Assessment in Special Education Essay

Abstract Sometimes the general education program alone is not able to meet the needs of a child with disabilities, and he/she may be able to receive special education services. The evaluation process can be a very difficult task when trying to identify if the child qualifies for special education, schools often have a pre-referral intervention process. The most prominent approached used today is the â€Å"response-to-Intervention† or RTI. Special Education teachers face many challenges when trying to meet the needs of special needs students in their classrooms. Methods of evaluation are a big concern and challenge for educators of special needs students today. In addition, meeting everyone’s needs is a difficult task to accomplish because of students’ diverse abilities in the classroom. This research paper will explore the different methods of assessment in special education programs and the best practices to help this children achieve their potential in an appropriate setting. Testing and assessment is an ongoing process with children in special education programs. Some of these assessments include, developmental assessments, screening tests, individual intelligence tests, individual academic achievement tests, adaptive behavior scales, behavior rating scales, curriculum-based assessments, end-of-grade, end-of-course, and alternate assessments. Comprehensive assessment of individual students requires the use of multiple data sources. These sources may also include standardized tests, informal measures, observations, student self-reports, parent reports, and progress monitoring data from response-to-intervention (RTI) approaches (NJCLD, 2005). The main purpose of a comprehensive assessment in the special education field is to accurately identify the strengths and needs of the students to help them be successful during their school years and there after. Legislation has played a big role in the shift towards functional assessment. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act has played a big role in this matter. The IDEA legislation â€Å"needed to assure that students with disabilities receive free appropriate public education (FAPE) and the related services and support the need to achieve† (Jeffords 1). IDEA was created to make sure that disabled children are receiving fair and equal education and support. This act has several parts to it which include providing grants, funds early intervention services, and supports research and professional development programs. The No Child Left Behind Act: Impact on the Assessment of Special Education Student. After the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) moved into our schools there is a great deal of controversy that questions whether the act implemented by President George W. Bush is helping or hurting an already suffering school system. There are many dimensions of the NCLB act that have been questioned over the past decade; the fair assessment of students with disabilities is one of them. As the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (NCFOT) reported, the public relations aspect of this act is strong. Prior to the Individuals with Disability Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) students in special education were exempt from participating in the statewide testing. However, the IDEA advocated that all students including those with special learning difficulties should be able to participate in testing. (Cahalan, 2003). Legislative Overview of Laws Protecting Special Education Students On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the NCLB act. In this act the federal government was for the first time in the history of the Department of Education putting an act into effect that would penalize schools that failed to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP). The AYP is a measuring system in which the federal government will look at the progress of the local government and school systems to decide whether or not that school, along with its teachers and students, has progressed and provided a high-quality education (Goldhaber, 2002). Through the NCLB act schools are held accountable for failing test scores and failure to improve their class average from one year to the next. The longer the school fails to meet required scores, the more the school will be held accountable, and the greater the consequence. For instance, a school that is unable to make their desired AYP and has not improved a significant amount within five years will then be subject to reconstruction. This reconstruction could include the government completely taking over the school and hiring new teachers and  teacher staff, leaving many teachers and staff unemployed (Goldhaber, 2002). Teachers and students in the special education department do have some laws however that helps them make testing less stressful. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 required that accommodations must be made for students with learning disabilities in order to be able to participate in the assessment (Cahalan, 2003). However, this leaves the question of what can be used as accommodations. Accommodations could include things such as test schedules and setting of the test, along with the format of the presentation. Also used to help the special education students and teachers is the individualized education plan (IEP). The Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) of 1991 would set into effect the idea of an IEP. An IEP is a plan that is set by a group of individuals that work closely with the student to design the educational format that is most appropriate for him/her (Cahalan, 2003). This does not take into account the type of disorder the student has but simply the student themselves. The individualized attention that is given with this plan provides the student with the correct instruction needed to be successful in education. These groups of individuals include the teacher, parent, school psychologist and anyone else that is closely related to the education of this student. The IEP members are, in most states, responsible in deciding which accommodations are important for each individual student (Cahalan, 2003). They, however, are