Global Warming And Its Effects - 1397 Words

Global Warming human caused Intro- Imagine a life where polar bears in the Artic are extinct. Cities along the coast no longer exist from the ocean rising and covering it. Heat waves and floods are much more common. All of these things are predicted to happen in the future due to global warming. Whether humans cause global warming or if it is natural has been at debate for a long time. Background- Many people might ask what is global warming exactly. In the article â€Å"What is Global Warming† Bradford defines it as â€Å"the gradual heating of Earth’s surface, oceans and atmosphere† (Bradford, 2014, para 1). The Earth’s temperature has been documented ever since the 1800s and has slowly been increasing. Bradford shows this by writing â€Å"Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the past century, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)† (Bradford, 2014, para. 1). The greenhouse effect is a natural process which involves the suns radiation and the Earth’s atmosphere. Basically, the sun’s radiation goes through the Earth’s surface where it becomes absorbed. Then the greenhouse gases absorb almost all of this heat and sends it back to Earth. This process increases the planets temperature so life can exist. However, human activity has bee n increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which is causing the suns radiation to be trapped which in turn causes Earth’s temperature to increase. Many gasesShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And Its Effects985 Words   |  4 PagesEnvironmental Science Professor Mahoney 11/11/14 Global Warming Over the last few decades global warming has become one of the biggest environmental issues of all times. Every year, global warming gets worse and it’s affecting the way people live, it is affecting the atmosphere in general, and other living organisms in our planet. Global warming is the gradual and increasing rise of the overall temperature of the Earth caused by the greenhouse effect due to the increased levels of carbon dioxide andRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal warming is directly causing the rise in temperature of the Earth. The melting of the polar ice caps causes some of the most pressing issues including the endangerment of species indigenous to this region and the rise of ocean levels. Global Warming Global warming is the steady rise of temperature of the Earth’s surface. What exactly causes global warming? Numerous sources fuel global warming, such as deforestation, permafrost, and even sunspots. Obviously, many factors contribute to thisRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1331 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Warming Global warming is the causation of the Glaciers melting, sea levels rising, cloud forests drying, and wildlife struggles today. Humans are making this possible because of their release of heat-trapping gasses known as greenhouse gasses by their modern devices. Global warming is the abnormal speedy increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature. It is believed that this is due to the greenhouse gasses that people release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.The greenhouseRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects976 Words   |  4 PagesAs global warming, we understand that is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. It has been an immense concerning all over the world for the past decades since the current cycle of global warming is changing the rhythms of climate that humans, animals and plants rely on. Scientists have studied the natural cycles and events that are known to influence the change in climate to discover what i s originating the current global warming. However, the amount and pattern ofRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1571 Words   |  7 PagesAs global issues today become increasingly controversial, many people are inclined to believe that Global Warming is an issue that can take a backseat to more significant issues that plague today’s society. The information presented throughout my research in regards to the rising sea levels and the melting of glaciers and ice shelves, highly indicates that it cannot. What many Americans fail to realize is that if sea levels continue to rise due to Global Warming, then more than half of LouisianaRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1544 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal warming is one of the vigorously discussed topic on Earth today. According to a TechMedia Network, â€Å"Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to b e permanently changing the Earth’s climate.† (â€Å"Global Warming †¦ Effects†). We have been witnessing the change in Earth’s climate since past few years, and we are well aware of the consequences of climate change as well. Global warmingRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1432 Words   |  6 Pageshas an effect on climate change and contributes to global warming. Yet people tend to turn a blind eye to global warming and label it as a myth, whether they do not believe in it or it is not in their best financial interest to believe in it. Let us take a closer look at global warming and the effects it has on our people, homes and environments. Global Warming has become a rising problem in our world’s climate. It’s time we show the initiative to understand the concept of global warming and showRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects928 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal-Warming Mother Earth is burning as we speak; humanity has killed our precious Earth. Global-warming is a vicious killer that was created by the humans on this Earth, and there s no way to cure it. We, as humans, have the power to cleanse the Earth, but instead we destroy it. Heat is absorbed by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. A greenhouse gas absorb thermal radiation emitted by the Earth s surface. As the sun s energy reaches the Earth’s surface some of it goes back out into spaceRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1416 Words   |  6 Pages Global Warming The earth is getting warmer, animals and their habitats are declining, human health is at risk and the cause of all this terror is Global Warming. Global warming will cause many parts of the world to change. In the next 50 years climate change could be the cause of more than a million terrestrial species becoming extinct. Sea levels will raise which means more flooding and is not good for the plants. With too much water the plants will die and herbivores will lose theirRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effects1312 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal warming is presenting a lot of environmental and health problems to many countries. A lot of heat gets trapped on earth due to formation of a non-porous layer gases below the atmosphere. The worst effect is felt by developing countries, which are also geographically disadvantaged. The establishment of such countries is on low altitude areas. This position makes developing countries to be direct victims of floods from the melting snow at high altit ude areas. A lot of scientific research associates

