Social promotion in NYC public schools

Today New York City district accounts approximately 1. 1 million students, what is one of the largest public school districts in USA. Just couple months ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein introduced new approach towards the social promotion in public schools in NYC. According to the Raymond Domanico, the proposed initiative will hold back around 15,000 third-graders in case if they fail English and math tests. [#1, P. 4] Of course, the issue of social promotion in public schools is a controversial one and contains numerous cons and pros which were lately widely discussed among the educators. In this essay I am going to provide detailed information regarding social promotion in NYC. The idea of social promotion was initially introduced in NYC in the beginning of 1980s. The program looks alike to the one proposed by Klein and Bloomberg not long ago. Though, 20 years ago it was called â€Å"Promotional Gates Program† and obligated students of the third and seventh grade to pass English reading test and math test before they are accepted to the upper grade. They were also proposed to study at summer schools if they fail the test and retake it at the end of August. Only if they fail this test for the second time, they will be turned back to the same grade again. The novelty of Mayor’s initiative concludes in that, that if the third-graders fail the reading and math test (will not pass level 3, where 4th level is considered to be the highest) – they will be offered another chance to take it but previously attend the summer school. The trick and the topic for the continuing discussions of educators is in that, that the passing level for the second test attempt – is level 2 (the rest of scenario of social promotion is invariable – if students fail this level, they are to repeat third grade again). Some argue that this method will provide weak students the understanding that their flabby achievements will be tolerated, and therefore these students are left with each year behind their progressing classmates. But the Chancellor Joe Klein notes, that â€Å"No one wants to hold students behind. So large numbers of students are promoted even though those students are not prepared for the next grade. The result is that many students are passed through the system from one grade to another without the necessary preparation and skills. These students typically fall further and further behind until they ultimately leave school unprepared. † [#1, p. 4] Now it becomes more understandable, why these changes raised number of accusations from the side of educators and have opponents as well. New Mayor’s approach is retrieved towards summer schools as well: those will be available for the students who are not only third graders but also second graders and who demonstrate poor results and attendance during that grade. The class size is decreased to the quantity of the small group and will account approximately 15 students in each. As to me, this point of the program is very commendable and worth of appropriate attention. Of course, the other question which is usually discussed when the program is either implemented or maintained – is its budgeting. Our case is not an exception. It is worth saying that budget of NYC is to cover these expenses and the size of this burden accounts $25 million (this number is an approximate, but the real one could be much higher). Therefore in order to deal with it, some high school principals in NYC has diverted the funds from the high school students toward the third grade program. Joe Mathew is supporting this idea as well and expresses his thought in the following way â€Å"Money spent on an extra year of schooling for retained students would be better spent on preventing low achievement†. [#2, p. 4] According to the statistical data, because of social promotion program, 25% of all ninth grade students in NYC public schools are over-aged for their class. #1, p. 4] This number brings to the conclusion, that these students most probably were detained once during there school time. In some schools also exists â€Å"unwritten policy of teachers and principals† which is aimed to minimize withholding of a weak students to the lowest quantity of years as it is possible. My opinion is, that when improving social promotion programs in NYC public schools, the attention should be paid to the identificat ion of the â€Å"risk† students or â€Å"risk† groups and work with them before it is too late. I think that it would be also more appropriate to aim these costs to the development of suchlike programs as preschool, improvement of the school in general and additional attention for the low-motivated students or the one who are behind the program. But, for myself I brought up the question for further discussion: is social promotion the result of school miscarriage or is it the sign of greater number of problems which school may face in a near future?