not a part of deciding what accommodations will be provided for each student during the NCLB assessment. The laws described here were all implemented with the same goal in mind; to protect special education students and be sure their quality of education is the same as all other students. However some of these laws, including the NCLB, must be altered in order to truly give special needs students the education and assessment they deserve. Best Practices in Assessment of Special Education Students Students in special education programs should be included in the statewide assessments, as the IDEA of 1997 states. The IDEA also states that accommodations should be made to be sure that the student is able to fully understand the materials they are asked (Cahalan, 2003). There are four categories of test accommodations, presentation, response, timing, and  setting (Cahalan, 2003). Presentation is simply visual aids that help the student fully understand the context. These do not alter the questions of the test; they simply make it accessible for the students. Presentation accommodations include Braille, large-print, sign language interpreter, or reducing the number of questions per page (Cahalan, 2003). These simple accommodations make test taking less stressful, and therefore the material is better understandable by the student. However, no state has reported using them in their statewide assessments since the inception of the NCLB. In a study of over one thousand students it was found that using a video presentation to help understand the test showed a significant increase in their achievement (Cahalan, 2003). So why is the educational department not using these modifications that help so much? Another form of accommodation used in special education testing is response. It may be as simple as giving an oral response instead of a written one or it may mean that the test is dictated to the student by a recorder. These accommodations in no way alters the response that is given or received, it is still the same question being asked. Results have shown that by providing a reader special education students showed a significant improvement in their test score (Cahalan, 2003). The last two accommodations are setting and timing. The timing could include any extra time needed, breaks during the exam, or spreading the testing out through a few days instead of taking it all in one day. And the final accommodation is setting, which could include special furniture, lighting, or an individualized testing area (Cahalan, 2003). Even though there was no evidence to prove that setting and timing are important accommodations, it is well known that many special education students are tested in private rooms with more time. These accommodations should be accessible for special education students that need them to better their test taking skills. However, many states do not allow such accommodations to be made due to the misconceived conception that they change the contents of the test when in actuality they do not in any way alter the questions asked. BEST PRACTICES IN ASSESSMENT HANDOUT †¢Create a shared mission and goals statement that reflects an emphasis on student learning. †¢Focus on collaboration and teamwork. Faculty members must agree on assessment goals for planning to be meaningful. They may have to rise to a higher level of collaboration than may have been traditionally practiced in most departments. Collaboration within the department, across departments, and with higher administration will facilitate the best outcomes from assessment planning. All constituents must recognize that assessment skills must be developed and that colleagues can assist each other by sharing practices and strategies. †¢Clarify the purpose of assessment. Assessment can serve dual purposes: Assessment can promote student learning or provide evidence for accountability requirements through an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses. Wherever possible, students should experience a direct, positive benefit from their participation in assessment activities. †¢Identify clear, measurable, and developmental student learning †¢OUTCOMES. Explicit identification of learning expectations facilitates the department’s coherence about their GOALS. Sharing those expectations explicitly with students can provide an effective learning scaffold on which students can build their experiences and render effective performance. †¢Use multiple MEASURES and sources consistent with resources. Effective assessment planning can only occur when properly supported with appropriate time, money, and recognition for good work. The expansiveness of the assessment plan will depend on those resources. As resources permit, additional MEASURES can be added to planning. These MEASURES address variations in learning style, differences in types of learning, and interests from varied stakeholders. †¢Implement continuous assessment with clear, manageable timelines. Better assessment practice involves spreading out assessment activity throughout the year and across years rather than conducting a marathon short-term assessment effort in a single year. Projecting a schedule of regular formal reviews can facilitate appropriate interim activity. †¢Help students succeed on assessment tasks. Students will fare best in assessment activities when faculty make expectations explicit, provide detailed instructions, and offer samples or models of successful performance. They will benefit most with opportunities to practice prior to assessment and when given detailed feedback about the quality of their performance. †¢Interpret and use assessment results appropriately. Assessment should be a stimulus for growth, renewal, and improvement, not an action that generates data to ensure positive outcomes. Linking funding to assessment outcomes may encourage artificial results. Assessment data should not be used for personnel decisions. If cross-institution comparisons are inevitable, care should be taken to ensure comparisons across comparable institutions (benchmarking). †¢Evaluate your assessment practices. Results from assessment activity should be evaluated to address their reliability, validity, and utility. Poor student