Effects Of Homogenous Grouping Education Essay Free Essays

string(125) " is the sum of homogeneousness pedagogues intend to make by spliting pupils into groups harmonizing to features for larning\." The term homogenous refers to points or elements or units which are similar in nature and are in a group which basically means that they posses the same type of basic qualities or belongingss. The opposite word for the word homogenous is heterogenous. Therefore, when a group of points is referred to as homogeneous so it means that the individual points that make up the group have a figure of similarities while a group that has points that differ in all kinds of belongingss is referred to as heterogenous. We will write a custom essay sample on Effects Of Homogenous Grouping Education Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now These footings are non limited to points merely but can besides be used to depict a group of persons by sing similarities and differences in some traits or characteristics. When used in a acquisition environment, homogenous groups refer to an organized group of pupils possessing comparable instructional degrees placed together managing stuffs that are deemed fit to their specific degree, this is normally determined through a series of appraisals and the procedure of organizing such groups is known as ‘homogeneous grouping. ‘ The exercising of homogenous grouping employs a theoretical account that by and large puts pupils into groups with respect to ability or accomplishment as the variables for doing a determination. At a higher degree of pupil larning the pattern is normally practiced in mathematics, in which instance pupils are taken through general, vocational, or college-preparatory classs in mathematics. A similar state of affairs can besides be experienced in schools that offer algebra at the 8th class particularly at the junior high school and center degrees ( Oakes, 1985 ; Slavin, 1990 ) . Tracking or grouping can besides be done to pupils at the simple school degree, even though the grouping at this phase is done by mensurating general ability or accomplishment and non on ability or accomplishment with respect to mathematics. A 2nd instance in point where homogenous grouping is done for pupils is the little groups in schoolrooms where bunchs are tagged on ability or accomplishment in that specif ic schoolroom. This pattern has been customary for reading direction more normally at the simple school degree for a long clip. The same organisation is used by instructors for mathematics direction. The placing of pupils into high, medium, and low groups for mathematics direction is non much practised at the center, junior, or high school degree where there is a inclination for pupils to make less work when placed in little groups ( Slavin, 1990 ) . The outgrowth of such patterns was brought approximately by the prevailing belief that the difference in kids ‘s rational is so great that there is a demand to learn pupils with different ability or accomplishment degrees in a separate category or group ( Oakes, 1986 ) , yet many concerns have come up with respect to the long-run consequence that practising such groupings may do. Grouping of pupils can either take the signifier of ‘ability grouping ‘ or ‘tracking ‘ with a distinguishable difference bing between the two footings, nevertheless a batch of arguments have been raised in line with these footings. The significance of these footings have been observed to change from one school to another, in this instance ability grouping is defined as a state of affairs where pupils are organized into groups in categories in reading direction while tracking is described as the placing pupils into groups between categories, giving academic classs in topics that reveal differences in the anterior acquisition or ability of the pupils. Tracking specifically has generated vesicating argument with critics bear downing that it non merely fails to help any pupil, but that it besides leads hapless and minority pupils into low paths and dooms a immense figure of pupils to a hapless instruction. It does non nevertheless lack guardians who have besides stood house in reasoning that it pupils with high ability pine away in categories with assorted ability. Conversely, some instructors are in favor of ability grouping proposing that most pupils get disappointed when the whole category does non hold on a new thought at the same clip in a heterogenous grouping. The instructors argue that the low-end pupils pull down the high-end pupils, instead than the opposite taking topographic point. The gait of the category goes down and it becomes necessary for a instructor to fix dual lesson programs for every period, one for the high-end pupils and another for the low-end pupils. At some point one instructor acknowledged the fact that ability grouping could be good in certain countries such as mathematics but warned that it should non be practised all twenty-four hours in all academic countries. So as the argument continues, a common land on tracking and ability grouping is difficult to happen, possibly the most general decision between instructors managing this issue is that ability grouping is good in some instances, but non in others, and that it is necessary to be flexible so that trailing of pupils is non done with no clear capableness of traveling from group to group. Though ability grouping is widely employed by schools across the state, it is a really controversial topic. The contention of ability grouping roots from the scarceness of grounds of how pupils in higher acquisition learn best. Do they larn best in homogenous groups? Can pupils ‘ educational demands be best served in groups of assorted abilities? These are the issues that need to be explored profoundly in the recent surveies. There are a figure of definitions that are of import and need to be clarified. These definitions pertain to structural dimensions of ability grouping or tracking pattern. These facets are electivity, selectivity, inclusiveness and range. Electivity is the extent to which pupils choose or are assigned to track places. Students and their parents are urged by pedagogues to do the â€Å" right † pick harmonizing to their capacities. Curiously, Gamoran showed that the more elected a system, the higher were its pupils ‘ accomplishment degrees ( Gamoran, 1990 ) . Selectivity is the extent of homogeneousness within paths. It is the sum of homogeneousness pedagogues intend to make by spliting pupils into groups harmonizing to features for larning. You read "Effects Of Homogenous Grouping Education