Examining Collaborative and Individual Writing Processes

Examining Collaborative and Individual Writing Processes Stephen McLeod University of Phoenix Collaborative writing is a tool that is being utilized more often in the professional world as well as the educational world. The collaborative writing process is similar to the individual writing process as many of the same rules apply. In this paper we, as a learning team, will illustrate some examples of how to use the tools of individual writing in the collaborative process. Writing as a group facilitates a more thorough and accurate end result because the work is shared between all members rather than resting on the shoulders of only one individual. It also enables more opinions and facts to be presented by the team as productive writers making the reader able to easily understand what is being expressed. The most logical place to begin this process is by brainstorming. According to www. dictionary. reference. com, brainstorming is defined as: â€Å"a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc. by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion. † In order to write an excellent paper, for any topic, requires much brainstorming to have the paper written well. There are many ways for teams to brainstorm, some of which include all members of the team writing their own ideas down and then sharing them with the group, or the facilitator of the brainstorming group writing down ideas on a big, whiteboard while the team members shout their ideas like a game of charades. Both are excellent ways to come up with ideas and have fun in the process which, in turn, keeps all parties involved, relaxed and more focused. However, ending up with too many vague or off-topic ideas will cause the team to lose focus resulting in the first problem arising. A great way to succeed is matching up the ideas and topics from brainstorming and putting it together in writing. When working with a group versus individually, more ideas and topics will be brought up that otherwise might have been over-looked. Brainstorming is more effective with a group than with an individual because everyone is giving their ideas to the paper. It is more difficult to put the paper together when everyone is not in greement on the topic. Resolving conflicts is necessary for effective brainstorming. One way to resolve conflicts in the group is to have two ideas for each specific topic, allowing everyone in the group to give his or her feedback. Another solution to resolve conflicts would be to take a vote based upon the most thorough information presented to the group. The issue of plagiarism should also be resolved during the brainsto rming process. The group should agree upon the level of plagiarism that will or will not be tolerated for admission into the paper. After a while, a team would determine if the paper is perfect for that particular topic. As for an individual, he or she would know if the paper has met the requirements however, without the advantage of brainstorming with another person, one would have no feedback upon which to base the decision. Once the topic has been agreed upon, the next step is to begin the research. The first action that is necessary when doing research as a team is to identify the topic that is going to be written about and develop that topic into a specific subject matter. Making a list of possible places one can look for information, whether it is on the Internet or in a library, is a smart place to begin. Having multiple people who can offer their ideas and opinions is much better than doing the research on one’s own. Being organized is important because it assists the writers in keeping track of citation information, keeping the irrelevant information out of the way and preventing confusion by placement of paragraphs and sub-topics throughout the editing process. Doing this will enable the reader to easily comprehend the paper. The next step is to find background or other information the team could use to analyze and observe the main subject matter. Referencing an encyclopedia, a news article, or bibliographies will help set the context of the research. Having multiple people involved makes the search quick and easy. Knowledge of a specific subject by someone in the team is not always necessary which, in my opinion, is what makes the research the most important part of any writing. Research is needed in order to delve deeper into whatever subject being written about, thus creating more information to analyze to determine what is useful and what is irrelevant. This is where a big difference between collaborative and individual writing processes occurs. Individually, only one opinion and set of facts are considered; whereas, for a group multiple sets of research are examined during the writing process. The individual writer, assumingly, doesn’t want to bore the reader with information that is not pertinent to the outcome. The writer will usually discuss the information obtained with another individual to gain another perspective. When a team is researching and encounters a problem or an obstacle, it is a good choice having the writer’s solution will assist the reader in understanding how the information was obtained and provide some explanation as to why the information provided was arranged in that particular order. Continuity and cohesion make an essay easier to comprehend and more pleasurable for the reader. A writer may arrange his facts in several different manners that may include chronological order, alphabetical order or by subject matter, for example. After the team is comfortable with all of the researched facts, the team as a whole decides what information is most pertinent to the subject matter and what will provide the most enjoyable read. Editing plays a major role in writing any type of document. In particular, when writing an essay one will have to pay close attention during the proofreading step to ensure that proper editing takes place. A group that collaborates and goes through the editing process as a team has a better chance of catching a mistake than if it was edited only by the individual who wrote the paper as a singular source. and intelligently when being read. When these steps are practiced the writing process is easier to accomplish. This will help detect many mistakes that were made that the editors eyes may have overlooked. By following this rule, you become very familiar with the information that you have researched to compose your essay. Obviously, when working in a group this step is automatically performed. If some part of the work does not sound correct to a member of the group, they should then go back and try to detect their problems. If the team overlooks these problems, they will only compound them and create more problems later on in the essay which gives more reinforcement for working on a paper as a team rather than individually. One example of this may be found in the inclusion of unnecessary information. A way to resolve this would be to include information in a precise manner. Sending a good message to the readers of your essay will allow them to comprehend the subject more easily. Another pitfall that one may encounter would be to repeat sentences over and over. One should stay focused on the most important sentences without adding any unnecessary filler for emphasis. The structure and length of the sentences makes an enormous difference to the readers. If the essay is not structured properly, readers will most likely become unfocused on the message, resulting in distraction. Team identity is very important when the writing process starts. Team meetings and frequent consultations among members of the group will assist in developing a viable team identity. A good suggestion for finding a specific member’s identity would be to find out what each person does best and what he or she isn’tgood at and build from that. Each person on the writing group should be assigned a different function toward the completion of the paper. Throughout life, school has taught children how to work as a team. Sports are a good example on how teamwork is practiced and writing a paper is only different in the aspect of it isn’t physical. The team charter helps the team understand one another. It also states the strengths of the individuals in the group. By using this information, each team member can be put in a position to succeed. This allows the identity to show through the work that is done. Success follows when teams learn their identity in classrooms and in the workplace. References Meyer, R. G. Meyer. (2003). The Writing Process Steps. Writing Prompts. Retrieved from http://www. ettc. net/writing/PDFfiles/Writing%20Process%20Steps. pdf (The Writing Process Steps, para. 1) Renard, J. Retrieved October 25, 2009 from. http://www. goodreads. com/quotes/show_tag? name=writing&page=2

Résumé Essay

The first thing you will need to do before signing up for a job is writing u p a CV. Overall, a CV should be neat and typed if possible. Most libraries now have public computers, if you do not have your own. It should also be short, usually no more than two sides of A4. It should be positive, stressing achievements and strengths, and make a good impression in a clear and positive way. The basic format for a CV includes: Personal details, including name, address, phone number, email address and possibly any professional social media presence. You no longer need to include your date of birth, owing to age discrimination rules Career history, starting with your most recent job first. Include dates and temporary or voluntary jobs if appropriate. A personal profile which sells yourself and your qualities, tailored towards the job you are applying for Achievements from previous jobs that is relevant Qualifications and training from previous jobs, with the most recent first Interests, if they are relevant and especially if the skills or teamwork concerned are relevant for the job. Any extra information, such as reasons for a career change or reasons for gaps in career history, such as caring duties References, ideally two or more and including a recent employer. Below I shall show you an image of my cv. Finding a job in this day and age to apply for is not hard, in nearly every borough there is a job centre were they will be able to find you a suitable job base on your work information, previous jobs and your qualifications. So when you get a job you will need to be aware of whom you are working for before the interview. Before you go on a job interview, it’s important to find out as much as you can about the company. That way you’ll be prepared both to answer interview questions and to ask the interviewer questions. You will also be able to find out whether the company and the company culture are a good fit for you. Take some time, in advance, to use the Internet to discover as much information as you can about the company. Spend time, as well, tapping into your network to see who you know who can help give you an interview edge over the other candidates. Here’s how to research a company. How to write a Covering Letter: Writing a cover letter often seems like a particularly daunting task. However, if you take it one step at a time, you’ll soon be an expert at writing cover letters to send with your resume. A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. Your cover letter may make the difference between obtaining a job interview and having your resume ignored, so it makes good sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters. A cover letter should complement, not duplicate, your resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-oriented, factual resume and add a personal touch. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression.

Diverse Learners Lessons Essay

In today education system, there have been an increase of the diversity in the classrooms and thus, we have been forced to look for the best lesson plans of which will be used to suit all the categories of individuals in the society. With this, the diverse learner have been identified to be different from each other and thus, in this particular lesson plans, we will cater for the autistic children in the schools. These are individuals of who are known to poses brutal disorder of the brain utility. They are usually identified by their inability to socialize correctly in the society, their inability to use language and lack of intelligence in them (Charles, H. 1993). These children are normally interfered with their way of they correspond to what they see, what they hear and what they touch. Thus in order to assist them in the schools, we have to come up with proper way in which we can educate them on how to respond correctly to the things around them. In this particular lesson plan, we are going to deal with the way the autistic children can be involved in the daily life therapy in which will help in minimizing their stereotypical characteristics in the society. With this, it will also cater for the health lessons in which will help them in enabling them to be normal as the rest of the children in the society. This will comprise of the behavioral treatment as well as the medication that they are to be offered with to minimize their complication. LESSON ONE: PHYSICAL EDUCATION This lesson will deal with the ways in which the children can be incorporated to the physical activity in order to assist them gain their senses as other children in the society. These children are usually having the stereotypical characteristics and thus, they need the daily living skills to facilitate their social independence (Weber & Thorpe, 1992, pg 79). Thus, the daily life therapy as one of the physical education to them will enable them to relate within the other and thus eliminating the social isolation that they tend to poses. This will comprise of the martial arts such as the Kenpo karate, Judo and the Taekwondo. 2. 1 Standards National standards K-12: Display the competence of the coordination of the body parts and free movement (Heiser, 2005). 2. 2 Objectives By the end of the lesson, the children are supposed to have attained the following: 1. Be able to socialize freely with the rest of the group. 2. To poses self confidence. 3. To be able to operate in coordination 2. 3 Procedures The instructor will explain the main aim of the game and give the instructions on how to do it. The children will grouped according to their ability of coordination with the aid of the instructor, they will be taught on how to play the game for some few weeks later, after they have shown some of the positive response, they will be shown the recorded game for them to be able to get more technique form it. After that they will go back to the station again for more practices. 2. 4 Materials 1. They will need adequate space to practice 2. The uniform for the game 3. An appropriate trainer who understands them. Video showing how the game is played 2. 5 Assessments To ensure that they children are responding positively to the activity, they have to be able to coordinate their actions at the required time. They are also expected to socialize with the rest freely as well as be bale to defend them in time of danger with the knowledge learned. 3. 0 LESSON TWO: HEALTH This lesson entails the ways in which they children can be assisted through the health perspective; thus, this can be achieved through high usage of the vitamins e. g. the use of the vitamin B6 will facilitate the sight as well as the speech of the child thus enabling them to respond correctly to the society (Heiser, 2005). Other than this, the children can be offered with their favorite meals to encourage them to be active through out the day in the school (Jason, 1995, pg 52) 3. 1 Standards National standards K-12: The facilitators to be bale to know the children that they are dealing with correctly (Heiser, 2005). 3. 2 Objectives To minimize the level in which they are affected. To reduce the level of being dull and isolated in the society To facilitate their level senses for better response to the society. 3. 3 Procedures For the behavioral treatment, the children are to be offered with some of their favorite meals so as to facilitate their activeness in the schools. This will tend to facilitate the growth of their brains and thus, enabling them to behave positively. 3. 4 Materials Balanced diet at their areas pf resident and school 3. 5 Assessment To be sure that the goal of the health lesson have been achieved, the correct behaviors of the children have to increase where as the incorrect behaviors reduce in percentage. This can be evaluated through the way they relate with other, they way they respond to the society and their participation in class. Reference Charles, H. (1993) A Parent’s Guide to Autism: responds to the mainly ordinary problem. New York Knopf Publisher Weber, R. C. , & Thorpe, J. (1992) Teaching children with autism through physical education pp 77-86, United States Prince University Press Jason, R. (1995) Can Medication alters performance in Autism? The Excellent Parent; November Issue pp. 50–54 Heiser, C. (2005) Nutrition and Health Retrieved 5th January 2009 from http://www. nelliemuller. com/Nutrition_WebQuest. lessonplan. htm

Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Intellectual Property - Essay Example The paper the looks at areas for opportunities to devise a new innovative customer-focus service, how and where to search to devise and develop a new customer-focused service idea, and the new services development (NSD) process. The paper then looks at the potential risks and costs that will be determine by the successful development of new or modified services and the intellectual property issues. Finally, the paper makes a conclusion based on the discussions from the research conducted. There has been an increased attention on innovation which is the key to organizational growth and development. Most organizations today face increased competition because of the fast pace of improved technology, and the market external change that has pushed economic and organizational growth. Innovation has become a crucial part of organizations which has been driven by excellent labor force and advanced machinery. Therefore, innovation has become a powerful method of securing a competitive advantage and as a way of defending the strategic position. The research and development plays a crucial role in product and service innovation process. Innovation does not only apply to product or services, but also aims at improving the way people work, live, and play. Innovation has two aspects, which include radical and incremental innovations. Radical innovation refers to a total change in the way people think and use products or manufacture new products as compared to the way they did things before. This form of innovation aims at taking advantage of new technology, thus, creating new opportunities. On the other hand, incremental innovation is involves a day to day change in an organization in order to make sure that there is a continuous improvement in the productivity and quality of products and services through innovation. There are four types of innovation that includes the process

Christmas article summary one page Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Christmas article summary one page - Essay Example The beans were a symbol of divination but were later replaced with money. Christmas candles were actually used for magic, rituals but the Aryans took them around the world, and they eventually entered Christianity through catholic as well as orthodox churches. The Christmas season characterized by the twelve days actually came from the Aryans who believed that the twelve days were the days in which gods of the seasons rested. It is important to note that birthday of the Sun god Mithras occurred on 25Â  December and the day was dedicated to worship the sun. However, early orthodox churches changed the day to mark celebration of the birth of Jesus. Christmas fires could have originated from the worship of the sun on 25December. Most interestingly, the Christmas tree originated from ancient worship of god Attis as the man who turned to a tree. Santa Claus was actually a reflection of Saint Nicholas, the man who made personal sacrifice for the

Law Enforcers in a High Crime Area Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law Enforcers in a High Crime Area - Essay Example The scope of a plain-view search is limited to asking for the drivers' license, car registration, and insurance details. The two elements of an abandoned property for the Fourth Amendment purposes include: first, any evidence showing that the owner has clearly forfeited the rights to the property in question; and secondly, an act that shows that the owner has intentionally relinquished ownership of it. Biek (2007) pointed out that clear evidence must be available to show that the property owner has no intention to claim the property in future. Any evidence is deemed sufficient provided the property is derelict and free for anyone to make claims for its ownership and or use. However, inaction or failure to develop or renovate a property does not amount to the abandonment of the property, regardless of the length of time in which the property has been left idle. A property owner’s decision to abandon his or her asset may be supported by clear words to that effect or its abandonm ent for easy access, and use by others. The span of time would, therefore, be I, therefore, ough time is not a factor in property abandonment (Biek, 2007). Linda (2000) argued that unprovoked flight from law enforcers in a high crime area provides adequate grounds for reasonable suspicion that validates an investigatory stop. Most of the persons, who the ee from officers in high-crime areas, are usually found with contraband, which they seek to destroy or hide from police officers in the flight, in order to avoid prosecution. For example in Terry vs. Ohio, police officers lawfully stopped the defendant from fleeing, and on carrying out a plain-view search led to the discovery of marijuana on him. This led to his arrest and prosecution. According to Rushin (2011), a police stop is a temporary denial of movement of an individual while a plain-view search is underway on grounds of reasonable suspicion for an offense.

Marketing in Travel and tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Marketing in Travel and tourism - Essay Example This would require that the travel and the tourism organizations understand the demands of their customers meaning anticipation and identification of their wants and needs. Anticipating and identifying when used in travel and tourism marketing depends on effective market research that would involve researching on both the existing and potential markets. In marketing research, it is important that the customers be classified according to their socio-economic status, lifestyles, and family circumstances, gender among other factors. This may involve primary research such as surveys, observations or questionnaires and secondary research such as statistics and records, which may be qualitative or quantitative in nature. While classifying customers it is important to note that the target market consists of a whole group of potential customers from the entire population. It is therefore better for those involved in marketing of travel and tourism to define the target market as a collection of segments, what is normally referred to as market segmentation. When the market is segmented, each segment has distinct characteristics and its needs and wants must be satisfied in order to have the best results shown through profits earned. Various studies have dealt with tourist motivations and market segmentation showing that the factors that motivate tourists for leisure travel and tourism can be classified into two types that is the â€Å"push† and â€Å"pull† factors (Mehmet 2011, p.153). It is therefore imperative that stakeholders in the travel and tourism sectors must have a proper analysis on tourist motivation and related activities in order to understand leisure tourist destination choices. These factors also enhance the image of destinations and the interplay with satisfaction and loyalty of tourists that procure these services of tour and travel. Each destination

Christology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Christology - Essay Example Although all attempts to categorize the views of others risk oversimplification, it is nonetheless necessary to distinguish between and categorize different approaches if we are to evaluate them briefly and effectively. What does this say about Christian mission I do not mean to suggest that evangelization is incompatible with respectful dialogue -- quite the opposite. Although evangelizing calls at times for clarity about the faith that informs Christian action, evangelizing is not the same thing as proselytizing. To evangelize is to witness to the Gospel, and very often the witness that is required is decency, cooperation in pursuit of the common good, and willingness to profess one's own faith truthfully (Haight, 2000, 103-112). In the context of interfaith dialogue, witness to the Gospel should lie precisely in refusing to take advantage of the situation to make converts. But this is the nub of the problem, since it is precisely the content of the Gospel as it relates to dialogue that is in question. (Sobrino, 2002, 42-48) The refu Christology in Contemporary Christianity The refusal to proselytize can only be a witness to the Gospel if the Gospel itself warrants such a refusal. Christians have always understood the Good News as something which demands to be shared with everybody because the salvation it proclaims is addressed to everybody (Hill, 2004, 93-100). If there are times and situations when going out of one's way to make converts is to be avoided for the sake of the Gospel itself, this can only be because the Gospel vision places a high value on respectful dialogue, even on a dialogue that is prepared to continue interminably with no agreement in view. Thinking along these lines, we might say that in Christ the presence of the alien is welcomed and the fact of difference is embraced-this is the Good News that is proclaimed by Christians when they not only live peaceably with nonbelievers but seek fellowship and common cause with followers of any tradition that honors the stranger and says yes to difference. But if significance (or even the me re assumption of religious superiority) is the natural fruit of Christian faith, then the Gospel I have just described cannot be the Christian Gospel. (Snyder, 1988, 54-62) We can also turn this around and say that if philosophical significance does not belong to the essence of Christianity, what we are left with is a Christian Gospel that demands that the church forswear all claims to spiritual privilege, and rejoice as it does so. So, where does the Christian Gospel really stand with respect to philosophical significance As I have suggested, the New Testament itself is unable to decide the question, since it can be read both ways. This collection of mid-to-late first-century texts with widely varying and at times contradictory theological agendas is unified by its persistent claim that Jesus is the Messiah (Snyder, 1988, 54-62). Some would add that it is also unified by the importance implied in this claim about Jesus.