performance can reflect limited learning or an ill-designed assessment process. Examining how effectively the assessment strategy meets departmental needs is a critical step in the evolution of the department plan. (Retrieved from www. caspercollege. edu/assessment/downloads/best_practices. pdf) The Effect of NCLB Assessments on Special Education Programs When the Department of Education was asked how they intend to insure that special education students will not be forced to take tests that are above their intelligence level under the NCLB act, they could not give a real solution. They simply said that there are accommodations available, and if the student’s disability is severe to the point that the accommodations will not help, there are alternate tests they can take (Education Week, 2003). However, the problem with this is that there is no clear definition as to who is able to receive these accommodations and who is able to receive the alternate assessment. Who decides this? And how handicapped must a student be in order to receive an alternate assessment? Even though special education students are not at the same intelligence level as their peers they are still placed in the same test group as them. The NCLB act does not include in its AYP percentage the failing percentage rate of special education students in each given population. Therefore, teachers and school administration are trying to make up for the percentage loss in special education departments. Some teachers are now, for the first time, being held accountable for failing test scores. This, in effect, causes teachers to alter their curriculum and teach to the test? (Goldhaber, 2002). By teaching to the test students are missing out on important curriculum information that may be overlooked completely or presented in short educational lecture in the middle of teaching test taking skills and other information that may be found on the assessments. Possible Improvement to the Assessment and Accountability. To improve the NCLB act we must first know what is wrong with the act. While the idea of leaving no child behind in education is a good plan, there are still a few loop holes that the president’s act needs to clear up. The students that are placed in the special education setting are usually there because they have a disability or are below average in their cognitive abilities. In order to be fair to these students the government must be sure that they have the same quality education as all other students, but the government must also realize that the curriculum of the material they are learning may in some cases be drastically different. With this knowledge, it must then be known that to accurately and fairly assess special education students the assessments must be built with the correct accommodations. In order for this to happen, those who design the tests must develop an exam that meets the needs of the student, and not the needs of the disorder. In other words, do not test a student as an autistic child but first look at their individual advantages and disadvantages according to each test taking skill. Some students may simply need more time, while others will need more time along with a person to read to them and interpret some larger word usage. It is all based on the student’s individual needs (Cahalan, 2003). In other words the decisions of the accommodations should be made by people that know the student on a personal level, and know what accommodations are present in their current education setting. As stated before, with some assessments the IEP will meet to determine what accommodations will be made for the students in that assessment, However, this is not the case in the NCLB assessments; but it should be. Those who are teaching and raising the child should be a part of the process of determining how the child is assessed and what accommodations are necessary (Washington, 2003). It is important for the education of future special education students that the Department of Education take into consideration the possible reforms that were suggested by many local government and teachers surrounding them. Improvements can be made to the assessment of special education, and should be made to be sure that all students are receiving a fair and adequate education. Disproportionate identification of minorities in some special education categories: When speaking of the learning disabled, minorities, one must consider some dimensions to the issue of assessment within a particularly specialized light. This special population reflects both the learning disabled (LD) and the minority that they belong to. This is largely the case within a practical context, although as the literature points out, pre-considerations must be afforded for minority students. To begin with, it is important to look at the many variables that exist within the aforementioned components. These components include English as a Second Language (ESL), socioeconomic level and finally the impact this has on teaching the learning disabled in a classroom setting and more specifically when employing the assistance of a translator. Curriculum-based assessment is hampered with some biases that can affect these students (Dolson, 1984). A child’s race and ethnicity significantly influence the child’s probability of being misidentified, misclassified, and inappropriately placed in special education programs. Research shows the relationship between race and ethnicity and other variables for students’ placement in special education classes. Variables such as language, poverty, assessment practices, systemic issues, and professional development opportunities for teachers have been cited as factors that play a role in disproportionate representation (emstac. org). Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds should be able to receive an excellent and appropriate education. Some students are not included in special education programs, even though they have a disability that is affecting their ability to learn and they need special education help. Some CLD populations are also significantly under-represented in programs for the gifted and/or talented. In these instances, CLD groups are considered under-represented because the proportion of students from certain ethnic or racial groups who receive special services are significantly less than the number of these same students in the overall school population (U. S. Department of Education, 2004). Facts: †¢ Hispanics are under-identified within certain disability categories compared to their White peers (U. S. Department of Education, 2006). †¢ Asian/Pacific Islander students are actually less likely to be identified for special education services than other CLD populations (NABE, 2002). There are a number of possible action steps school personnel can take to ensure that individual assessments are conducted in a culturally responsive and nondiscriminatory manner (Klotz & Canter 2006). Recommendations include: †¢Allowing more time. Assessments of students from diverse backgrounds require more time to gather important background information and allow for alternative and flexible procedures. †¢Gathering extensive background information. To provide a context for the evaluation, conduct a review of all available background information including: school attendance, family structure, household changes and moves, and medical, developmental, and educational histories. †¢Utilizing student progress monitoring data from Response-to-Intervention (RtI) or problem-solving processes. Data generated from a process that determines if the child responds to scientific evidence-based interventions should be included in a comprehensive evaluation. The National Research Council on Minority Representation in Special Education recommended the use of data from a systematic problem-solving process measuring the student’s response to high quality interventions (National Research Council, 2002, pp. 7-8). †¢Addressing the role of language. Determining the need for and conducting dual language assessments are essential steps in an evaluation process. This includes determining the student’s language history (i. e. , ages that the student spoke and heard various languages), dominance (i. e. , greatest language proficiency), and preference (i. e. , the language the student prefers to speak). †¢ Using nonverbal and alternative assessment strategies. When assessing students from CLD backgrounds, use standardized nonverbal cognitive and translated tests (when available in the target language). Additional assessment techniques, including curriculum-based assessments, test-teach-test strategies and in-direct sources of data, such as teacher and parent reports, portfolios, work samples, teacher/student checklists, informal interviews and observations, and classroom test scores are also helpful in completing an accurate, comprehensive evaluation (NEA, 2007). Bibliography Bush, President George W. (December 3, 2004). Bipartisan Special Education Reform Bill. Retrieved from http://www. ed. gov/news/newsletters/extracredit/ 2004/12/1203. html Cahalan, C. & Morgan, D. L. (2003). Review of state policy for high stakes testing of students with disabilities on high school exit exams. Educational Testing Service. Department of Education. (2003). Title I ? Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; Proposed Rule. (34 CFR Part 200). Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office. Dolson, David P. (1985). â€Å"The Effect of Spanish Home Language Use on the Scholastic Performance of Hispanic Pupils. † Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, V. 6, No. 2,50. Fair Test. (2005). The National Center for Fair & Open Testing. Retrieved from http://www. fairtest. org on October 12, 2011 Goldhaber, D. (2002). What might go wrong with the accountability measures of the? No Child Left Behind Act? The Urban Institute. IDEA Partnership. http://www. ideapartnership. org Klot z, M. B. & Canter, A. (2006). Culturally Competent Assessment and Consultation. Retrieved October 2011 from: http://www.naspcenter. org/principals/Culturally%20Competent%20Assessment%20and%20Consultation%20NASSP. pdf. Improving accountability for limited English proficient and special education students under the No Child Left Behind Act. (2003). Washington Area School Study Council. National Association of School Psychology. (2007). The Truth in Labeling: Disproportionality Special Education. Retrieved from www. nea. org/books on October 15, 2011. National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. (2001a). Issues in learning disabilities: Assessment and diagnosis. In Collective perspectives on issues affecting learning disabilities (2nd ed. , pp. 55–61). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. (Original work published 1987) National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. (2005). Responsiveness to intervention and learning disabilities. Available from www. ldonline. org/njcld. National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. (2007). The documentation disconnect for students with learning disabilities: Improving access to postsecondary disability services. Available from www. ldonline. org/njcld National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems. (Fall 2005). Cultural considerations and challenges in response-to-intervention models. An NCCRESt position statement. Retrieved October 2011 From http://www. nccrest. org/PDFs/rti. pdf? v_document_name=Culturally%20Responsive%20RTI. No educator left behind: Testing special education students. (2003). Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://www. education-world. com/a_issues/NELB/NELB025. shtml Olson, L. (2004). Data show schools making progress on federal goals. Education Week, 24, 24-28. Retrieved from http://www. edweek. org Tomes, H. Ph. D. (2004). In public interest: Are we really leaving no child behind? American Psychologist, 35, 31-35. Retrieved from www. apa. org on October 15, 2011 U. S. Department of Education. (2004). Twenty-fourth annual report to Congress on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Washington, DC: Author.

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 4