Essay" in category "Essay examples" The more selective a system is, the more the organisation of its pupils does non stand for the composing of its whole pupil organic structure and the more between-class differences are accentuated ( Gamoran, 1990 ) . Inclusiveness is the handiness of options for subsequent educational chances ( Gamoran, 1990 ) . In other words, does the direction a pupil receives prepare him or her for farther acquisition of cognition down the route, or does it cut the pupil off from other options. Finally, range is the comprehensiveness and flexibleness of a tracking assignment ; the extent to which pupils are located in the same path across their topics ( Gamoran, 1990 ) . Effectss of ability grouping Ability grouping has a figure of effects on that have an impact on pupil public presentation and they can be categorised as accomplishment, self-concept, anticipations and attitudes, socio-economic care, and chances for acquisition. Accomplishment In analyzing the first issue, which is accomplishment, the first inquiry to be answered is what is achievement and how is it measured? Achievement can be defined as the successful attainment of accomplishments. There a assorted ways in which accomplishment can be measured. Most normally used in the surveies and are considered here are achievement trials and/or classs on study cards. Both measurings allow for a comparing of accomplishments among pupils. Reuman ‘s 1989 survey tried to reply the inquiry of whether or non societal comparings mediate the relation between ability grouping and pupils ‘ accomplishment anticipations in mathematics. While his survey chiefly included information on pupil outlooks of their accomplishment, consequences refering existent accomplishment were besides stated. Mathematicss accomplishment was measured for sixth-graders from a suburban public school territory in South-eastern Michigan utilizing both achievement trial tonss and describe card classs. His findings pertained to within-class and between-class ability grouping. He found that within-class grouping raised high-achievers ‘ mathematics classs. This may be explained by the fact that in a heterogenous schoolroom utilizing within-class grouping, pupils of changing abilities were being compared to each other. In within-class grouping the high-achievers were non in competition with all high-achieving pupils. Their classs were being compared with classs of mean and low-achieving pupils and would hence be higher. Conversely, low-achievers ‘ classs would e lower. The antonym was true for between category ability groupings. Reuman found that high high-achievers received lower classs in between-class grouping and the low-achievers received higher classs when compared to within-class grouping. In between-class grouping the high winners are no longer at the top of their category nor are the low winners at the underside. They are now being compared to pupils of s imilar abilities and their classs reflect that fact. Although Reuman ‘s survey did non concentrate on secondary pupils, it is practical to include this study since it gives a comparing and contrast of within-class and between-class ability grouping and there is a turning tendency towards traveling the sixth-grade into the in-between schools. Newfield and McElyea ( 1983 ) looked at sophomore and senior accomplishment differences in remedial and advanced mathematics and English categories as they compared to heterogenous categories. Heterogeneous categories that included low-achievers performed better on the written part of the English trial. Low-achieving seniors and sophomores in the heterogenous categories showed higher mathematics accomplishment. However, homogeneous-grouped categories of high-achieving sophomores and seniors in advanced categories exhibited greater accomplishment in both mathematics and English. No important differences were found beyond these consequences. Sing the effects of ability grouping on within-class accomplishment, Sorenson and Hallinan ‘s survey ( 1985 ) found that grouping additions inequality of accomplishment. Briefly, sing their survey at the difference in reading accomplishment between within-class grouped pupils and heterogenous schoolrooms for 4th through 7th graders from North California, their primary consequence refering accomplishment for within-class grouping was that high-ability groups attained a higher accomplishment than low-ability groups. These consequences were bases chiefly on informations from simple schools and may non straight use to secondary pupils, but this survey has been included in this research paper to add penetration to the topic of homogenous versus heterogenous effects on accomplishment. Testing the effects on the differences between mathematics accomplishments of within-class ability grouping, heterogenous and cooperative-learning grouped schoolrooms, Slavin and Karweit ( 1984 ) conducted two experiments. The first included 4th through 6th graders from integrated, urban, pathless schools in which the instructors were given appropriate preparation. The 2nd experiment included 3rd through 5th grade pupils from rural, largely white, tracked schools with no specific teacher preparation. The topics in these experiments were called untreated, control categories. The ground for carry oning both experiments was to be able to generalise the consequences of their survey to different school state of affairss and locations. In the heterogenous classes the instructors were trained to stress a high ratio of active instruction to seatwork. Mathematicss was taught in context of significance, non in isolation and there were frequent inquiries and feedback. In these categories, instr uctors taught at a rapid gait and strived to increase pupil clip on undertaking. In the within-class ability-grouped categories, instructors were trained to learn with the same constructs as described in the heterogenous categories, but were instructed to distinguish their gait and stuffs for the two groups. In the concerted acquisition categories, pupils worked in heterogenous larning squads of four or five members. They worked on individualised mathematics stuffs at their ain degrees and gait, and the squad members helped one another with any jobs. Slavin and Karweit ( 1984 ) found that the consequences were similar for both experiments. Concerted larning groups and within-class ability groups increased computational accomplishments significantly more than in heterogenous categories that had no grouping. There was a similarity in achievement effects when utilizing the concerted acquisition and within-class grouping interventions. This survey showed that grouping 3rd to sixth grade pupils in some manner is good to achievement when compared with no grouping at all. Again, this survey focused on simple school but did offer concerted acquisition as an option to the traditional usage of either homogenous or heterogenous schoolrooms. There