Functions of Human Resources

Human Resources, or HR, can at times, be something of a mystery if you have not had any reason to interact with the human resource staff. What do they accomplish in the human resources department? What is their contribution to the company? Every day the human resources department is making decisions that affect the employees. Wages and salaries, hiring and firing, handling employee grievances, and employee training are functions of the human resources department. Wages and Salaries Human resources follows the patterns of other employers to help them determine what they pay the company employees. Competitive wages are important to employees when they are job searching or moving up within the company. According to the HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector, â€Å"Salary surveys are conducted with employers in the same labor market to determine pay levels for specific job categories† (â€Å"Wages,† â€Å"n. d. ,†, p. 2). Surveys are a function of HR to determine if they are offering competitive wages with other companies. Hiring and Firing Hiring new employees is directly affected by human resources. Creating job descriptions and determining the skills needed to qualify for a position is a function of the human resources department. Job descriptions describe what is expected from the person applying for the position. This written job description also gives the human resources guidelines if discipline is needed in the future. Established expectations are used to coach an employee and if necessary fire the employee. Firing Firing an employee is not as easy as it may seem. Documentation is necessary to build a history of coaching an employee into the correct behavior. If the correct behavior is not reached a historical case has been created to support firing the employee. If the action or behavior violates company policy, immediate firing of the employee can happen. Employee Grievances Listening to employee grievances is an important function of human resources. Linking management with workers who have an issue that needs addressing is handled within human resources. Management may not be aware of an employee’s grievance without the connection that human resources can make between the two levels of employees. Documentation of the grievance and steps toward a solution is a function of human resources. Employee Training Training employees and supplying current job information should be a continual process of the human resources department. Keeping employees trained is a vital step in running a good company. â€Å"In order to improve the efficiency level of the employees they have go undergo regular trainings and development programs† (â€Å"Training,† â€Å"n. d. ,†, p. 2). Employees who can complete their jobs to the highest level possible keep the company running efficiently. It is the responsibility and function of the human resources department to supply training to the company’s employees. Conclusion There are many functions of the human resources department. Hiring employees, training, and coaching are a few functions of human resources. Human resources support the company in ways not always seen, but the effects are implemented with the workers. Creating a productive work environment requires constant work from the human resources department that may not always be noticed.

Recommendation letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Recommendation letter - Essay Example contributed significantly in the school’s counselling programme by acting as the active counsellor, who has assisted different students with various issues affecting their lives. Jane is caring, passionate and hardworking. During her free time one will meet her interacting with the students as she offers them advice and lessons on how to live a positive life. She is also fond of reading psychology books and I remember when she gave me the Dan Ariely book, Predictably Irrational, which was incomprehensible at first until I sought some reading tips from her. She is extremely well prepared for the Master’s Degree as many of us have seen her studying various psychology related books, which shows that she is dedicated to education and a career path that concerns other’s wellbeing. Jane has always been patient with people and whenever a colleague or a student wrongs her, she always tries to understand the cause and does not seem to jump into quick conclusions. She brings an aura of simplicity and understanding to every difficult situation that people may have. Her personality clearly suits the master’s programme that she wants to pursue and ac cepting her into your institution will not only benefit her, but will also be for the good of the community. I highly recommend Jane for a chance in the Masters of Mental Health and wellbeing for children, young people and families programme, and I sure that even the rest of the community will be grateful too. In case I am needed for any further assistance, please contact me using address or numbers attached. Bodine, Paul. Perfect Phrases for Letters of Recommendation: Hundreds of Ready-To-Use Phrases You Can Use to Recommend Applicants to College, Grad School, and Professional School. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Job application cover Letter week 10 ENG Assignment

Job application cover Letter week 10 ENG - Assignment Example Evidently, I have worked with several auditing firms where I established my competence; hence, influencing the capability to assume the task. I engage auditing at Tesco supermarket, which is your key competitor among others where the role has restored their ability to escape risky situation in the firm (Morrison & Wilhelm, 2007). Critically, my involvement in Tesco supermarket has developed my knowledge on the respective operations initiated in supermarkets. Such an aspect simplifies my task where I can easily understand the respective risks, which may associate any supermarket. In an additional view, I engage auditing in threes distinct approaches in supermarkets to examine the entire workforce; hence, extracting areas associated with fraud and other risks. They involve the marketing department, which associate the personnel through the investigation of their financial involvement in the entity. Secondly, I consider the stocking department, which entail the purchasing team, back office and the warehouse. It is a task, which associate evaluation and investigation to determine the manner in which inventories are regulated; thus, preventing fraud. Further, the approach involves investigation of reports provided to the management by the accounting department in the entity where such an approach facilitates the realisation of fraud. Finally, I consider the sales department where I seek the transactions made by the entity within the particular accounting period where the aspect incites realisation of risks associated with the department. Such an aspect endorses them to achieve maximized profits. I assure you that my role is very effective, and I observe the generally accepted accounting principles; thus, producing a positive output. In a more critical review, I consider prudence an aspect, which entails my accuracy in calculations and reporting.