Maggie was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming, and that was strange enough, but what was even stranger was the fact that she knew it wasn'tan ordinary dream. This was something†¦that came from outside her, that was being †¦ sent. Some deep part ofher mind fumbled for the proper words, seethingwith frustration, even while the normal part of her was busy staring around her and being afraid. Mist. Mist everywhere, white tendrils that snakedgracefully across her vision and coiled around herlike genii that had just been let out of lamps. She had the feeling that there were dark shapes out inthe mist; she seemed to see them looming out of the corner of her eye, but as soon as she turned they were obscured again. Gooseflesh rose on Maggie's arms. It wasn't justthe touch of the mist. There was a noise that madethe hairs on the back of her neck tingle. It was justat the threshold of hearing, distorted by distanceor something else, and it seemed to be calling overand over again, â€Å"Who are you?† Give me a break,Maggie thought. She shook herhead hard to get rid of the prickly feeling on herneck. This is just way too†¦too Gothic.Do Ialways have corny dreams like this? But the next moment something happened thatsent a new chill washing over her, this time oneof simple, everyday alarm. Something was comingthrough the mist, fast. She turned, stiffening. And then, strangely, everything seemed to change at once. The mist began to recede. She saw a figure, darkagainst it, nothing more than a silhouette at first.For just an instant she thought of Miles-but thethought was gone almost as quickly as it came. Itwas a boy, but a stranger, she could tell by theshape of him and the way he moved. He wasbreathing hard and calling in a desperate voice,†Where are you? Where are you?† So that was it. Not â€Å"Whoare you,† Maggiethought. â€Å"Where are you? Maggie! Where are you?† The sound of her own name startled her. Buteven as she drew in a sharp breath, he turned andsaw her. And stopped short. The mist was almost gonenow and she could see his face. His expression wasone of wonder and relief and joy. â€Å"Maggie,† he whispered. Maggie stood rooted to the spot. She didn't knowhim. She was positive she had never seen him before. But he was staring at herasif†¦ asif shewere the most important thing in the universe tohim, and he'd been searching for her for years untilhe'd almost given up hope. She was too astonished to moveashe suddenly erupted from stillness. In three long steps he was in front of her, his handsclosing on her shoulders. Gently. Not possessively. Butasif he had theabsolute right to do this, andasif he needed toconvince himself she was real. â€Å"It worked. I got through,† he said. He was the most striking person she'd ever seen.Dark hair, a little rough and tousled, with a tendency to wave. Smooth fair skin, elegant bones. A mouth that lookedasif it normally might be proud and willful, but right now was simply vulnerable. And fearless, brilliant yellow eyes. It was those eyes that held her, arresting andstartling in an already distinctive face. No, she hadnever seen him before. She would have remembered. He was a whole head taller than she was, andlithe and nicely muscled. But Maggie didn't have a feeling of being overpowered. There was so muchtender anxiety in his face, and something nearpleading in those fierce, blacklashed golden eyes. â€Å"Listen, I know you don't understand, and I'msorry. But it was so hard getting through-andthere isn't much time.† Dazed and bewildered, Maggie latched onto thelast sentence almost mechanically. â€Å"What do you mean-getting through?† â€Å"Never mind. Maggie, you have to leave; do youunderstand that? As soonas you wake up, you getout of here.† â€Å"Leave where?†Maggie was more confused than ever, not for lack of information, but because she was suddenly threatened by too much of it. Sheneeded to remember-where had she gone tosleep? Something had happened, something involv ing Miles. She'd been worried about him†¦. â€Å"My brother,† she said with sudden urgency. â€Å"I was looking for my brother. I need to find him.†Even though she couldn't remember exactly why. The golden eyes clouded over. â€Å"You can't thinkabout him now. I'm sorry.† â€Å"You know something a-â€Å" â€Å"Maggie, the important thing is for you to getaway safe. And to do that you have to go as soonas you wake up. I'm going to show you the way.† He pointed through the mist, and suddenly Maggie could see a landscape, distant but clear, like afilm being projected on a veil of smoke. â€Å"There's a pass, just below the big overhanging rock. Do you see it?† Maggie didn't understand why she needed to see it. She didn't recognize the landscape, although it might have been anywhere in the Olympics or theCascade mountain range above the tree line. â€Å"First you find the place where you see threepeaks together, the same height and leaning towardeach other. Do you see? And then you look downuntil you find the overhanging rock. It's shaped like a wave breaking. Do you see?† His voice was so urgent and imperious that Maggie had to answer. â€Å"I see. But-â€Å" â€Å"Remember it. Find it. Go and never look back. If you get away all right, the rest doesn't matter.† His face was pale now, the features carved in ice.†The whole world can fall into ruin, for all I care.† And then, with the suddenness that characterizedallhis movements, he leaned forward and kissedher. A nice kiss, on the cheek. She felt his warm, quick breath there, then his lips pressing lightly, and then a sudden quivering in them, asif he wereovercome by some strong emotion. Passion, maybe, or excruciating sadness. â€Å"I love you,† he whispered, his breath stirring thehair by her ear. â€Å"I did love you. Always remember that.† Maggie was dizzy with confusion. She didn't understand anything, and she should push this stranger away. But she didn't want to. Howeverfrightened she was, it wasn't of him. In fact, shehad an irresistible feeling of peace and security inhis arms. A feeling of belonging. â€Å"Who are you?† she whispered. But beforehecould answer,everythingchanged again. The mist came back. Not slowly, but like fog rolling in, quick and silent, muffling everything. Thewarm, solid body against Maggie's suddenlyseemed insubstantial, as if it were made of fogitself. â€Å"Wait a minute-† She could hear her voice rising in panic, but deadened by the pearly cocoonaround her. And then†¦lie was gone. Her arms were holding only emptiness. And all she could see was white.