are other research workers who besides conducted surveies on this subject whose findings are summarised as follows. A meta-analysis ( 1990 ) , conducted by Goldring, on the differences in accomplishment of talented pupils between homogenous and heterogenous categories included surveies crossing cla sss three through 12. Goldring found that the higher the grade degree, the more talented pupils benefited from specialized or homogenous categories. Teacher developing for talented plans straight affected pupil accomplishment. Students in particular categories, whose instructors had received particular preparation to learn talented pupils, achieved more than talented pupils in heterogenous categories as compared to pupils in talented categories whose instructors were non specially trained ( Goldring, 1990 ) . Apparently at odds consequences are found in the undermentioned three surveies. Kulik and Kulik ‘s ( 1987 ) meta-analysis included many older surveies dating back to the 1920 ‘s, and they excessively support Goldring ‘s findings that homogenous grouping of talented pupils increased their accomplishment. Looking beyond talented pupils in general, Slavin conducted a synthesis of 29 surveies from the old ages 1927-1986. He found that between-class ability groups, dominant in secondary schools had small or no consequence on accomplishment. He farther said that different signifiers of grouping were every bit uneffective ( Slavin, 1990 ) . Gamoran and Berends ( 1987 ) excessively studied the effects of ability grouping on secondary school and found rather the antonym. They found that ability grouping and tracking did so affect pupil accomplishment and that the differences between accomplishments may hold resulted from fluctuations in pupil academic experiences. Allan ‘s review ( 1991 ) of the incompatibilities between Kulik and Kulik ‘s ( 1987 ) and Slavin ‘s ( 1990 ) findings advises chariness in construing the reappraisals about ability grouping and the gifted. In both surveies, accomplishment was measured by the usage of standardised trial tonss. Tonss of talented pupils are normally high and approach a maximal possible mark. As they come closer to the upper limit, it is hard for these talented pupils, measured in this manner, to demo important academic betterment as they already represent the upper echelon of accomplishment. This effect may assist to account for the differences in consequences of surveies which examine gifted versus regularly-placed pupils. Another job with the usage of standardised trials was that they did non needfully measure what instructors were learning. Allan recommended the usage of teacher-made trials when comparing pupil advancement in homogenous versus heterogenous categories. Slavin include d surveies that used teacher-made trials, but at that place was a job with his choice procedure. He merely included surveies when the teacher-made trials were designed to measure aims taught in all categories. By and large, aims will change among the three ability groups of high, mean, and low and the lone trials that would run into Slavin ‘s standards would be those that tested for minimum aims. Again, this will non successfully show accomplishment additions for norm and high ability categories. Allan stressed that the most harmful facet of the homogenous versus heterogenous contention is the deceits of research workers ‘ findings, particularly Slavin ‘s. some authors may look at Slavin ‘s consequences and misinterpret them to back up their ain beliefs. An every bit detrimental illustration is that some school systems used Slavin ‘s findings to do determinations on gifted or particular instruction plans. In world, Slavin did non include either group in his survey. In scrutiny of accomplishment, non merely should the effects of ability grouping be considered but besides how schools construction their trailing patterns. Different types of tracking systems do hold different effects on pupil accomplishment. What makes a tracking pattern differ from school to school is the extent of accent a system places on selectivity, inclusiveness, range, and electivity. A trailing system which exhibited a high grade of selectivity or high degrees of homogeneousness, t he larger were the differences in accomplishment between each path. Self-concept In reexamining the surveies analyzing the effects of tracking on secondary pupils, it was found that self-concept is a really important variable. Self-concept can be defined as the self rating of a pupil ‘s abilities in comparing to his or her other schoolmates. Student self-concept depends on their comfort and adeptness with societal comparing procedures. Self-concept non merely reflects how pupils rate their abilities by societal comparing to other schoolmates, but it besides includes their self-esteem, the manner the feel about themselves. Ability grouping and trailing patterns have a strong consequence on self-concept as the degree or group a pupil is placed affects the variables with which he or she may estimate his or her ain public presentation and ability. For secondary pupils, their self-concept does associate to their group arrangement. In homogenous systems, high-ability pupils rate high degrees of self-concept, while the low-ability pupils exhibited lower degrees of self-concept ( Byrne, 1988 ; Reuman, 1983 ; Spenser A ; Allen, 1988 ) . A survey following sophomores to their senior twelvemonth found that their self-concept remains changeless for academic paths ( high-ability pupils ) and regular paths ( average-ability pupils ) , but self-concept diminutions for the vocational-tracked pupil ( low-ability ) ( Vanfossen, Jones A ; Spade, 1987 ) . In heterogenous categories of English and Social surveies, secondary pupils experience higher grades of ego construct and ego regard. Compared to the homogenous categories, instructors, who in this survey were learning to mixed-ability groups for the first clip, perceived elevated degrees of self-concept and self-esteem from their norm and lower pupils ( Poppish et Al, 1990 ) . Low tracked pupils in 11th and 12th class academic categories often compared their abilities to the pupils in high paths and the low-track pupils did see themselves as less capable ( Byrne, 1991 ; Reuman, 1983 ; Vanfossen et Al, 1987 ) . However, in general course of study categories, the low-tracked pupils used societal comparing processes less and placed less accent on academic accomplishments. In these categories, it was found that cognition was non every bit of import as popularity with equals ( Byrne, 1991 ) . Social comparing procedures are an of import go-between of the relationship between ability grouping and self-concept. In a survey of ninth-grade mathematics categories, within-class grouping for high and mean groups positively affects the self-evaluation for those pupils because of the manner they compare themselves to the ability of the other pupils in their category. The