Critical Analysis Essay about economy Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Analysis about economy - Essay Example According to the author, countries poorly ranked on the Index of Economic Freedom risk high unemployment, deteriorating social conditions and economic stagnation. Miller attributes this poor performance by America to the Obama administration’s economic restraining regulations on critical sectors such as energy, finance and healthcare which impede not only personal freedom but also national prosperity. While America lags behind, other countries are fast striving to achieve economic freedom as it promotes economic growth, social progress and long term prosperity. This has seen 114 nations adopt strategies in the past year geared towards this objective with 43 achieving the highest ranking of economic freedom in the history of the ranking. With the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom showing a global race towards enhancement of economic opportunities courtesy of greater freedom, the article finds no excuse for America’s exclusion from the same pursuit. Indeed, restraint on econ omic freedom would worsen America’s economic woes. Measurement of economic freedom relies on indicators such as business regulation, property rights security and fiscal soundness among others. They also include voluntary exchange, personal choice, protection of property and persons and competition freedom. According to Gwartney and Lawson, economic freedom promotes the choice of individuals on the type and process of production of goods and services (406). However, such rights of these individuals do not extend to others but only govern their choices. Institutions and policies also would be consistent with this freedom, allowing for voluntary exchange and protections of people and their property as argued by Miller. Therefore, the government would promote economic freedom by providing legal structures protect property rights of owners. Indeed, economic freedom has been noted as a critical factor for economic growth. Just as Miller argues that economic freedom enables

High School and School Counseling Interventions Essay Example for Free

High School and School Counseling Interventions Essay Instructions: 1. Using this template, complete your article critique and submit this document to Blackboard. 2. Summary must include all five criteria: a. Introduction and rationale for the research b. Major strengths/weaknesses in the article. c. Summary of research outcome. d. Two methods of applying this research to practice. e. Conclusion 3. To begin your summary on the next page of this template insert a page break. Use APA formatting. School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Interventions. Introduction and rationale for the research In the fields of counseling, education, and psychology, there has been a strong emphasis placed on evidence-based practices to determine the effectiveness of school counseling interventions. In this article, two types of Meta-Analysis interventions were used during this study. Meta-Analysis 1 involved treatment-control comparisons and Meta-Analysis 2 involved pretest-posttest differences. The overall average weighted effect size for school counseling interventions was . 30. This study determined how effective moderator variables influenced effect size of, guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support. Analyses of moderator variables are designed to determine the effectiveness of school counseling program activities in this article. Major strengths/weaknesses in the article The overall school counseling interventions produced an average effect size of . 30 which is significant. However, in this article, the average effect size of Meta-Analysis 2 intervention was not significant, only . 07. Previously research has found that meta- analyses using pretest-posttest typically produces a higher effect size compared to the more traditional treatment-control group comparisons. It’s difficult to determine the non-significant mean effect size for pretest-posttest meta-analysis. Additional analyses in the pretest and posttest form will need to focus on specific interventions and additional information regarding the effectiveness of specific strategies in school counseling. One of the common criticism of meta-analytic approaches is that studies with weak methodological rigor may artificially inflate average effect sizes(M. W. Lipsey,2003). M. W. Lipsey (2003) also argued that methodological moderator variables that often are assumed to be independent are not necessarily independent and carefully conducted meta-analytic reviews should explore methodological relationship patterns. The effect size of . 30 was based on 117 experimental studies that involved 153 interventions, which is a significant increase from the six studies used by Sprinthall (1981). Many more studies were conducted with elementary school students; however, school counseling interventions included in this meta-analysis appeared to be slightly more effective with middle or junior high students followed by high school students. Thus, these studies show a significant effect on school counseling interventions for all levels of K-12 education. There are also some limitations when meta-analytic techniques are used. The validity of effect size largely depends on the quality of studies that were included in the review. Some major limitations in school counseling research could not be addressed statistically. Also there are few studies that address the issues of treatment integrity. Only a handful of studies used treatment manuals or well-developed curricula. It was difficult for researches to determine what was effective because researchers could not determine what interventions were implemented with students. Another limitation was the elimination of 111 studies that had insufficient data or missing information. Another limitation from this article concerns the dominance of non-standardized outcome assessments in school counseling research. Meta-analysis also lacked long-term follow-up data. The lack of longitudinal data allows for the measurement and analysis of only short-term effectiveness. Another issue with meta-analysis research is that interventions focused mostly on specific interventions rather than comprehensive school counseling programs. There has been very few research studies conducted on comprehensive school counseling programs. Summary of research outcome. There were 118 studies that used meta-analysis 1, involving treatment-control comparisons and 153 school interventions; however, two studies were considered one study because of the same simple. Out of the 117 studies, 81 were published in journals and 36 were theses or dissertations. This meta-analysis study had 16,296 participants and the sample ranged from 8 to 5, 618, with the average study involving 139. 28 participants. From these studies, 50. 4% were elementary school students, 17. 9% were middle or junior high school students, and 24. 8% were high school students, and 6% had a mixture of ages, and one study did not report the age of the student participants. There was an overall weighted effect size of 27% for students that received school counseling intervention compared to those students that did not receive school counseling intervention. The average effect size was significant. Also, there were a total of 33studies that used meta-analysis 2, involving pretest-posttest design; however, two effect sizes were eliminated from one study. Therefore, 31 studies that involved 51 school counseling interventions were used. The effect sizes calculated from these 31 studies involved 2,015 participants and the average study involving 62. 97 students and the sample ranged from 9 to 283. Out of the 31 studies, 17 were published in journals, 13 were theses or dissertations, and one study was an ERIC document. From these studies, 29% involved elementary school students, 12. 9% were middle or junior high school students, and 54. 8% were high school students, and 3. 2% had a mixture of ages and grade levels. There was only a . 07% weighted effect size on pretest and posttest meta-analysis which indicates the average effect size was not significant. Two methods of applying this research to practice Firstly, my goal as an aspiring school counselor is to implement a comprehensive school counseling program for all students. I would provide a variety of interventions and activities using the four components of the delivery system of a school counseling program, guidance curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services, and system support. I would then, conduct studies in my school, collecting data, and determine which services students and the school will benefit from the most. This will help me determine what type of programs and activities are most effective for our students and school. Secondly, I would consider taking additional research courses to prepare me to contribute to the knowledge base of school counseling, while conducting research projects related to school counseling. Simply, there needs to be more and better research in the area of school counseling. â€Å"Without additional empirical support, some schools may eliminate professional school counseling programs†(Erford, p 68). Conclusion. From this research on meta-analyses not all school counseling interventions were equally effective. Additional research is needed to examine the impact these studies had on students from diverse backgrounds. Although more research is often a recommendation after completing a meta-analysis (e. g. , Ehri et al. , 2001; Swanson, 1999; Whiston, Brecheisen, Stephens, 2003; Xin, Grasso, Dipipi-Hoy, Jitendra, 2005), we contend that lack of methodological rigor and dearth of studies make the calls for additional sound research in school counseling particularly important. Also, the issues of treatment integrity and increasingly use standardized outcome assessments will enhance future school counseling interventions. From this study, one would learn that additional research is needed, however, from this research; data shows that school counseling interventions have a positive effect size on student outcomes. Furthermore, there were significant effect sizes for interventions at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. School counselors’ were able to increase students’ ability to solve problems while decreasing discipline problems. However, the researchers were unable to identify specific programs or approaches that produce positive outcomes. Additional research is needed to address what interventions for school counseling works, with what students, and under what circumstances. References Erford, B. T. (2011). Transforming the school counseling profession (3rd Ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Whiston, Tai, Rahardja, and Eder. (Winter 2011 Volume 89). School Counseling Outcome: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Interventions. Journal of Counseling Development , 37-55.

My Unforgettable Days in my Life

My Unforgettable Days in my Life The days which I cant forget in life are my school days. The School in which I studied was SSV East Tambaram. The days were sweet and pleasant and I used to wish that night should not come through my life, because I wanted to stay in school but the nature didnt allow me. I studied there till I entered my graduation course. Let me share some of my sweet memories. One fine Morning, my parents took me into the school campus while I was holding their hands tightly as if I was about to go into a lions mouth. I still remember that I was screaming like anything when my parents left me in the hands of my teacher. I was made to sit along with other children and they too were crying loudly by seeing them I cried even more. Like that the whole day went on with full of tears all around the classroom. After one week I was used to it and I made my first friends. All my kinder garden classes were finished with some of the basics in my mind which is still helping me around my life. When I was in class 3 a boy came into our class, and there were some boys who were bullies of the class at that time. When he came those boys went over him and they teased him to the core and I went over and scolded them, from that time the class admired me, those boys went to their places and we both became friends and I had no idea why I scolded those boys in favour of the new comer. But some magic went through our hearts and we are still friends including those boys who teased him. My school campus had a very small area for playing, I am sure that no other campus will provide their students like ours. Our playground had an area about 2000sq.ft.In that 500sq.ft was used by the drivers for parking. There was only one hour in a week for playing, on that occasion also there were 2 to 3 other classes of children used to come and occupy the ground. Even though the number was large for playing we used to play all the games including cricket and football. The greatest thing while playing was if we hit the ball slightly above in the air means it will go into the next house. So, we had to ask them and get the ball. In the mean time the master will come and say your time is over get back to your classes. Many a times we go back to class at a speed in which we came. Even though it had a small area we used to enjoy the hour and will be eagerly waiting for next week to come. Till class 5th I used to write in pencils it was very difficult for me to use that because every time when we do mistakes we have rub it off and if the pencil was not sharp we had to use sharpeners, I hated using them. Then, at last came my day when we entered into class 6th I was given the permission to use pen. It was much better to use, the words were clear and the things which I wrote were catchy and added beauty to the words. Then after two years came another surprise it was all of us came into the school wearing trousers and girls came in churidar. That day was exciting and wonderful because before we used wear shorts which was funny, because some boys will be bulky that it wont suit them. But each and every year apart from birthdays everyone in campus will be allowed to wear causals on November 14th on behalf of Jawaharlal Nehrus birthday. The campus looked colourful and all faces will be glittering like stars as if we have achieved some great thing. On that occasion the class es will be decorated with flowers, colour papers and balloons all around and will have no classes on that single day. All the students will be engaged in some plays and rest will be enjoying watching the programmes. The days were moving in a rocket speed, and the day came when we were about to get separated. In our school there was a procedure followed when the students came to 9th.They used to shuffle all the students based upon the results of 8th .On that day all the students will have to stay in the auditorium and they will call out the names and accordingly we move to our respective classes. All the students will be sad and the faces look dull because the friends with whom we were up to 8th are getting separated. I too was feeling sad for a week and then I became normal. After completing 9th all the students became serious and studious than before because we were in class 10th.Usually all other schools during these periods use to keep special classes and will conduct regular test to make them strong to face the board exam, but my school didnt do such things. We were let free and no special classes were there and had a midterm test for a month. But the students in my class were busy in studies. But I didnt take it much seriously I was what I was before. The days passed on and my first board exam came my way. Our school belonged to Shankaracharya who is famous in the Hindu religion. They used to give blessings before we take our exams. I dont know how much it worked on me. I was very nervous during study holidays, and they too passed on and the day came for me to take my exams. On the first exam I was nervous, after that I was normal, took the exams very easily than the exams taken in the school. After my exams were over I was on a long leave for about 3months, it was the longest leave that I had got in my school days. Our school used to give the groups before the results came on the basis of the performance in the school exams. I got the group before the exam results. Then came the result and it was ok. I was not bothering about the result because I got the group which I needed. The real world of happiness came to me when I entered into my 11th.After three months of gap I was into the campus and when I entered into the class all of them were new faces hardly 3boys were known to me. It was the class where all the studious guys were placed, I was shocked why I have been to this class and tears were there in my eyes by seeing them. All used to talk about studies and I used to watch their mouths. Like that one week went on, and then one teacher came to our class and said that this class has more students when compared to the other class of similar groups. She told that 3 of them should go to next class, I quickly stood up and told I was willing and thank god I was out of that class finally .When I went to the next class I saw all my friends and I mingled with them and there from my happiness started. In every school they used to say that 11th is used for enjoying since we have been working hard for last one year and to work hard for the coming year. It was a year to relax and to enjoy the school days. Each and every day my enjoyment kept on increasing. I made new friends and formed a team of 12 members from various groups. Every morning we use to assemble, enjoy cracking silly jokes which still remain in my heart. During those days I was involved in many sports activities. Our school was famous for a game named kho-kho in our zone. The students of our school were recognised by this game from the day our school was started. I was very much attached to that game and I enjoyed it a lot. We used to practice in the evening after the school hours. Our past passed out school seniors will come daily and we used to play and practice daily for the interschool competition. But this game is not internationally recognised, but its a game where one can gain stamina and improve his speed. The duration of the game was about 30 minutes but each and every second was interesting. We use to win all the games in our zone and we were the champions for many years. Our School had many cultural programmes and I used to participate every year. We used to form a group of members and used to do some innovative things. I still remember we did a mime program with paint all over our body and were standing like statues in different positions and it was the best show ever done in our school days and we use to dance in some functions. In most of the functions we used to do mischief and get scolding from our principal. After every function gets over the next working day our principal will make our group to stand in the auditorium for the whole day but they will allow us in the break to have lunch. It was very interesting to stand in front of all others. Everyone who passes will laugh at us and we loved those moments. In every year we will be waiting for the sports day to come because during those days we will be practicing march-past with group captains of every house leading in the front. And during my 11th I was the sports secretary for my school. I used to light the lamp. That time I was on the top of the world. During sports Day everyone used to wear school uniform but I used to wear jerseys and will instruct all the students. Everyone will be looking at me and they will announce in the mike that so and so student has achieved in the field of sports. Like that I was enjoying each and every moment in my higher secondary. My experience in 12th was also very interesting as I was thinking of college. During those days many test were conducted and we were not allowed to play any sports. We were made to concentrate on our studies. Usually our school used to get the top rank among other schools in our zone. In my batch one student bagged the top mark among all other schools. The staffs who took our subjects were fabulous and they thought us in such a way that we were able to implement in our college studies also. That year too went on nicely but the only thing which I didnt experience was farewell, due to our seniors misbehaviour. But that was not a problem for we used to enjoy every day with full spirit and had no hard feelings for not having it. Finally the date came when we were about to take our exams which was going to decide our career and on other side was going to miss our friends who I loved more than anything. As days past the exam also came to an end, and the last exam was maths and still remember I was very emotional when all of us finished our exams and went back home. Thus, the school days of my life still remains like a scar in my heart which is not going to die till years. I feel that everyone will be happy enjoying the school days more than any other event that comes through their life.