Asian American Literature Essay Research Paper It

Asiatic American Literature Essay, Research PaperIt is true that all people are created different, and therefore no two civilizations will of all time be the same. Throughout Asiatic American literature at that place seems to be a battle between the Asiatic civilization and American civilization. More specifically, there is a battle between Asiatic adult females and their Asiatic American girls, and what it means to be feminine, and how a adult female should move. The chief battle is between how the American adult female should move and how the Asiatic adult female should move. However, the behaviour of the Asian adult female seems to be dominant through out the narrative because although the girls and the female parents may non acquire along all of the clip, the female parents to have a batch of regard from their girls. Therefore, the female parents sentiment on how they should move, which is acting like the Asian adult female, is most apparent. This is the instance in The Joy Luck Club, written by Amy Tan and besides in the short narrative # 8220 ; Waiting for Mr. Kim, # 8221 ; written by Carol Roh-Spaulding. These two narratives have really different significances, nevertheless they are similar in the facet that they are all Asiatic adult females with Asiatic American girls seeking to acquire their girls to maintain and utilize their Asiatic heritage. There are certain behaviours that Asiatic adult females are expected to hold, and the female parents feel that their girls should utilize these behaviours. In The Joy Luck Club, the novel traces the destiny of the four mothers-Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, and Ying-ying St. Clair-and their four daughters-June Woo, Rose Hsu Jordan, Waverly Jong, and Lena St. Clair. Through the experiences that these characters go through, they become adult females. The female parents all fled China in the 1940 # 8217 ; s and they all retain much of their heritage. Their heritage focuses on what is means to be a female, but more significantly what it means to be an Asiatic female. In the short narrative # 8220 ; Waiting for Mr. Kim, # 8221 ; the chief female character Gracie understands what it means to be an Asiatic female, but she does oppugn the significance because of her sisters. Her sisters ran off from place before their matrimony could be arranged and eloped. This is wholly against Asiatic civilization, and it causes Gracie to oppugn her heritage and her Asiatic muliebrity. In both of these narratives there are certain features of females that are the same, they are interior strength, obeisance, award and regard, the good of the whole is better than the good of the person, and happening things out for yourself. In the chapter # 8220 ; Scar # 8221 ; the feature of award and regard is foremost noticed. In this chapter An-mei finds out how her female parent fundamentally deserted her, her female parent did go forth for a good ground, which was to keep the award of her household, but either manner her female parent left her. Her grandma had to raise her, and she learned much about the Asiatic adult female from her. An-mei was demoing some disrespect towards on of her aunts, and her aunt told her that she was being disrespectful. Her grandma so interjected and said, # 8220 ; When you lose your face, An-mei? it is like dropping your necklace down a well. The lone manner you can acquire it back is to fall in after it. # 8221 ; She was speaking about A-mei # 8217 ; s female parent, and how she left because she had disrespected the household and she was dishonourable to the household name. The lone manner for her female parent to recover regard and award was to go forth and make it on her ain, which is a feature of an Asiatic adult female. Another feminine feature that comes from that scene is being able to make things on your ain. However, this is an American influence. This characteristic comes from the chapter # 8220 ; Rules of the Game. # 8221 ; This is a curious chapter in the book because it is a chapter where the adult female is non seen as inferior to the adult male. Waverly # 8217 ; s brother, Vincent, received a cheat set for Christmas. However, Waverly is the 1 who took full usage of the cheat set. She was a natural, she would crush her brothers in cheat, which would usually be looked down upon in Asiatic civilization, but she was encouraged. She was even given lessons in cheat, and she was a national title-holder. Unlike An-mei # 8217 ; s female parent, Waverly was conveying award to the household name. When Waverly is encouraged to stand out in cheat she learns something from her female parent. Her female parent said in her broken English, # 8220 ; This American regulations? Every clip people come out from a foreign state, must cognize regulations. You non cognize, justice say, Too bad, travel back. They non stating you why so you can utilize their manner to travel frontward. They say, Don # 8217 ; Ts know why, you find out your self. # 8221 ; This is an American usage, more than an Asiatic 1. She is explicating that in order to win as an Asiatic female in the United States, so there are certain things that you will hold to happen out on your ain. Besides in this chapter was the theme/characteristic of inner streng th. Waverly says she six when her mother taught her the â€Å"art of invisible strength.† Waverly was walking by the candy store when she was a young child, and she was begging her mother to take her inside. Her mother refused to take her inside, which angered Waverly. Then her mother went on to explain, â€Å"Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.† This means that the strongest way to win an argument is to keep to yourself, which Waverly used in her chess matches. Waverly goes on to say, â€Å"A little knowledge withheld is a great advantage one should store for future use.† Another example of invisible strength, inner strength, is the â€Å"The Moon Lady.† Ying-ying’s mother was telling her how a woman should act when she said, â€Å"A boy can run and chase dragonflies?But a girl should stand still.† The girl would have a better chance cat ching the dragonfly than the boy, she would catch the dragonfly with inner strength, rather than muscle like the boy. The chapter, â€Å"The Moon Lady,† has another characteristic of what it is to be female, which is the good of the whole is more important than the good of the individual. They were all on their way to see the Moon Lady, and if you see the Moon Lady, you receive one wish from her. Ying-ying asked what a â€Å"secret wish† was, and the answer was that is was on that you cannot ask. Ying-ying was young as this point, so she asked why. Amah’s response to Ying-ying was, â€Å"This is because?because if you ask it?it is no longer a wish but a selfish desire?Haven’t I taught you-that it is wrong to think of our own needs? A girl can never ask, only listen.