low-ability group demonstrated lower degrees of self-concept as they saw that their mathematics abil ities did non be the other groups in the schoolroom. The high-ability pupils compared themselves to pupils who were less mathematically capable and rated their ain abilities high ( Reuman, 1983 ) . In contrast, the self-concept for between-class sorted pupils related to the ability group in which the pupils were placed, i.e. high-ability pupils had high grades of self-concept, mean ability had mean grades of self-concept and low-ability pupils saw themselves as holding hapless mathematics abilities ( Reuman, 1983 ) . Reuman ‘s survey ( 1983 ) besides found that gender plays a function in pupils ‘ self-concept. Unlike male childs, misss are loath to compare themselves academically to others. For these pupils, who do non utilize societal comparing, their group degree strongly relates to their self-concept of their mathematics abilities. The effects of grouping on talented pupils ‘ self-concept showed no important differences between heterogenous and homogenous categories. On of the fabulous advocates for talented clauses is that specialised categories will profit talented pupils ‘ self-concept. However, talented pupils in homogenous, specialised categories do non exhibit higher grades of self-concept than talented pupils in heterogenous, mixed-ability categories ( Goldring, 1991 ) . When looking at the impact homogenous grouping versus heterogenous grouping has on pupils ‘ self-concept, it is of import to see the findings as they pertain to high, mean and low winners in heterogenous, between-class grouping and within-class grouping. It would be lead oning to generalise the consequences of heterogenous versus homogenous grouping for all pupils without looking at these finer dislocations. Anticipations and Attitudes Anticipations, as defined in this research paper, are the hopes and ideas pupils every bit good as instructors bring with them into a schoolroom or to a lesson on how they will win, and what they expect to larn. It is argued that tracking and ability grouping contribute to the inequality of instruction by changing pupil anticipations for successful public presentation and their attitudes towards school ( Oakes, 1985 ) . In her 1985 survey of 25 high schools and 25 junior high school, Oakes found that high-track pupils have higher outlooks for successful public presentation, while low path pupils tend to experience more anomic from their school ‘s educational demands and farther educational chances. In the procedure of analyzing the organic structure of current research on ability grouping for its effects, it was found that much of the literature did non take into consideration anticipations or attitudes as variables. A survey of 9th and 10th class English and Social surveies classes showed that pupils of norm and high abilities had more positive anticipations for their heterogenous categories and their acquisition activities as compared to their homogenous opposite numbers. As the anticipations of the heterogenous pupils increased so did their motive to larn. In this survey, the heterogenous categories were tried for the first clip in this school, which had antecedently grouped homogeneously utilizing between-class groups ( Poppish et Al, 1990 ) . Teacher anticipations play a portion in the impact of ability grouping. In high school history categories, a survey found that instructors have lower anticipations for their low-ability pupils ( Muskin, 1990 ) . This type of instructor anticipation manifests itself in the manner instructors prepare for low-ability pupils. Granted they must take into consideration the lower abilities of these pupils, but these categories resulted blare higher rates of no n-instructional clip. Low-ability history categories were besides marked with a low or non-frequency of critical thought accomplishments, which are skills instructors seem to reserve for their high-ability pupils. One writer ( Muskin, 1990 ) suggests that critical thought accomplishments are taught at a higher frequence to the higher ability pupils because instructors expect high-ability pupils to be more prepared to manage that sort of cognition. Achievement anticipations were measured for 6th graders in mathematics in a 1983 survey. The achievement anticipations are a combination of self-concept of mathematics ability, outlook for high success in mathematics, and the perceptual experience of mathematics as an easy topic. Similar to self-concept, Reuman found that within-class grouping accentuated the sixth-grade high-achievers ‘ positive perceptual experiences and the low-achievers ‘ negative anticipations. This was because higher ability pupils tended to do downward comparings and the low-ability pupils made upward comparings ( Reuman, 1989 ) . This survey ‘s consequences for between-class grouping found that homogenous grouping both raised and lowered the accomplishment anticipations for both high and low-ability pupils. The classs received by the pupils in this survey corresponded to their anticipations. The high-achievers in within-class grouping received higher classs than their between-class opposite numbers. Merely as their accomplishment anticipations were low, the classs of the low-achievers received in the within-class grouping were lower than the low-ability pupils ‘ classs in the between-class grouping. This survey did non except the mean scholars. It found that there was no difference for the achievement anticipations of the average-ability pupils for their within or between-class grouping ( Reuman, 1989 ) . The pattern of ability grouping can impact pupils ‘ attitudes every bit good as their outlooks. In a 1983 survey on high and low achieving sophomores and seniors, it was found that the high winners ‘ attitude were more positive in the homogenous mathematics and English categories, while for the low-achievers, the heterogenous, the heterogenous categories had more positive impact on their attitudes. In comparing tantamount high-achieving sophomores and seniors from heterogenous categories with the homogenous, advanced categories, the survey learned that the high-achieving, homogenous pupils scored higher in positive attitudes toward capable, ego and school. For low-achieving sophomores, positive attitudes toward capable and ego were stronger for the mixed-ability pupils. The homogenous, remedial category exhibited increased marks of apprehension toward their topic. As for the seniors, there was no important difference between their attitudes for capable, ego and school for either assorted or homogenous categories. However, in the topic mathematics, the mixed-ability low-achieving seniors scored somewhat higher in their attitudes toward the topic ( Newfield A ; McElyea, 1983 ) . From these surveies, it can be deduced that the higher the class, the less the pattern of ability grouping dramas in the consequence on anticipations and attitudes ( Newfield A ; McElyea, 1983 ; Reuman, 1989 ) . Nevertheless, for in-between school and early high school, anticipations and attitudes are of import facets of ability groupings ‘ impact on pupil public presentation ( Gamoran, 1990, Reuman, 1989 ) . Their function with achievement reinforces the importance of sing anticipations and attitudes when analysing the impact of ability grouping. Socioeconomic position care Some research worker have found ( Jones, Vanfossen A ; Spade, 1987 ; Goodland A ; Oakes, 1988 ; Oakes, 1986 ; Vanfossen et Al, 1987 ) that pupils ‘ cultural backgrounds and/or economic position extremely influences their path arrangement. These research workers believed that while ability was an of import forecaster of arrangement, it entirely did non find which ability degree a pupil was placed during his or her high school instruction. Oakes ( 1986 ) traced the history of dividing pupils into groups destined for farther academic surveies and others for vocational enterprises, back to the bend of the century. In the early 1900 ‘s there was an inflow of immigrants and emancipated dorsums seeking instruction in the public schools. The leaders in instruction decided that the best instruction for these new pupils would be one which trained them for work, one that would assist them to do a life. Consequently, many research workers ( Jones et al, 1987 ; Goodland A ; Oakes ; 1988 Oakes, 1986 ; Vanfossen et Al, 1987 ) today have found that non much has changed. Students of higher socioeconomic backgrounds are typical of the academically of high-tracked ability groups whereas minorities and the hapless are disproportionately placed in general or vocational paths. Tracking assignments are by and large based on standardised trial tonss and instructor or counselor judgement. Standardized-test prejudice ad instructor or counselor bias may account for the disproportional arrangement of hapless and minority pupils in low-tracked categories ( Oakes, 1985 ) . Jones et Al ( 1987 ) included in their research the arrangement of pupils into academic paths based on their socioeconomic backgrounds. They used statistics from 1908 informations base entitled the â€Å" High School and Beyond Study. † The sample of topics used in their survey included those seniors of 1982 who had remained in the same path they had been placed as sophomores in 1980. They found that the higher the sum of inclusiveness, the smaller the consequence that pupils ‘ socioeconomic backgrounds had on their location in an academic path. Additionally, the lesser the sum of inclusiveness, the smaller were the societal category differences among pupils in the vocational and ge neral paths. Oakes ( 1986 ) looked at the effects of puting pupils into academic versus vocational paths. She was concerned about her findings on the big per centum of minorities in the vocational plans and found that these plans taught low-level accomplishments for low-level occupations that are in danger of early obsolescence. In contrast, her research showed that a big per centum of white pupils in the academic paths were larning the problem-solving accomplishments needed in readying for the workplace of the hereafter instead than larning accomplishments for water under the bridge occupations of the yesteryear. The ground for utilizing the term â€Å" position care † is because every bit long as minorities and the hapless typify pupils in vocational or low-level ability groups, schools will go on to restrict these pupils ‘ entree to take down accomplishment degrees than their higher-tracked equals ( Oakes, 1986 ) . The findings overpoweringly confirm that the socioeconomic positio n and cultural backgrounds of the pupils influence their path arrangements. Opportunities for larning In this subdivision, chances for acquisition is equated with equal entree to quality instruction. Opportunities for larning include the sums of direction clip and prep given, the curricular content taught, the stuffs used, the activities engaged in, and teacher presentation. These factors are compared in the ability groups of high, medium and low to make up one’s mind if each group is having comparable chances for acquisition and if non, what are the differences. Of the research that discussed chances for larning considered in this paper all agreed that inequalities existed when any sort of ability grouping was used. All of the writers focussed on between-class ability grouping except for Sorenson and Hallinan ( 1986 ) who discussed within-class ability grouping. Trimble and Sinclair ( 1987 ) studied the differences in the curricular content and instructional methods of United States history categories across the three ability groups in six Massachusetts high schools. Muskin ‘s research ( 1990 ) besides used the United States history categories from six high schools to analyze the differences in chances for larning in awards, regular and basic categories. Both Goodland and Oakes ( 1988 ) , Lake ( 1988 ) , and Oakes ( 1986 ) presented a sum-up of findings from old research. All of these writers agree on the undermentioned findings. A higher per centum of clip was devoted to instruction, clip on undertaking and prep in the higher-tracked categories than in the lower paths. High-tracked, college-bound direction emphasized analysis and critical-thinking accomplishments, while non-college edge direction concentrated on rote memory and low-level cognition accomplishments ( Goodland A ; Oakes, 1988 ; Lake, 1988 ; Muskin, 1990 ; Oakes, 1986 ; Trimble A ; Sinclair, 1987 ) . In many instances, instructors in low-ability categories spent more clip commanding behavior jobs which resulted in reduced acquisition clip, than did instructors of high-ability categories ( Goodland A ; Oakes, 1988 ; Lake, 1988 ; Muskin, 1990 ; Oakes, 1986 ; Trimble A ; Sinclair, 1987 ) . Trimble and Sinclair ( 1987 ) besides talked about the affectional ends of the United States history categories. Affectional ends as they apply to United States history describe instructors ‘ attempts to develop a sense of broadened feelings for the hum anistic disciplines and cultivate a desire to go good citizens. The affectional sphere does non concentrate on the memorisation of facts and figures ; instead it develops an grasp for what pupils are larning and how it applies to their day-to-day lives. This can be generalized to all school topics. There was a disparity in the clip devoted to affectional ends between the high-ability categories and the low and mean categories. The high-ability classes spent more clip prosecuting affectional ends while the low and mean categories spent more clip on the memorisation of facts ( Trimble A ; Sinclair, 1987 ) . Findingss refering instructor outlooks seemed to impact on the chances for larning. Some instructors enjoyed learning the higher ability classes more than the lower ability 1s and accordingly this was reflected in their lucidity of presentation, undertaking