Responsibility of the Artist in Faith in a Tree :: Faith in a Tree Essays

Responsibility of the Artist in Faith in a Tree The philosophy found in "Faith in a Tree" deals heavily with responsibility. One of the responsibilities which was explored was the responsibility of the artist. Paley's portrayal of artists in this story is certainly less than flattering. In one of the most thematically important paragraphs, Faith decides, (to summarize a paragraph) "if it's truth and honor you want to refine...let [God] be in charge of beauty....and let man be in charge of Good." (p.89) The comment was given directly after a dialogue in which artists were labeled as speculators; speculators in the sense that they did not "invest" in life, they merely observed. One gets the sense from the tone of the pages that artists are not being put in a favorable light. Paley is trying to say something important about the responsibility of an artist here. Her condemnation of artists as cited above does not extend to all artists. There is a qualifier at the beginning of the paragraph which is very important, "if it's truth and honor you want to refine". In essence, if the artist is trying to discern something true or noble then they should stop painting, writing, or sculpting for it's own sake and start doing something Good. Faith reveals her own disdain for musicians who are absorbed in art for art's sake when she comments satirically, "when darkness covers the earth and darkness a great people, I will think of you: two men with smart ears." (p.89) Paley is obviously aware thin ice of hypocrisy she is skating on. An artist herself, her own story should be actively supporting the Good, or her critique of the painter and the musicians would be meaningless. Before going further, it is necessary to define just what Faith's idea of Good is. Faith doesn't directly define Good, but she does define Bad which is just as important, because a fight or artistic work against something bad, is in essence, something Good. In Faith's words, "Evil is bad, Wicked is bad. Robbing, Murder and Putting Heroin in your Blood is Bad" (p.85) Any act which is wicked, evil, or destructive is part of the "Bad". Faith's definition of Bad is very general, but leaves a good jumping off point into the main theme of the novel, the Vietnam War. Surprisingly, the war, which I consider to be the main theme of the novel, takes up very little of the action in the story.

Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World :: essays papers

Brave New World Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World portrays a society in which science has clearly taken over. This was an idea of what the future could hold for humankind. Is it true that Huxley’s prediction may be correct? Although there are many examples of Huxley’s theories in our society, there is reason to believe that his predictions will not hold true for the future of society. One of the biggest changes occurring in Brave New World was that babies were not being born to parents, but rather being grown in test tubes. These test tube embryos were altered to produce thousands of babies using only one embryo. Our society practices similar procedures. We were first able to grow babies in test tubes, helping people who could not get pregnant. Our next development as a society allowed the ability to clone an embryo and have many where one stood. Another change in Huxley’s society was how people appeared physically as they grew older. In the story, people we given surgery to preserve their attractive peak for the rest of their lives. There is no surgery in our society that makes a person look good for the rest of their lives, but methods of slowing the aging process have been discovered. This new technology allows a person to look younger for a longer period of time. This means that a 60-year old person would look the same as a 30-year old would today. Despite the previously mentioned cases, there are examples of how today’s society is not changing to replicate Brave New World. In the story, there were no mothers or fathers, no family, and no general monogamy. Today’s society still believes in marriage, parental roles, and the family structure. The last difference is that of the government. In Brave New World, there were no political parties and no divisional boundaries. The story portrayed a society with a large group of intelligent leaders that controlled the society.

Wuthering Heights :: Essays Papers

Wuthering Heights Wuthering Heights is the only book Emily Bronte ever wrote. It is a very powerful story about love and hate and sorrow and death. It spans thirty years and is all narrated by, first Mr. Lockwood, and more importantly, Ellen Dean, the faithful housekeeper. At the beginning of the book, Mr. Lockwood had just arrived at Thrushcross Grange as a tenant. He went to see Mr. Heathcliff, the man he was renting the house from. When he arrives at Wuthering Heights, he meets a young lady the he assumes to be Heathcliff’s wife. However, Heathcliff tells him that she is not his wife, but his daughter-in-law. When he then meets a young man, he naturally assumes it to be Heathcliff’s son, but again Heathcliff tells him that he is wrong. Heathcliff makes it very clear that Mr. Lockwood is not welcome. However, Mr. Lockwood vows to visit Wuthering Heights a second time. The next day he does visit Wuthering Heights again and is snowed in over there. He spent the night in a room with three diaries in it - one labeled Catherine Earnshaw, one, Catherine Heathcliff and the last, Catherine Linton. That night he dreams he hears Catherine’s spirit at the window, and after hearing that, Heathcliff throws open the window and implores her to come in. Mr. Lockwood leaves early the next morning and catches cold. He is bedridden for the next few weeks and asks Ellen Dean to tell him what she knows about the people residing at Wuthering Heights. She agrees. The story really began with Mr. Earnshaw and his son, Hindley and daughter, Catherine. Mr. Earnshaw left town on business and brought back with him an orphan they named Heathcliff. Heathcliff soon turned out to be Mr. Earnshaw’s favorite and he and Catherine became great friends. Hindley despised him for that. When Mr. Earnshaw died, Hindley returned from school married and took over as the master and treated Heathcliff awfully. His quick mind was dulled and he and Catherine became very rebellious. One day, they were over at Thrushcross Grange and saw Edgar and Isabella Linton. They saw Heathcliff and Catherine and thought they are burglars. Edgar sicced his dog on them and Catherine was injured. She stayed at the Grange for a few weeks and returned to Wuthering Heights a sophisticated lady with a furious temper and attitude. Hindley’s wife, Frances gave birth to a child named Hareton and then died shortly after.

Queen vs. Dudley and Stephens; opening statement

Before I begin, I want to remind you that this is the court of law. In this country, the law states that any person who deliberately takes the life of another is guilty of murder. There is no question as to who took the life of Brooks, a man with families and loved ones waiting for him to return from sea. The murderers sit in the seats of the defendants today. Thomas Dudley and Edward Stephens had deliberately took the life of Mr.. Brooks in his most defenseless state, therefore breaking the law and deserve their rightful punishment.Here they are today, trying to excuse themselves from this devilish act. On July 5th, 1 884, a day no different others, Brooks, Dudley and Stephens was caught in a storm on the high seas 1600 miles from land. This bought them onto an isolated island with only two tins of turnip and no tools. They were trapped on the island for a total of thirty days. In the first 12 days, the turnips was consumed, along with a turtle they caught. For the next eight days, they had no nourishment except for rain water and urine. By the 25th day, everyone was starving and weak.It was agreed upon that they will draw straws and the loser will be eaten. At this point, is crucial to remember that this contract does not work in court for several reasons. One of which is that a oral contract cannot be used as evidence in court because it is not concrete evidence. Another reason is that any contract, oral or written, based on an illegal purpose, in this case, homicide, does not and will not work In court. The next day, Brooks lost the drawing, but refuses to be eaten, Like any other normal human beings would.Hearing this, Dudley and Stephens agreed to kill and eat Brooks because â€Å"he would die anyways†. Using this obscene reason, they murdered him and fed on him. Five days later, they were rescued. And here they sit before us today, pleading to be excused. Their defense attorney will tell you a story coated with loaded what-ifs. â€Å"What if you were Dudley and Stephens? â€Å", â€Å"what if you were as hungry as they were? â€Å", â€Å"what if eating Brooks was your only choice? â€Å". I have a what-elf of my own, too. What If you were Brooks?Would you agree to the awful fate of Ewing killed and eaten? The biggest fear In human Is death, no one In their right minds would want to die, especially in a way as gruesome as this. Let us stop and think about the question â€Å"what if eating Brooks was your only choicer. In the English Law, the defense of necessity only applies when the harm the defendant sought to avoid outweighs the danger of the prohibited conduct he is charged with or if there Is no reasonable alternative. Let's re-examine the story. Dudley and Stephens killed Brooks to save themselves.One way to look at this Is that two lives are saved for the sacrifice of one, but there was no way to be sure that they'd still starve after eating Brooks. So the starvation they are trying to avoid by killing Brooks w ould only satisfy for the time being. In other words, the harm they are trying to avoid does not out-weight the crime of murder because murdering Brooks does not ensure that they will not face the threat of starvation again. Next, there was Cannibalism is frowned upon but it is not illegal like homicide.Also, while there was mom degree of necessity arising from the threat of starvation, a ship could have sailed over the horizon to save them any moment. As, indeed, the two were rescued. Since they could never be sure that the killing was actually necessary from one minute to the next, this defense does not work. Finally, there's the question of insanity. To be insane is to something without the knowledge of right and wrong and not being in control of one's body and mind. Wrong in this case stands for legally wrong, and not morally wrong.They obviously new what they did was wrong or they wouldn't have felt guilty enough to admit to it. They knew they would starve to death if they didn 't eat Brooks, which is a sign of thinking and reasoning; and according to their statements, they made an agreement to kill Brooks and eat him, which meant they were in total control of their body and mind prior to and during murdering Brooks. Their actions were morally and lawfully wrong. I am here today to request that they be hanged for their actions in the name of Justice. Thank you.