† Here she is telling that by making a wish for herself she is being selfish and forgetting that she is not the important one, but the good of the whole is the important one. Amah is als o hinting at obedience when she tells her daughter that she is not to ask questions, but just listen to the men and go along with it. Arranged marriages are a very tough thing to go through. Marrying someone because one has to has to be hard because one is not marrying out of love. This is exactly the case in â€Å"Waiting for Mr. Kim.† Gracie two twin sisters have already run away from to and eloped with two men. Their marriages were not arranged because they left before their father could arrange them. Now, with her sisters gone, Gracie is the only remaining daughter, and she is somewhat frowned upon because she was the â€Å"third daughter.† She did not really like the two men that her father was thinking of arranging the marriage with, but it did not matter. It did not matter because as her mother told her, â€Å"Girls don’t choose.† The girls just sit there and look pretty while their fathers choose for them, they have to comply with their fatherâ₠¬â„¢s decision. They are obedient, and at the same time respectful of the decision that is made. Another characteristic that appears in this story is that women made to think that they are second class compared to men. When her Mr. Kang, Gracie’s father, would walk, he would sometimes reach back to hold Mrs. Kang’s hand, but she would pull away. Not only would she pull away, but she would â€Å"stay behind as she cleaned her purse or took forever with her coat, just to have it the way she had learned it, her husband a few places ahead, women behind.† Her mother not only believes that this is how women should act and it is a part of their femininity, but she is passing this way of thinking onto her daughter. Her mother is relaying the message to her daughter that no matter what you need to show your husband respect and let him know that he is in charge. Both of these stories have displayed that there are certain characteristics of females and they are inner stren gth, the good of the whole is better than the good of the individual, find things out for oneself, honor and respect, and obedience. All of these characteristics have displayed not only what it means to be feminine, but also what it means to be female. It is not so much an Asian female, but it is because that is how their mothers were raised and that is how their mothers will raise them. There are really no American females for the daughters, or mothers, to see and mimic. The only way of life that the mothers know is the Asian way of life, therefore that is the only way that can be passed down onto their daughters. Sometimes that is hard for the daughters to understand because the daughters have grown up in American culture, and they know what it is like to be an American woman. No matter how one views this situation, these stories focus on what it means to an Asian female, but more generally what the mothers know best on how to teach their daughters on how to be female.

Managing Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

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Health Care Reform Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Care Reform Bill - Essay Example Health Care Reforms According to Swan and Haas (2011), PPACA initiatives listed were favored by several national reports. First, the healthcare reform bills were put in place to enhance transparency and integrity in the program. Secondly, ensure all Americans have access to quality health care. Thirdly, make considerations to the providers of health care such as the hospital workforce. Fourthly, provide for public health improvement and prevent chronic diseases. According to the Thomas official website (2011), employers were expected to provide their employees with health insurance or take the option of subsidizing their employees’ healthcare by paying the government. This was the healthcare reform bills as at 2009 while they were still pending. H.R. 3590 Senate Bill and H.R. 3962 House Bill were proposed to provide Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Affordable Health Care for America Act respectively. As healthcare responds to the trends in cost, there would be a continuous catalyze on distribution and supply of healthcare. Problems are argued to arise in the post reform era on management of the trends of cost by deflecting the distribution network downwards and that of the supply chain. For example, between 1960 and 2008 the national expenditure healthcare cost grew from $28 billion to $2.34 trillion at an average growth of 10% annually, (Obamacare, 2011). The main difference with the House bill was its lack of surtax on wealthy individuals. H.R. 3590 has been described as having slow effects on different reforms. For example, the individual mandate has been schedule for 2014, a delay of a year. In that, if an individual does not obtain insurance coverage, they will face a penalty of $750 individually or the options of paying 2% gross income depending on the greater option. Regardless of the employees not mandatorily responsible for provisions of insurance to their employees, they are likely to face the same effects. In support of the Senat e Bill H.R. 3590, legislators argued that consumers were to benefit through the protection from unjustly practices by insurance providers. Also, the major advantage of the passed bill was the health accessibility and affordability to a larger population. As such, these legislators argued that U.S. deficit as at 2020 was likely to have reduced by approximately $100 billion. However, despite the above advantages, different groups opposed these reforms. First, they argued that the health care quality will be affected negatively yet its costs would have been increased. Different representatives from the congress approximated that the cost of the law at $2.5 trillion at a span period of 10 years and as a result, U.S. will most likely get into higher debts as noted by Coleman, Checkland, McDermott & Harrison, (2011). The Senate Bill was opposed by few stakeholders in the healthcare such as health insurers who argued that the private insurers were expected to maintain a minimum of 8% in pr emiums. Secondly, they opposed it in recognition that there will be reduction of insurance costs among small businesses. Thirdly, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce there was lack of principles in the reform that affected health status, food and drugs cases and fragmentation in the market as such they opposed this bill. On the other hand, pharmaceutical industries, physicians and AARP went in favor of the