48Hour Dietary Recall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

48Hour Dietary Recall - Essay Example This is due to the correlation that exists between human feeding habits and environmental safety. There is heated debate on how what we consume strains the Mother Nature. An excellent example is how meat and its ingredients affect both ones health and the environment (Darier, 1999, P.75). According to my ingestion record, it is clear that there was a balanced consumption in terms of nutrients. In addition, the meals are environmental friendly. This is especially in their preparation and disposal. The leftovers from the hotel are not disposed to a litter bin or thrown away in an open place to rot and pollute the environment. In stead, they are given to the farmer who feeds them to the pigs. If left to rot, they could pose an environmental risk through air pollution and cause diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid (Darier, 1999, P.80). In addition, I avoided packed food so as to ensure that I do not pollute the environment with wrappers. In my view, my eating habits are healthy and safe for the environment. This is because the leftovers could be put into beneficial use rather than dumping them where they could pose an environmental risk. In addition, the wastes that could be produced in the process of preparing food in the house could be used in the firm as manure (Darier, 1999, P.93). At the same time, leftovers could be preserved for consumption in the future. However, I will reduce meat and its ingredients so as to become environmental

Why is the study of racism, sexism and other systems of oppression Essay

Why is the study of racism, sexism and other systems of oppression important in understanding gender relations - Essay Example It is a fact that understanding the intricate nature of gender relations becomes phenomenally simple if they are studied in combination with various oppressive behaviors that may be quite vibrant in the society. Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that â€Å"gender relations can be easily comprehended by both sexes leading to safe workplaces and friendly domestic environment, if racism, sexism, etc. are satisfactorily studied and understood.† Racism means that there exist profound differences between the people of different groups relating to their capacities and abilities, and depending entirely on their race. This unjustified thinking pattern deeply influences gender relations and mutilates the social roles of both men and women. Both sexes find it increasingly difficult to communicate with each other in a society fraught with racist behaviors. This difficulty in communication leads to poor relationships bet ween men and women both at workplaces and in private lives, thus leading to marred gender relations. Sexism also heavily impacts gender relations owing to the groundless belief that one sex is superior to another in every possible way. Such a negative societal behavior leads to an unbalanced society because the roles played by both sexes are equally important and praise-worthy in regards to maintaining a societal structure.

Timber Certification in the Building Industry Dissertation

Timber Certification in the Building Industry - Dissertation Example tion gathered through interviews with forestry officials on the timber certification methods and their company history respectful of the sustainable forest management process. These interviews will focus on timber companies who have and have not received timber certification and the impact both have their business relationships with manufacturers and consumers. Primary/Secondary Sources The primary sources are very much dedicated to one of only a few certification groups, TRADA, and the main players. The main players in timber certification include the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), WWF 1995plus, PEFC, and, UKWAS as these groups are all related to the manufacturing side of the forestry industry. There are mainly two forms of primary sources to be used: journals, internet and company interviews in an effort to not only relay what, if any, timber certification has on both the forestry industry as well as on consumer impact. It will be important through interviews to obtain whether certification is fully understood or whether consumer's and merchant's tend to take heed of what certification means to them and the forestry industry in general; or, if there is a lack of understanding by both parties of what certification means. Through using questionnaires and interviews with these two parties will provide empirical data to be used in analysing whether timber certification is fully understood by the general public and if this information is being provided adequately by forestry industry officials. Secondary sources are entirely related to building and trade merchants and how timber certification can affect their business relationships with the manufacturing sector. This also includes the processes that have been put forward in developing forest management standards... The primary sources are very much dedicated to one of only a few certification groups, TRADA, and the main players. The main players in timber certification include the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), WWF 1995plus, PEFC, and, UKWAS as these groups are all related to the manufacturing side of the forestry industry. There are mainly two forms of primary sources to be used: journals, internet and company interviews in an effort to not only relay what, if any, timber certification has on both the forestry industry as well as on consumer impact. It will be important through interviews to obtain whether certification is fully understood or whether consumer’s and merchant’s tend to take heed of what certification means to them and the forestry industry in general; or, if there is a lack of understanding by both parties of what certification means. Through using questionnaires and interviews with these two parties will provide empirical data to be used in analysing whether timber certification is fully understood by the general public and if this information is being provided adequately by forestry industry officials. Secondary sources are entirely related to building and trade merchants and how timber certification can affect their business relationships with the manufacturing sector. This also includes the processes that have been put forward in developing forest management standards in order to look toward further sustainable forest management. Tertiary empirical data can be gathered in an effort to recognise.