Anthem Analysis Essay

Anthem is a novel which describes a future in which people have lost all wisdom of individualism, to the point where people don’t even use the words â€Å"I† or â€Å"me.† It is a tribute to one’s ego, as in the value of individualism and one’s uniqueness. By the end of the novel, the main character, Prometheus, comes to understand that their battle is one that is impossible to loose. The liberty that they died to save can never pass away. Every human’s inner-self will always desire freedom, which can’t be killed by any leader, dictator, or ruler like the society in which they lived in. The society claimed that all of his actions were sins, due to the fact they wanted everybody in the society to be an equal, and they don’t like it when people strive more than others, like Prometheus did. He decided to choose how to live, instead of letting someone choose for him. That is what Prometheus grew to learn, that freedom is necessary, and can’t be shattered, and that is why it is impossible to loose their battle. The author, Ayn Rand, made that clear in this novel, while portraying diction, syntax, and figures of speech. Rand uses diction in the novel to state that it is good to be an individual instead of being a part of a matching set. â€Å"Our name is Equality†¦ We are twenty†¦ We are six feet†¦ We were born†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , is a symbol of â€Å"unity† that the author shows us in the novel, she uses plural pronouns such as we, our, their, etc., whenever she means one person because the community in the novel treats everyone as an equal and singular pronouns do not exist. Prometheus calls Gaea â€Å"The Golden One† to emphasize that she is different from the others, he actually looks at her differently than he does to other men, which is a sin in the community because you may not love one person in specific, you must love all your brothers equally. Knowing the word â€Å"Ego† is the best way to understand the concept of this novel. Ayn Rand uses the word, â€Å"Ego† to express self individualism, your ego is something that makes u special from anyone else, it defines you as someone that is distinct, and that’s what the author is portraying. The author uses syntax to help the reader understand the tone, and develop the main character’s understanding of his actions. The quote, â€Å"We shall not report our find to the City Council. We shall not report it to any men.† demonstrates that Prometheus felt that if he reported the tunnel to the city, then he would keep letting them walk all over the community, and decides to keep it to himself because he wanted freedom for once. The author writes, â€Å"This God, this one word: ‘I’† as a symbol of his praise to the word, it emphasizes his first real taste of freedom. The use of anaphora is illustrated at the beginning of chapter 12 when the main character, Prometheus, keeps repeating the word â€Å"I† to show that he truly now knows the meaning of the word, to be an individual. Ayn Rand uses figures of speech to demonstrate that individualism is a huge part of life, and everybody should have it no matter what, and helps understand the characters more thoroughly. The author uses allusion when she gives the main characters, Equality and Liberty, the names Prometheus and Gaea. Prometheus stole fire from the gods, and gave it to the humans, and Gaea was the mother of earth and of all gods. Irony is demonstrated in the novel when Prometheus talks about how he felt happy when he was committing â€Å"sins† while he was in a dark and lonely tunnel working on his experiments, but then he feels sad and depressed whenever he is in the white, bright room, with all of his brothers. Individualism is a huge part of someone, it identifies you as someone distinct than anyone else, and it is what makes you special. If you don’t have individualism then you might as well not have a face, you’re not different from anyone else, you are a person that has no true identity, and is identical to everyone else. Individualism allows you to have a name, unlike the story, that also makes you distinct from anyone else. The novel, Anthem, is an incredible story that makes you realize that you are unique in your own special way, and that everyone deserves freedom of who they truly are no matter what.