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Process of the supreme court - Essay Example This also gives room for the consideration of various shades of opinions based on individual interpretation of the law. Since verdicts must also adhere to the 200 year old United States constitution, this enhances the dispensation of justice to all citizens. The amendments to the constitution for example, in what is referred to as the second bill of rights have assured all citizens of equal rights, making the document very useful in the operations and decisions of the Supreme Court. All the same there are weaknesses in the Supreme Court process. The workload is immense, considering that each Justice is responsible for verification whether appeals, which come from all over the United States qualify for consideration. Though each Justice is assigned a small staff, they are responsible for each appeal or case. The process is long and complicated and the ramification of this is that it will implicate denying justice to those affected due to the long procedures involved in declaring the verdict. Decisions reached by the Justices are also binding and open to scrutiny and, some people may feel that some decisions made were incorrect since they were made by only a few

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Discussion Questions Week 1 - Essay Example Implementation of a new technology into an organization needs careful consideration mainly because its introduction is designed to affect the various existing processes and may create conflicting interests and adversely affecting the performance of the organization. It is therefore, advisable to have an established process which would take cognizance of interrelated and diverse processes and create conducive environment that would facilitate easy implementation of the new technology and helps to streamline the various existing and new processes that are introduced while introducing new technology. SDLC process is an integral part of management information system serving as the centralized monitoring system that coordinates and supports the rest of the functions and user requirements in order to help the organization to achieve all its strategic goals and objectives. Hence, the initial phase of feasibility study is the most important phase as it is the decisive factor that decides the appropriateness of the new technology for the organization. The rest of the implementation phases are equally important as they help to adapt to a new system smoothly and efficiently, promoting understanding. Though all the phases of pre and post implementation processes of new technology are important, it is important to understand that new technology always disturbs the existing organizational system and its culture. Hence the introduction of new technology may not always be received with enthusiasm and full acceptance. It often inculcates insecurity among the staff and misunderstanding about various aspects of the new technology may promote conflicts within the organization. Hence, before introducing new technology, dissemination of information is an important phase that must be included prior to the introduction of new technology. This would not only help alleviate most of the insecurities and anxiety of its people but they

MKTG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

MKTG - Essay Example The leadership initiatives of the organization have helped promote confidence building and strengthen interpersonal understanding with the group, within the organization. The management also organizes neutral platform for the involved parties where they are able to thrash out their differences. The neutral platform often helps to resolve workplace conflicts. But the most important tool is effective communication. It not only resolves the conflicting interests of the employees but it also helps to inculcate better understanding among the workers. It has also facilitated in creating congenial work environment that motivates others to improve their performance and achieve organization’s goals with more commitment and enthusiasm. But at the same time, I have realized that it is the inherent talent and workplace diplomacy that needs to be used for optimal productivity and performance. Effective communication infuses workplace security and enhances their

Human Nature versus Social Roles and Need for Self-Observation Essay - 2

Human Nature versus Social Roles and Need for Self-Observation - Essay Example High profile women perpetrators have entered the mindset with movies such as Monster chronicling the life of female killer Aileen Wuornos.   And men all over the world still squirm whenever they hear the name Lorena Bobbit.   We’ve witnessed all manners of gender-bending with TV shows including Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Queer Eye for the Straight Girl.   Same-sex marriages have challenged the traditional roles of men and women in the home.   Reality TV has taught us that women can be tough and men can be gentle.   Cultural acceptance of these gender-based behaviors has broadened dramatically since 1990.   Yet Tannen’s book You Just Don’t Understand still has something to say to us after all these years.Without a doubt, Tannen wrote her masterpiece from a particular socio-economic perspective with a specific audience in mind.   The text has â€Å"middle-class America† watermarked on every page and no one can argue the fact that the b ook was intended to inform the masses.   Cultural expectations heaped upon children from a young age results in many people sent in pursuit of the â€Å"American dream† with its corresponding gender roles.   Public schools in America segregate boys and girls.   We all know that boys play football and girls are cheerleaders.   Over time we become desensitized to the harsh mechanisms which society employs in order to keep both men and women stuck in their traditional roles.   As Tannen tells us, â€Å"We cannot take a step without taking stances that are prescribed by society and gender-specific. We enact and create our gender, and our inequality, with every move we make.† (283)   People find Tannen’s book refreshing even today because it steps outside the box.   It depicts a wider perspective that helps people to recognize themselves.   Reader’s accomplish the enormous task of shedding the blindfold they’ve been duped into wearing wh en they approach Tannen’s message from the perspective of being a human rather than either male or female.