orientation, enthusiasm, effectual usage of stuffs and the assortment of activities planned for their categories. Teachers of higher ability categories demonstrated a higher degree of all the features merely mentioned than instructors of lower grouped categories ( Lake, 1988 ; Oakes, 1986 ; Trimble A ; Sinclair, 1987 ) . While the above consequences referred to between-class grouping, Sorenson and Hallinan ‘s ( 1986 ) research survey concentrated on within-class grouping in upper simple and in-between school classs. They found that because a instructor ‘s instructional clip was divided between three ability groups, there was less chance for larning because there was less direct instructional clip devoted to each group. While these sorted pupils in heterogenous schoolrooms may hold received less direct instructor direction, the direction they did acquire may hold provided for more acquisition. Students were taught in smaller groups and direction was adapted to their abilities. Small, homogenous groups instead than one big heterogenous group facilitated acquisition. Both Gamoran ( 1990 ) and Oakes ( 1985 ) researched the effects of tracking on pupil and educational results. These research workers found that there were content differences between high and low-tracked categories. In school, p upils can merely larn to what they are exposed. Oakes ( 1985 ) writes â€Å" Yet it is clear from the research on tracking that the pattern constitutes a authorities action that restricts pupils ‘ immediate entree to certain types of instruction and to both educational and occupational chances in the hereafter † ( p. 189 ) . Whether or non the same content was available in each path degree, the differences in sum of clip devoted and the instructional manner used, straight affected what pupils learned ( Gamoran, 1990 ; Oakes, 1985 ) . It is clear from the surveies cited in this subdivision that inequalities sing chances for larning do be when tracking or ability grouping is used. Decision The surveies and articles which have been reviewed seldom agreed on the benefits or harmful effects of ability grouping. The balance of the available grounds does propose that grouping affects achievement, self-concept, anticipations and attitudes, and chances for larning. While these four issues are affected by grouping, ability grouping is affected by socioeconomic position. One must retrieve when comparing the effects of heterogenous and homogenous categories ‘ accomplishment, three types of schoolroom constructions are being evaluated: heterogenous or whole-class direction, within-class ability grouping, and between-class ability grouping. Generally findings are different for each construction. When looking specifically at within-class grouping, it is found that high-ability groups attain a higher accomplishment than low-ability groups ( Reuman, 1989 ) . In comparing to heterogenous grouping, within-class grouping and concerted acquisition groups are more good to achievement ( Slavin A ; Karweit, 1984 ) . In consideration of between-class ability grouping, widely used in secondary schools ( Slavin, 1990 ) , low winners received higher classs and high winners received lower classs ( Reuman, 1989 ) . When comparing between-class grouping to heterogenous categories we found that high winners in advanced-tracked categories showed greater accomplishment than high winners in heterogenous categories ( Newfield A ; McElyea, 1983 ) . Summarily, ability grouping is non needfully harmful, but the pattern of ability grouping unsupported by an overall educational intent can take to ill-defined effects on pupil educational results and public presentation in mathematics. It is a recommendation that any school seeking to re-evaluate their grouping system should take into consideration the pupil organic structure composing, the intent of ability group arrangement and the coveted educational results. Before following any ability-group method, one needs to see their school ‘s committedness to teacher preparation, ability to back up staff and the benefits of the employment of concerted acquisition as an instructional method. How to cite Effects Of Homogenous Grouping Education Essay, Essay examples

Ghb Essay Research Paper Grievous Bodily HarmThe free essay sample

Ghb Essay, Research Paper Dangerous Bodily Harm The room is whirling, the music is every bit loud as it can acquire and people are dancing all dark long. Your bosom is pumping, and you feel like you re winging. This is the happiest you ve been in a long clip. You re so glad you came to the Rave and happy that your friends made you seek GHB until you start to come down. You start with Minor ictuss and go so tired you can t stand up any longer. You feel nauseated, you can t breathe right, you anxiety degree is at it s highest of all time ; you begin to hold shudders and get down sudating uncontrollably. If you are lucky plenty you will non fall into a coma, where people shouting, agitating, and pluging you will non wake you up. You lose all physiological reactions, your joke physiological reaction is the most of import you lose, if you vomit you won Ts cough up the puke and you could decease. When you do wake you have a buffeting concern, aching limbs and no thought what happened, due to short-run memory loss. Welcome to the universe of Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, besides known has GHB, Liquid E, somatomax, scoop, or the dyslexic dangerous bodily injury ( www.ashesonthesea.com/ghb ) . GHB has been compared to drugs such as Rohypnol R-2s and Ecstasy E. Used by many to escalate the Rave experience. There has been a immense roar across the state with GHB. This is due to the Rave scene acquiring bigger and better. The roar on the E seashore has been the biggest of all time seen by experts. And is it being slipped into drinks at nines all over the state, and universe, and doing deceases. What is GHB? Gamma-hydroxybutyrate ( GHB ) is a metabolite that exists in little measures in every cell of the human organic structure. It was sold in for many old ages in the US as a nutrient addendum, and is still used for medical intents in Europe. The argument as to its benefits and dangers became heated after the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) began to run against it in 1990. The FDA had attributed several deceases to GHB overdose, but they are challenged by a vocal group of physicians and scientists who claim GHB is non-toxic. In the US, where controls vary from province to province, it is replacing Ecstasy as the recreational drug of pick among partygoers ( www.erowid.org/chemicals/ghb/ghb_media2.shtml ) . GHB was first synthesized in France 30 old ages ago, so while it might be a recent add-on to the party scene, it is surely non a new drug. It has been used as a general anaesthetic and for a assortment of curative intents, including the intervention of insomnia, narcolepsy, and alcohol addiction. During the 