My Personal and Professional Development Plan Essay

It is a journey of the self to contemplate all the happenings going on around. I can say that I have reached the middle of the road with regard to my journey in life. I am now entering a new phase of my life. My graduation is almost near. I have to face the new world in order for me to continue my journey on this earth. I remember when I first entered this university. I do not have friends before; I also remember the times when I am longing for my parents. I miss them so much but because of my determination to study here, I managed to cope up with my new environment. I remember how I felt whenever I’m alone. I also remember the hard times during my first day here. The way of life, the attitudes of the students and of course, the expectations from my instructors and professors gave me some intense feeling of being new to this university. But as days passed I learned how to mingle with them and cope with my new environment. Now, the time is near to end my journey in this stage of my life. My journey in college is coming to an end. I am so excited to face a new period in my life. As I move on to my journey, I want to spend time with my family and catch up with my friends. I want to go out on a vacation where I can loosen up a bit. I am planning to go to a place where I can relax and think of nothing but myself. By the time I graduate, I will visit my family back in Brazil and I will visit all the places that I’ve been. This will give me time to think about my future; on what path would I take. I will also visit my old friends to reconnect with them, and try to enjoy my vacation there. By the time I go back to work, I will see to it that I will be promoted after five months. I will instill in mind that I need to be promoted, this is my way in motivating myself to achieve what I have planned. I will also enroll in a university to get a Master’s degree. I plan to get a management degree because I want to have a managerial position in my workplace. We know for a fact that having a greater education gives you a chance to compete in the market that is, having a higher position in a company. I believe that the adult tasks, unique to each period and era of the adult life are intertwined with the issues and problems inherited from our childhood, and are mediated by dynamic pressure from socioeconomic and historical aspects of life from within the cultures and societies where we live. Helping put our adult lives back in balance with our inner resources, and understanding the contradictions and conflicts built into our life patterns — between who we are and who we want to be, between what we love and what we must do, between our often clashing commitments — this is often the task that underlies the resolution of psychological symptoms and suffering. With these challenges in life, an individual learn to know himself/herself better and try to do something about it. Each and every one of us has experienced this kind of situation and we try to solve it as soon as the problem arises. Going back to my previous papers I mentioned that I have been into sorrow but I think of positive thoughts to divert my attention and see to it that these challenges in my life will help me grow. I am grateful for the incidents in my life that I have experienced. It made me who I am— a stronger woman. Forgetting and learning from your experiences, makes you more knowledgeable about realities of life. As human being, we have differences and similarities. Thus, according to Levinson, â€Å"human life cycle is universal, yet each life is different†; that both sexes have developmental histories to some extent unique to their own gender, but the overall pattern in the adult development. This follows the same structure of eras and alternating periods. Adult Development Theory helps us see more of our connectedness to the rest of life, primarily through our experience of living within the limits of a relatively invariant, species-specific life cycle, containing nevertheless within it, the creative potential of individual variability (Kitrrell, 1998). My plan in achieving my goals: personal and professional I mentioned earlier that I first planned to graduate for me to get a decent job. In order for me to get a high grades I would have to keep in mind that nothing is more important than finishing all the requirements needed for me to graduate. One of my mottos this school year was to graduate and find a job that will help me enhance my knowledge about my course. And time is near for me to accomplish my goal with regard to my education. One of my personal goals is to develop my profession and apply the knowledge that I have learned during my stay here at the University. I want to help others in building their own dreams. I want to have smooth relationships with my co-workers. I want them to know me better. In helping them with their tasks, they will also help me with mine. thus, my growth with regard to personal and professional life go hand in hand, that is, i can develop my relationship with others by making them my friends and at the same time, they help me enhance my professional growth—making good at my job. Doing your job is not good enough to say that you are growing professionally. An individual needs a harmonious relationship with people surrounding him/her to understand and do his/her work better. In it, the individual will not have any conflicts with his/her co-workers. S/he will be happy and enjoys his/her tasks in the office. Adjustment is the key in making a harmonious relationship with others. It is very important in work and also with personal life, rather than likability, meaning it is more important to interact within your co-workers than to impress them. If a person wants to impress others, s/he must communicate will with others s/he must mingle with them. In this way, s/he will be understood by them and they may help him/her in his/her endeavor in work. Being friends with your co-workers makes your work load more fun and you will not feel the pressure in doing your assigned tasks. So, I must adjust to the people in my workplace and in the society that I belong. I will see to it that I will not have any conflict with them. I will befriend them to help me cope with the new environment that I enter. I will share my thoughts to them for them to understand me better and try to use it as an instrument in accepting me as part of their company. I also want promotion, so I am planning to have a higher education, I will enroll for masteral and at the same time do good in my work. I will attend conferences if necessary to help me gain more credentials for the promotion that I want. I just want to achieve this in my first two years of work. After attending masterals, I plan to have my PhD to have a higher position in my recent workplace or maybe I can have a career move where I can improve my ability and skills with regard to what I have studied. But before I achieve these goals, I will develop a clear and highly specific career goals and objectives for myself. I believe in the goodness and attainability of my goals— I being accountable for the consequences that may occur. I will strive towards reaching my goals and dreams one day at a time. I see my career as a vehicle that will help me take my goals. I will commit myself emotionally and psychologically to turn my dreams into reality. But first, I need to focus on what I want to do, that is, to have a vacation for myself. I will plan my goals base on its attainability—short- and long-term goals. Second, I need to eliminate excuses for not moving forward toward my goals. I will put my career plan that maps out specific moves I can make toward my goals on a daily basis. From what I have found on my assessments, I now develop an awareness of what I want to do. Two years from now, I want to finish my Master’s degree. Five years from now, I want to have a child and have a beautiful family of my own. And ten years from now I want to have a top position in a company and make a name in the business industry. My ideal job would enable me to grow personally and professionally. This job will help me enhance my ability and skills in communicating with others. As I graduate from this university, I will step-up for more formal education in order for me to attain my goal. We all know that having a higher education will give you a chance to compete on the job market. This way, I can improve my personality. Having a good job is not enough. I want to get more than what I have. At my recent job, I will try my best to do my job for me to be promoted. Being a CSR, I won’t try arguing with unhappy customers. If I can’t handle them, I better call my manager. I also want to receive feedback about my performance at work once a week. I will use these feedbacks to improve my work, and to be more efficient employee. I will use my resources to my advantage. Performance is a very important factor for every individual. It is created to assess individual action with regard to how s/he conducted his/her own acts. Interacting with others help someone assess his/her action on how and what should s/he do to act accordingly, that is, behaving in a manner where s/he is supposed to act. Each and every one of us is expected to act in every situation we encounter. An individual could maintain an ideal role within the situation. As a student, I must study hard and do all my assignments to conform to the rules and regulations of the school. I must act as a student in order for me to perform my role as a student. By doing this, I learned how to assess my work according to the standards of the University. The road to success Happiness is connected to personal effectiveness wherein you feel contentment within yourself. For me, personal effectiveness is doing what you want, getting yourself from where you are to where you want to be, that is, achieving what you want in life. Thus, it takes a lot of effort to say that an individual is successful in doing the things that s/he wants. Defining personal effectiveness is the same as how we define success. We individuals seek success being intertwined with happiness. We can say that success is having the things that you want—earning money for yourself and your family, getting the highest paying job in town, having all the things that the world offers, and the likes. We define success with regard to tangible and intangible factors— the materials that we use in determining success and the feeling that we feel inside in getting that success. As I mentioned in my previous paper, I defined happiness as a pleasurable satisfaction, a state of well-being and contentment—being happy of what you have. Regret is a way of depressing yourself of not getting what you want or doing what you should have done. Seeing my mistakes and my weaknesses enables me to improve my worth as an individual. This made me more effective citizen, student, daughter, friend and a partner. And I try to live one day at a time in order for me to achieve my goals in life. In this way, I can avoid myself of feeling too overwhelmed with my limits and emotions. I will be entering a new page in my life, as I go on with this great transition, I realized that my experiences and the people around me have a great impact of who I am today and what will I be tomorrow. My future depends on how I plan to go on with my life—my future! I can say that I am contented of what I have right now but I am not satisfied of where I am today. I want to explore more of my world. I want to excel from my job and I plan to have a very good life, that is, being successful and all the people around me are happy with what they have, especially my family. Prior to graduation, I plan to have good, if not better grades. I want to make it better for me to land a job that will help me earn enough money that is salary that will enhance my way of living. I don’t want to have a failing mark. This will reflect my personality as individual. Failing mark means I didn’t do my best to pass my course. In order for me to achieve this, I will read all my reading assignments and complete all the requirements that are needed to be submitted. I will see to it that I will pass my entire exam. I will love and enjoy my course and look at every single test as a challenge in making me more responsible individual. Taking responsibility in all your actions make an individual is more assertive of what s/he wants to achieve. My family is very important to my life, I want them to be happy with their own life and be successful with their chosen field. I want my mother to be more understanding and I will see to it that she is happy right now. I want her to feel that we, her children love her very much. I want my family to be complete and witness my graduation. I want to share my achievement with them. They are my strength and joy. Without them, I cannot overcome all the obstacles that came my way. They are the one whom I run to whenever I have a problem. They gave me good advices on how to handle my problems. Even though they are not with me, they are always here in my heart. Daniel Levinson’s theory of adult development Adult development theory presents a vivid understanding of life cycle. Daniel Levinson worked out his theories of adult development in two landmark studies, Seasons of a Man’s Life and Seasons of a Woman’s Life. He argues essentially that the adult portion of the human life span is divided into three eras: early, middle, and late adulthood. Each of these broad eras are themselves divided between entry or initial stages and ending or more-or-less stable stages. Think of the difference and quality of the life structure and goals of a 24 year old as compared with a 34 year old, and you will get a sense of the internal changes that occur within otherwise specific eras, i. e. , both a 24 year old and a 34 year old would be considered young adults within the Levinsonian perspective. The divisions between the life eras are marked by significant transitional periods that can last for some years. Life during these shifts can be seen as rocky or smooth, noisy or quiet, but the quality and significance of one’s life commitments often change between the beginning and end of such periods. I chose this theory to plan my future because it enables me to think of the differences and similarities of characteristics between the two sexes and also to compare the experience of the adulthood with the late-adulthood stage and the other stages of life as discussed by Levinson. This theory reflects essential changes that adults undergo. Thus, it provides a clearer view of what reality is. This theory can be applied in planning on with your life. It will make you aware of the things that you don’t bother to know. This will help you analyze your work and performances as part of the society. This will enhance your knowledge about your role in the society. This will enable you to view things in a broader way, i. e. , having a positive outlook in life in entering the new phase of your life. This theory also presents a good foundation for understanding goal setting of individuals entering into particular adult stages (Minter & Samuel, 1998). If you know your goals, probably you will know where you are heading to. This perspective on adult development is important for us, adults to understand. This will enable us to resolve important transitional issues during the vital periods in our lives. Thus, each transitional period is needed so that changes in individuation and relationships are attained by concerned individuals (Wheeler-Scruggs, 2008). This model is created to promote individuation and build relationships among individuals that they may use in getting what they want in life. These changes bring greater sense of autonomy and give a greater expression and achievement of one’s self-potential (Wheeler-Scruggs, 2008). Thus, individuals go through the various stages and transitions in order for them to become more self-reliant. Its nature is focused on building characteristics that would help the individual attain his/her personal and professional goals. It is also used to create rapport with each and every individual concerned. This would help the individuals reach their goals. Building rapport is very important in making your goals attainable. If you communicate well with other, they will help you achieve your goals by giving you information that you need. For instance, as a CSR I need to build rapport to the customers for them to give a positive feedback in which they will be nice to me thus, making my work easy. And with regard to my co-workers, I need to build rapport for them to help me in my job, giving some advices if I experience some difficulties in my job. Thus, this will help each and every one to improve their work and at the same time develop personal relationships. As I have mentioned earlier, we need each other in order for us to grow. With the help of others, we will achieve the set goals we planned for ourselves. As I assess my performance, I see my potentials to be growing. These potentials include my leadership ability and interpersonal skills which I can use in communicating at work. I will try to develop my weaknesses into strengths for me to improve myself, personally and professionally. This will also be of help to us in communicating with each other. Every student must know that they need their teachers for them to gain knowledge and improve their way of thinking. The teachers may help their students in developing their potentials and skills which they will use in communicating with others, most especially with regard to their work. Conclusion After planning all my walks in life, I would like to slowly acquire my goal. I will stick to my plan. As I have said earlier, I want to achieve my goal one step at a time. I believe that all my plans are reachable. I divided my plans into two: long-term goal and short-term goal. I would focus first on short-term goal: to be promoted in my work, to have a vacation with my family in Brazil, to visit my friends, to extend my family by having a new French bulldog in my house, and to graduate; and then work on to my long-term goals: having a good life with my own family and for my mom to be happy with what we, her children have achieved in life, and be one of the best Psychologist in town. This assignment enables me to reflect on how I manage my life after graduation. I have learned that in order to succeed in life, an individual must look at all the aspects of life before planning his/her future, that is, reflecting on the experiences s/he had and planning the future. Thus, development means assessing your own life and making all the necessary steps to achieve my goals. I learned that in order to achieve your dreams, you must decide to for Utopia, which means going beyond the reach of the society until we overcome the obstacles that stand in our way. These obstacles include negativism, fear, depression, and the problems they create— discouragement, economic stagnation, crime, drug dependency, family distrust, etc. At this moment in my life, I can say that I have achieved something for myself—overcoming the obstacles that came my way. This helped me have a positive outlook in life. Thus, I will prioritize myself, of what I want to do and where I want to go. Through this process I will know that I will be a successful psychologist someday. References Kitrrell, D. (1998). A Comparison of the Evolution of Men’s and Women’s Dreams in Daniel Levinson’s Theory of Adult Development. Journal of Adult Development, 5(2), 105-115. Minter, L. E. & Samuel, C. A. (1998). The Impact of ‘the Dream’ on Women’s Experience of the Midlife Transition. Journal of Adult Development, 5(1), 31-43. Wheeler-Scruggs, K. S. (2008). Do Lesbians Differ from Heterosexual Men and Women in Levinsonian Phases of Adult Development? Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(1), 39-46.

