIAL ILLS AMONGST TEENAGERS. Nowadays, the social ills amongst teenagers are so rampant that they are posing a great problem in the society . We will write a custom essay sample on Eradicating Social Ills or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before we go further , let us see what are actually these social ills among the teenagers. There are many types of social ills that are affecting our teenagers at an alarming rate. Some of them are addiction to drugs , smoking,gangsterism,vandalism,bullying,illegal racing and many more. Everyday we hear and see the effects of these social ills in the form of suicide,accidents,rapes,snatch thieves and brutal crimes. The effects of these social ills amongst teenagers are affecting the nation badly and causing great setbacks in the country. The spreading of social ills have to be stopped immediately to save our youngsters who are the future generation. How are we going to eradicate these social ills if we do not know the root causes of these problems Therefore,before we find ways to eradicate the social ills amongst our teenagers, let us also dwell in the root causes of why the youngsters of nowadays fall an easy prey to the negative elements awaiting them. These causes can be categorized into several factors,mainly due to family crisis and external factors such as the influence of friends and environment. Living in this materialistic world can be very challenging to even adults,so what more to say for a teenager who is still struggling between adulthood and childhood. The need for good guidance ,counceling and parental love is essential to these youngsters. Whom should they turn to if the circumstances arise? Can they turn to their parents? Yes, under normal circumstances ,parents should be the child’s number one counsellor but,is this the case in most child’s life? In fact the parents are the last to know about their child’s problem,which is a pity! This is because nowadays,mostly both parents are working and are too busy chasing their own goals, that they fail to see what their children are undergoing. Usually these parents leave their children to fend for themselves or in the care of a babysitter who most of the time doesn’t put her heart into the responsibility given . The outcome is , the child feels neglected and deprived of parental love. Another reason is when a child comes from a broken family,the frustration and anger is taken upon the poor child. As a result a child grows up to be insecure and lacking in direction. Hence falling an easy prey to the awaiting threats outside. Children are also stressed when parents are not understanding and pressure them to study something which is not of their interest . Parents who subject their own desires and ambitions on their children can cause a lot of unnecessary pressure on them. Peer pressure and the need to proof oneself in order to be accepted is also another factor why the teenagers so easily succumb to the social ills around them. Constant innovation and development also provide boundless network which promotes extreme socialisation among our teenagers. Hence the exposure to all the unwanted elements in the society! Teenagers who do not know how to cope with stress, resort to these unwelcome means of escapism. We have seen some of the main reasons of why the social ills are spreading like an epidemic amongst our teenagers. What can we do to help them or to curb these social ills? There are a few very important things that can be done to nip the bud from the beginning itself. Firstly,the role of a family is very important . Parents who are responsible,who allocate enough quality time with their children can be a source of confidence for their children. Children will be able to rely on their parents for any advice and grow up to be a confident and secured person. These children often will not fall prey to the social ills as they are able to differentiate between good and bad and have no need for any form of escapism as they get enough love from their parents. Parents also must make sure that their children do ot lack of religious knowledge. As we know, all religion wants its followers to be a good human and abide by the rules. So if a child is given enough religious education and is taught to respect the humankind then,the chances of him or her resorting to violence is slim. Too much freedom and too much money given to teenagers will only mean trouble. Therefore parents should act wisely and explain to their youngsters why sometimes they cannot have whatev er they want and why they must always obtain their parents’ permission before going out. Parents should always be aware of their child’s whereabouts but at the same time should not also be too strict and practice veto power at home. They should be able to compromise,understand and respect their child’s feelings too. Maintaining a healthy relationship with children is an important measure in reducing these social ills amongst teenagers. Otherwise most teenagers will choose to rebel against their parents and try to prove to everyone that they are in control of their lives Besides the role of family ,the role of teachers and counsellors in schools is also very important in preventing social ills amongst teenagers. A teacher must always be sensitive to a child’s problem . A teacher must be able to gain a child’s trust in order for the child to confide in her or him. A teacher must make it her responsibility to solve a child’s problem and not be someone who simply wants to teach but is not much bothered about the child’s affair. Teachers can help a lot to curb these social ills if they play their role kindly and caringly. They should notice things and try to help the youngsters by sending them to a counsellor or by counselling them themselves. While teaching in class , a teacher must always stress on the moral values and teach their students to avoid falling prey to bad influences. The education department and the mass media must always remind these teenagers to avoid doing all these illegal activities and the repercussions should anything unpleasant happen. The enforcement agencies can be invited to give talks and show slides of what is happening and how bad it can turn into,to create awareness amongst teenagers. A lot of opportunities must be created to allow teenagers to involve hemselves in activities such as outdoor games,indoor games,dancing and drawing classes,photography clubs and some social services that will divert the attention of these teenagers . The teenagers will not only be occupied but will also benefit from these extra activities. This healthy activities can be organised by the residential commitees or by the â€Å"ketua kampung†. Healthy competition with lucrative prizes can be held to attract th ese teenagers. The State government and the district office can help with these measures. Money used to cure the victims of the social ills in the form of rehabilitation centres and their medication can be put into a more healthy usage such as the above mentioned activities. After all one must agree that â€Å"Prevention is better than Cure†As a conclusion , everybody has to play an important role in eradicating social ills amongst teenagers . Eventhough these problems seem difficult to solve but as an Ethopian proverb says, â€Å"When the spider webs unite,you can tie up a lion. † (Infinity Web Development, LLC, 2002-2011) (OPpapers, 2011) How to cite Eradicating Social Ills, Papers

Three Text Study Essay Research Paper Interpretive free essay sample

Three Text Study Essay, Research Paper Interpretive Study The three texts I have read all have many similar and contrasting issues and characters. The texts 1984, Forest Gump, and To Kill A Mocking Bird are three really entertaining books good worth reading, while the texts all seem really diverse on the outside they seem to be really similar on the inside. The three texts, while they have different issues seem to all be similar in sharing the issue of racism and use of heads. Together we can carry through anything, entirely they can carry through it all, while this may be the instance in most normal twenty-four hours scenarios the three texts I have read all seem to withstand this small stating. 1984 is a complicated text, with complicated characters, the book takes us on a journey of one adult male seeking to crush a major organisation that manipulates heads to do them believe in something that cipher in their right head would every dream about. We will write a custom essay sample on Three Text Study Essay Research Paper Interpretive or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I Love Large Brother, don # 8217 ; t we all? The characters in 1984 merely believe this because they have to non because they want to, it is drilled into them even a s they sleep and if they think anything other than I Love Large Brother the thought constabulary takes them off and makes a jeer of their lives in forepart of everybody else. The hatred and passion for hatred that runs through 1984 is like a disease it is able to pull strings who of all time it want when of all time it wants and how of all time it wants, pull stringsing heads has neer been so easy, they can command whoever to believe what of all time, no 1 dares to halt them until one adult male breaks all of the regulations to make so. This nevertheless is merely every bit powerful in To Kill A Mocking where heads are manipulated to some extent but with out so much control over them, they can still believe by themselves and move by them egos but when a black adult male is accused for colza of a white miss the whole town of Maycombe becomes possessed with some indignation that they must take the jurisprudence into their ain custodies. Like 1984 the truth is drilled into them so much that in the terminal the truth is forgotten what they were contending approximately is irrelevant, but now person must pay and because you are different, non like the remainder, unwanted you must hold done it no affair what.