School Improvement Plan

U10a1: School Improvement Plan by Robin R. Bailey The School Improvement Plan in Full Fulfillment Of the Requirements of ED 7852- Principalship March 15, 2013 |Address: |6647 S. Maryland Ave Unit 3E | |City, State, Zip: |Chicago, IL 60637 | |Phone: |773-655-5508 | |E-mail: |[email  protected] du | |Instructor: |Dr. Jeff Ronneberg | Table of Contents Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 3 School Improvement Committee†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 4 Data and Gathering Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 5 Environmental Scan of the Sch ool and Community†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 7 Goals and Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 10 Resource and Community Development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 13 Monitoring and Assessing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 18 Expected Outcomes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 20 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦pg. 21 Abstract Herzl Elementary School of Excellence is located in Chicago, IL. Herzl has a population of 492 students who are: Black (481), Hispanic (6), Asian/Pacific Islander (1), White (1), and Two or More Races (3). The goal is to improve student achievement in reading and mathematics. Herzl Elementary School is committed to preparing students for the future by including real world activities into students’ daily lessons. Herzl is also using research based strategies in every lesson to enhance learning and improve student achievement.Committee Development, Data Gathering and Analysis Part 1 -School Improvement Committee Mrs. D†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Principal Ms. R. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Assistant Principal Mr. A. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Assistant Principal Ms. C†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Chair Ms. L†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Special Education Teacher Ms. M†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Kindergarten Teacher Ms. B. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Second Grade Teacher Ms. P . †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Fourth Grade Teacher Ms. P†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Sixth Grade Teacher Mr. A†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Eighth Grade Teacher Mrs. V†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Parent Ms.S†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Community Leader Rath et al. (2008) states, â€Å"Effective leaders surround themselves with the right people and build on each person’s strengths† (p. 21). The purpose of the School Improvement Committee is to serve in an advisory role to me as the principal. The committee advises on an as needed basis with the budget, school safety, standards and behavior, and school improvement surveys. The School improvement committee helps me establish communication links within the school community and works closely with staff and other organizations to provide successful outreach.The committee has a broad based representation of the school community and employee groups. This effective site- based school team, not only enhances the strengths of me, but it gives empowerment to all stakeholders in the school. Sorenson et al. (2011) proposes that effective site- based schools starts with a team-oriented approach that allows principals to give power to their employees and therefore encourages a collaborative decision- making and problem-solving process (p. 135). Part 2 – Data Gathering and Analysis County: Cook County Grade Span: (gr ades PK-8)Total Students: 548 PK |K |1 | |Students |250 |298 | Students with disabilities: 17. 1%English language learners: 0. 4% Free lunch eligible: 518 Reduced-price lunch eligible: 8 Collecting the data is a planned, purposeful process. Valuable data guides the school improvement team in developing improvement goals for the benefit of all students. The four types of data we collect and use as indicators of school or district success and progress are as follows: achievement data, demographic data, program data, and perception data. The data helps support the vision and mission of the school.The school improvement team collects, evaluates, and analyzes data to strategically find strategies, resources, and research methods for effective instruction. Some of the data that is collected are the demographics, End of Grade testing, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), ISAT, NWEA, REACH assessments, teacher observations. The school improvement committee team collected data using the data guid es provided by the Illinois Department of Education. Staff members, parents, and students were asked to complete surveys concerning their attitudes toward the Herzl School of Excellence environment and academic progress.All staff members were also asked to list parent involvement, technology usage, and professional development. Random samples of teachers were taken to chart parent communication and classroom interruptions. The planning team analyzed ISTEP+ and NWEA test scores. Teachers participated in district wide curriculum alignment meetings where they streamlined the district’s curriculum and developed quarterly benchmark tests. After analyzing the student data, it was concluded that there is a high population of students on free/reduced lunch.While reviewing STEP and ISAT data the school improvement team recognized a trend of low scores in the areas of reading comprehension, writing application and math problem solving. They also identified these areas of concern previo usly when compiling data for the existing School Improvement Plan. The team is currently using NWEA to assess student growth from fall to spring. The initial student scores have reinforced our findings in relation to STEP & ISAT, but this data is not conclusive due to the number of assessments taken and our understanding of the data.Furthermore, students did not make AYP in reading and math. African American and economically disadvantaged students did not make AYP in math and reading. Environmental Scan of the School and Community Herzl School of Excellence is influenced by many policies and procedures that are determined through the Federal Government, the State of Illinois and the District of Cook County. The Illinois General Statues were created to help establish provisions for the school districts across Illinois.Once the regulations are established, sent to the Department of Instruction and then the districts receive the regulations and are to implement the provisions. To show accountability, a school improvement plan must be created. The regulations and the community are a major factor that helps drive the School Improvement Plan. Submission of a School Improvement Plan (SIP) is required by federal and state regulations for schools that are in academic status. The plan must cover two fiscal years (e. g. FY 2010 to FY 2012) and must be revised every two years while the school remains in status.Illinois schools in status that do not submit a school improvement plan the previous year must submit an improvement plan as required by Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, section 1101 et seq. , and Section 2-3. 25d of the School Code, 105 ILCS 5/2-3. 25d. Revisions are then required at the expiration of the two-year plan while the school remains in academic status. Districts are required to submit restructuring plans on behalf of schools after the fifth calculation of not making Adequate Yearly Progress. A School Improvement Plan is optional for schools that are not in academic status.The Illinois State Board of Education members that represent our school district have helped shape our school and community. Our district representative assessed our need for our school and encourages the community to get involved with the school and school system. The goal for our Board is for the student to have a sound education. This includes having policies to address the relationship between the school system and community. The policies address the following: a) Building a safe and inviting learning environment b) Increased extracurricular offerings c) Improving student attendance ) Renovated facilities At Herzl Academic progress is monitored through the reading & math benchmarks, NWEA, REACH, ISAT, and classroom bi-weekly assessments. The results indicate that Herzl must continue to work on reading comprehension instruction/ guided practice and math extended response at all grade levels. After analyzing the data it was concluded tha t students would benefit from the instruction and individualized attention that could be provided in differentiated instruction in the classroom, effective intervention practice and team teaching of regular and special education teachers.Herzl needs to increase math manipulatives and purchase additional resources for science and math classroom and provide professional development for teachers in math and science. AYP concluded that in the sub group all students did not make AYP on the ISAT. Herzl must achieve a 10% increase overall, in subgroup ALL, in ISAT scores on reading for the two consecutive years to meet AYP Safe Harbor targets by 2013. North Lawndale demographics overview †¢94. 3% African American †¢Population: 41,768 †¢Median Family Income: $15,549 †¢Median Age: 26. 1 †¢27. 0% high school graduates 19. 1% have greater than 12th grade education North Lawndale suffers from a high unemployment rate (13%) and jobless rate among 20-24 year olds (59. 4%) . 34. 6% of residents between 18 and 24 years of age lack a high school diploma or GED. Many unemployed residents lack the basic skills and qualifications to secure livable wage jobs, especially those who attended Chicago public schools. Many North Lawndale residents are employed in repetitive, low-wage jobs that have almost no room for learning or growth and extremely limited earning potential.While North Lawndale is plagued by crime, vacant housing and unemployment, a strong web of social service organizations have affected positive changes in the area in recent years. After sponsoring a class of sixth graders in the neighborhood in 1986, the Steans Family created The Steans Family Foundation in North Lawndale that continues to contribute to the community today. The foundation's main focus areas are education, strengthening families and community development. Additionally, Homan Square has turned the former world headquarters of Sears, Roebuck and Co. nto a hub for the North Lawnd ale community. The former site of abandoned buildings, manufacturing plants and parking lots now features a vibrant community center offering education, medical services and health and wellness opportunities for all North Lawndale residents. This site is also home to new housing developments and two new schools. Goals and Objectives Part 1- Generating Goals and Objectives Herzl School of Excellence has based its needs off of the data that has been collected from the previous school year and the current school year.The areas that the school improvement team determined to be of concern were literacy and the learning environment. Sorenson et al. (2011) state, â€Å" Effective planning buys time , prepares leaders and teams to meet adaptive challenges, allows everyone to collaborate and encourages trust† (p. 146). The School Improvement Team at Herzl School of Excellence has designed goals and objectives based off of the data that has been collected and analyzed. The School Impro vement Team has designed goals and objectives to correlate with the District goals and Common Core Standards to help guide teachers in creating strategies for student improvement.These goals and objectives are aligned with Common Core Standards. Sorenson et al (2011) suggests, â€Å"When the principal and team prioritize goals and objectives as an expectation of the curriculum review and assessment process, it becomes apparent that certain instructional enhancements are necessary to build a strong academic program† (p. 74). The priorities for Herzl School of Excellence are literacy and school environment. First, the goals and objectives for literacy are as follows: School Improvement Goal 1: Herzl will work to increase students’ achievement in the area of literacy.Our goal is to increase our staff’s knowledge and skills in the area of literacy instruction (understand and implement best practices in the area of vocabulary development). It is our intent that this will ultimately increase the number of students meeting and exceeding grade level expectations in literacy development. Objective – Every student will excel in rigorous and relevant core curriculum that reflects what students need to know and demonstrate in a global 21st century environment. †¢ We will use the NWEA, ISAT, and IA as a measure of attainment.Our goal is to increase the number of students performing in the meets and exceeds level in literacy development. †¢ We will gather baseline data to determine the number of students currently not meeting grade level performance. Part 2 – Researching Strategies †¢ The administration will attend a conference on best practices in Spanish vocabulary instruction. The administration and staff will analyze data from CBMs, ISEL, the NWEA, ISAT, and IA to identify specific students needing extra support in literacy. The building administration and the LSC will provide professional development on best practice on vocabulary instruction. †¢ Each grade level team will develop a goal and action plan as a means to increased student achievement. †¢ The Learning Support Coaches will work with all grade level teams to identify resources, instructional support and feedback based on assessment data and their team goals. †¢ Target students will be given an opportunity to participate in an after school literacy program designed to meet their individual needs. Parents will be informed of their child’s literacy progress. School Improvement Goal 2: Herzl will continue working toward â€Å"Building Community: Acceptance for All† to create a learning environment where all people (students and staff alike) feel respected, valued, and supported to accomplish the mission of Herzl School of Excellence. Our goal is to build community, acceptance for all. This is a direct alignment with our District’s diversity goal. Our outcome is to increase students’ elements of inne r wealth (feelings of belonging, valued and having a level of competency to succeed). There is an observed need to develop a learning environment where all students and staff feel respected, valued, and supported to accomplish the mission of the Herzl School of Excellence. †¢ The administration and staff will develop a perception survey that will measure students’ feeling of belonging, feeling being valued and having a level of competency to succeed. Once baseline data has been collected, we will determine the target population and desired increase in these attributes of their inner wealth. A post survey will be administered to determine growth over time. The administration and staff will collect and analyze behavioral data on our target students (identified by the perception survey). Data will be collected during the months of November, December, January and February. Behaviors include their interactions with peers and staff, their willingness to participate in class, a nd their ability to be self-directed. The desired outcome will be an increase in positive behaviors. Part 2 – Researching Strategies †¢ The administration and staff will complete the culturally responsive questionnaire to determine next steps in professional development. Students will complete the perception survey (October and March). †¢ Staff and parents will be trained to apply the Nurtured Heart Approach as a means to increase our awareness and skills to help children increase their inner wealth. †¢ Administration and staff will create and conduct assemblies that promote character traits (Persistence, Respect, Ownership, Welcoming behaviors and Leadership). †¢ Target students will participate in a mentor program (Check-in/Check-out system). A mentoring program will begin in October and continue throughout the school year. Our school counselor will work with administration to educate our Herzl community on the purpose of â€Å"Building Community; Accep tance for All† and the strategies used at school. Resources and Community Involvement Step 1- Identifying School Resources Epstein developed the action team approach for school, family, and community partnerships to ensure that school, family, and community representatives shared responsibility for the development, implementation, and evaluation of partnership practices (Epstein & Hollifield, 1996). Herzl will use this approach when implementing the School Improvement Plan (SIP).Epstein’s framework of five types of family and community involvement — parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, and decision making will help us build partnerships and improve the school environment and support student learning. Action Teams for School-Family-Community Partnerships consist of six to twelve members including family members, teachers, administrators, other school staff (i. e. , counselors, nurses, parent liaisons), community representatives, and students i n the upper grades, selected to serve two-year, renewable terms.As an ILT member one of my jobs is to identify the school resources that will help manage Herzl’s School Improvement Plan. The resources needed to help with the school improvement plan first start with the funds that are provided by the state of Illinois and the Chicago Public School District, IDEA funding for instructional equipment and staffing and community. Herzl Elementary School is committed to the integration of technology as a teaching tool and technology use to overcome limitations of time and distance imposed by the geographical isolation of the community.A long-range technology plan has been developed and approved by the State of Illinois. In previous years, through grants and a successful bond issue, the district has replaced three to four computers in every elementary classroom, has constructed one twenty-one station computer labs, one twenty-two station computer lab, one twenty-four station computer lab and networked the entire building. Technology is pertinent to the School Improvement Plan because it allows the school to be managed efficiently and effectively. The School Improvement Plan will focus on: 1.Providing staff development in the integration of instructional technology. 2. Maintain funding to finance hardware, software, and teacher training to upgrade school-to-work application classes at the middle school and high school levels. 3. Make technology integration a component of every alignment process. 4. Update the long-range technology plan. Step 2 – Incorporating Community Involvement Wilmore (2002) accentuates the importance of community partnership. He implies that it should be a give and get partnership; one where interests and needs are being met by all stakeholders.This kind of partnership in which community is valued and input is often sought and taken into consideration (Wilmore, 2002). As the Principal, my staff and I will reach out to the community a nd maintain collaborative partnerships. It is my role, as principal, to work towards gaining the support and trust of those partnerships by not taking advantage of their efforts and work with students and the school (Robbins & Alvy, 2009). Our staff will rally out to our civic groups, churches and local businesses to create a collaborative partnership with our school.We will create technology nights, family fun days, parent curriculum night, and other community events to get our community involved with our school. As a result, local businesses will get additional clientele and the civic groups and churches will receive advertisement for their groups. The School Improvement Team has discussed how to make sure parents are involved with the community and get important information out to our parents because it has been proven that increased parent and community involvement will impact student achievement.Family Involvement Strategies: †¢ â€Å"Back to school night† †¢ D isseminate school information and news †¢ Families meet teachers and support staff †¢ Community partner open house – parents have an opportunity to meet all community and business partners and gather information †¢ Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) †¢ Host of â€Å"Back to school night† †¢ Recruits new members †¢ Liaison between parents and the school †¢ Manages parent volunteer pool †¢ On-going school-parent communication †¢ Bi-Monthly progress reports to parents Monthly school contact: newsletters, emails, phone contacts, teacher notes and letters home †¢ Monthly Parent Events †¢ Celebrate parent involvement & recognition Business Involvement Strategies: †¢ Administration will continue to build relationships with new businesses around the community and nurture and support existing business partnerships †¢ Quarterly meetings with business partners to discuss strengths and weaknesses as it relates to shar ed goals †¢ Continue the sharing of resources: human, fiscal and facilities †¢ Volunteers to tutor & MentorPolitical Involvement Strategies: †¢ Stay abreast of federals and state legislation and policies †¢ Build and sustain relationships with school board and central office †¢ On-going dissemination of school activities and events to the school board and central office Our team has created a partnership with the newspapers to showcase our successes with the school. We have representatives to communicate with the local newspapers to not only showcase students but serve as an educational resource for the paper.In having this collaboration with the local news, we are establishing positive communication to our community, as a result, our teachers are becoming more trustworthy, parents are more respectful to the teacher and the school is promoting a highly effective school-family-community relationship. Our school will work closely with agencies such as social s ervices, and behavioral management agencies for the safety of our students. This will ensure that they receive their education on a daily basis.Wilmore (2002) states, â€Å"We must reach out to multiple stakeholders, including families, social service agencies, and the media to create collaborative partnerships in which everyone gives and receives† (p. 78) These resources support student achievement by empowering students, and parents to become aware of their needs and educate them on what and how they can achieve success in their lives. With these resources, we plan on incorporating the community into our classrooms as a resource depending on their experiences and skills to help our students to be independent and to be global competitors in the 21st century.ACTION PLAN I. Collaborate with families and the community a. School Calendar will be created to manage parent, community and business stakeholder meetings –monthly meetings and quarterly meetings for businesses i. Post on school’s website for accessibility to all stakeholders b. Ongoing communication from administration, school, teachers and staff –see above c. School event calendar –parent and community invitations d. Strategic plan – strategies outlined in a systematic progression for the entire school year II. Responding to community interest and needs . Collaborate with the community stakeholders and facilitate a community needs assessment at the beginning of the school year to support the community and the goals of the school simultaneously b. Share facilities and resources with stakeholders i. Community forums, meetings, events etc. ii. Create a â€Å"Community Learning Center† –after school activities etc. iii. Support organizations with volunteers –reciprocity c. Build relationships with community organizations –diverse group of organizations that represent the student demographics i.Provide opportunities to celebrate diversity and educate the school and community in cultural diversity ii. Encourage community and parent involvement in the schools III. Use of school and community resources a. Use the community needs assessment and SIP to collaboratively allocate community stakeholder resources to meet the needs of the community and the school b. Develop a collaborative action plan that aligns with the school’s SIP to use as a framework for collectively allocation the school and community resources IV. Solicitation of support and new resources . The chair of each sub-committee and the administration team will be responsible for researching information regarding new resources and support. The chair will submit the information to administration on a quarterly basis. i. The administration team will be responsible for soliciting the new support and resources—build relationships. ii. The administration team will report back to the CIP quarterly. Monitoring and Assessing Herzl Elementary School is a data driven school that will be constantly monitoring students through formative and summative assessments.Dufour and Marzano (2011), emphasizes that with more monitoring there will be more achievement and effective monitoring will focus on test scores and teacher practices that will led to the test scores (p. 119). Our school will continuously collect data through numerous amounts of assessments. Our school will be reviewing data that are aligned with the Common Core Standards. Our assessments include the NWEA testing which allows us to look at student’s improvement over the course of the year, the ISAT test which tests grades third through eighth in reading, math, and science, and the RTI nd literacy instruction. RTI not only evaluate the needs of students but it recommends different learning techniques on students to become more proficient in their content areas. Internal Review Visits will be conducted. Internal Review Visits are opportunities for self-reflection, self-mo nitoring, and a conversation with outside observers about school improvement at the school — a â€Å"snapshot† of the school’s school improvement process, products, results, and plans.A consultation team examines the school profile data and the School Improvement Plan – to include the implementation of the plan – and provides feedback and recommendations to the staff to enhance their school improvement process and products. To improve Goal 1- To monitor and assess the implementation for effectiveness, teachers will also monitor the students on a daily, weekly, quarterly and annual basis. The data that will be used for the effectiveness of the reading proficiently will be reading logs, reading observations, teacher feedback, tutoring logs and feedback.These assessments will be used on a daily and weekly basis. DAR, K-8 assessments, and report cards will be visited on a quarterly basis and EOG testing and summative assessments will be visited on an a nnual basis. Based on the results of the assessments, the school improvement team will determine in additional teacher training is required. There will also be increased teaching tools and collaboration between classroom teachers and media coordinator/technology facilitator.We will also see what is needed to improve record keeping in book circulation, team planning minutes, and flexible grouping within the classroom and in team grade collaboration. There will also be more focused objectives for in-school tutoring programs and teachers will providing specific goals and objectives for children involved in this program so that it can be better assessed. To Improve Goal 2 – To monitor and assess our â€Å"Building Community: Acceptance for All† the administration and staff will complete the culturally responsive questionnaire to determine next steps in professional development.Students will complete the perception survey (October and March). Staff and parents will be train ed to apply the Nurtured Heart Approach as a means to increase our awareness and skills to help children increase their inner wealth. Administration and staff will create and conduct assemblies that promote character traits (Persistence, Respect, Ownership, Welcoming behaviors and Leadership). Target students will participate in a mentor program (Check-in/Check-out system). A mentoring program will begin in October and continue throughout the school year.Our SFCP will work with administration to educate our Herzl community on the purpose of â€Å"Building Community; Acceptance for All† and the strategies used at school. Effective classroom assessment and monitoring to enhance student achievement will be a collaborative effort and Herzl Elementary School. Teacher, Teacher Assistants, Literacy Coachers, Media Coordinator, Technology Facilitator, Tutor Coordinator, and the RTI team will be utilized for the success of the student. By working collaboratively with the staff, the sc hool will continuously convey the â€Å"shared vision† of the school for the success of all students.Through collaboration we will ensure high levels of quality student learning through our core beliefs, vision, and mission, goals, and data analysis. We will plan the way that enables the realization of excellence. (Robbins and Alvy, 2009, p. 120) Our teachers’, students and staff are continuing to grow and learn. The School Improvement Plan provides a foundation for the school and teachers’ to have focal points of what they should be teaching. In the next three years we expect our students to have significant growth. With collaboration, professional development, tools and resources, and teacher leaders, our school will be successful.Expected Outcomes In Grades 3-8, 29% of the students will achieve proficiency on the 2013 ISAT Math test. In Grades 3-8, 54% of the students will achieve above proficiency on the 2013 ISAT Math test. In Grades 3-8, 68% of students wi ll achieve learning gains on the 2013 ISAT Math test. In Grades 3-8, at least 58% of the lowest 25% will achieve adequate progress on the 2013 ISAT Math test. Herzl School of Excellence school culture either will supports quality professional learning. Herzl will develop and sustain a positive, professional culture that nurtures staff learning for everyone in the school.With a strong, positive culture that supports professional development and student learning, Herzl will become a place where every teacher makes a difference and every child learns. References DuFour, R. , & Marzano, R. J. (2011). Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders improve student achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. ISBN: 9781935542667. Epstein, J. L. , & Hollifield, J. H. (1996). Title I implications for comprehensive school-family community partnerships: Using theory and research to realize the potential. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 1(3).Rath, T. , & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths based leadership. New York, NY: Gallup Press. ISBN: 9781595620255. Robbins, P. M. , & Alvy, H. B. (2009). The principal's companion (3rd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Sorenson, R. D. , Goldsmith, L. M. , Mendez, Z. Y. , & Maxwell, K. T. (2011). The principal's guide to curriculum leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. ISBN: 9781412980807. Wilmore, E. L. (2002). Principal leadership: Applying the new educational leadership constituent council (ELCC) standards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.