1980s, GHB was popular with muscle builders in the US for its intent. Recreational usage did non become widespread until the 1990s. GHB has become a popular smart drug and has become a preferable depressant of cyber bum civilization ( www.drugfreeamerica.org/ghb.html ) . Taken in little doses, GHB produces a relaxed and euphoric province similar in some respects to alcohol and in some respects to E. The comparings to Ecstasy are dry, nevertheless, as the two are on opposite terminals of the pharmacological spectrum: Tocopherol is classed as an pep pill, while GHB is a hypnotic/sedative. As such, blending GHB with intoxicant or other cardinal nervous system sedatives is highly unsafe due to their interactive consequence. At somewhat higher doses, GHB can take to utmost sleepiness, unmanageable slumber and even coma. This is evidently a job is a user attempts to drive while under the influence. The effects wear off after a few hours. Side effects include shudders and sickness. Unconscious users should be rolled onto their sides and watched carefully to see that they do non choke on their ain puke. More terrible side effects include ictuss. The ability of GHB to bring on unconsciousness and its popularity in the nine scene has caused it to be confused with the day of the month colza drugs Rohypnol ( R-2s ) and Ketamine ( Special K ) . Clearly though, there is a great hazard of maltreatment in this respect. Since spiking alcoholic drinks with GHB could ensue in the decease of the victim. In some instances it has been reported. Although it is non the day of the month colza drug, there have been instances where that has happened, because the GHB was slipped into a sodium carbonate or H2O at a nine ( www.student.com/article/ghb ) . GHB is sold in pulverization or liquid signifier, oftentimes in little shampoo-type bottles. One capful is by and large taken as a dosage, bring forthing effects for approximately 4 hours. It is said to hold no gustatory sensation or salty when in solution signifier. To the right is a image of GHB being turned into liquid signifier from the web site www.the-ghb.com. When is powder signifier it is snorted and smoked. One of the great jeopardies of GHB is the job of dose. Individual tolerances are said to change widely, and the difference between the dosage needed to make euphories and that ensuing in unconsciousness is really little. The rule ingredients used in fabrication GHB are a chemical used in industrial dissolvers and lye. At least one of the deceases attributed to GHB was due to chemical Burnss to the lungs after puke was aspirated. Like all drugs manufactured by amateurs, one of the rule hazards is adulterated or contaminated merchandise. An Amazing Food: In low liquid doses of one gm or less, GHB acts as a mild relaxant and disinhibitor, enduring an hr or two. Moderate does of one to two gms increase the esthesis of mental and physical relaxation, accompanied by slower bosom and respiration rates, and last two to three hours. Motor coordination, balance and address may besides be affected. Larger does of three to four gms induce a deep slumber. Once the dose wears off, nevertheless, the individual snaps out of slumber and is unsleeping, doing GHB peculiarly utile as a slumber assistance ( www.student.com/article/ghb ) . GHB has been used for many old ages by Bodybuilders to excite musculus growing and used besides for weight loss. GHB is found in many diet pills and in vitamins besides. The Legal Argument: In 12 provinces in the US, GHB is illegal to possess. In most of the state, nevertheless, GHB is a medically controlled substance, like codeine, instead than a scheduled drug, like cocaine. Unauthorized sale is therefore a condemnable discourtesy, but simple ownership and usage Idaho improbable to ensue in prosecution. Similar conditions prevail in the UK. In response to the uneven position, where selling GHB is illegal but utilizing it is non, the exothermal reaction kit has emerged. This consists of the chemical necessary to synthesis GHB in mensural measures, sold under the pretension of scientific presentation, and are widely available over the Internet. Of class, an exothermal reaction can be created by blending acetum and baking sodium carbonate, but gross revenues have boomed however. Conspiracy theoreticians claim that US FDA had demonized the drug because it is so much more effectual ( and cheaper ) so the mainstream depressants flogged by the pharmaceutical giants and therefore posses a menace to their net income borders. How Easy It is: 25 gms US $ 44.00 100 gms US $ 118.00 2 # 215 ; 100 gms US $ 218.00 3 # 215 ; 100 gms US $ 318.00 One Pound ( 454 gms ) US $ 418.00 Two Pounds ( 2 # 215 ; 454 gms ) US $ 818.00 Whether or non GHB becomes illegal, acquiring it is still easy. Type GHB into a web hunt engine, and you ll happen 100s if non 1000s of web sites and Usenet posters about it-from user testimonies to online mail order catalogs. Buy GHB is about has telling a jumper online from the GAP. For illustration if you go to www.biogenesis.co.za you can purchase GHB easier than waiting for a web page to lade. To the right is the pricing chart, that was taken from www.biogenesis.com.za a individual could purchase two lbs and easy sell it on the streets. For many GHB selling sites it includes Ecstasy because of the intimacy to each other. To the left is a image of a merchandise that is used daily by some people for weight loss. It was taken signifier www.metabolife.com it includes both Ecstasy and GHB in its ingredients. There are many more merchandises and sites that you can travel on to purchase GHB. The drug is besides legal in the UK so criminalizing it in the US will merely do a merge with t he two states and there will be aggregate cargos of GHB coming here. The outlawing of GHB will besides do these net sites that sell GHB to din improbably. Besides sold online, are kits to do GHB. Although it s against FDA ordinances, non the US jurisprudence, to sell synthesized GHB, many sites market GHB kits or sell the needed ingredients separately. InterChem advertises both. Like most sites, it is loaded with disclaimers. One warning provinces that all chemical merchandises advertised are of a non-consumptive, non-ingestive, non-culinary, non-food, non medical nature ( www.interchem.com ) and for usage in carry oning [ an ] experiment for educational intents merely ( www.interchem.com ) . Decision: In decision, GHB is both worthwhile and a jeopardy to your wellness. More trials need to be performed to make a determination about this drug. As of right now the FDA has banned it s merchandising, but it is still legal to purchase. Until an understanding is reached about this drug, people will still purchase it and party with it. Plants Citied www.ashesonthesea.com/ghb www.biogenesis.co.za www.drugfreeamerica.org/ghb.html www.erowid.org/chemicals/ghb/ghb_media2.shtml www.interchem.com www.metabolife.com www.student.com/article/ghb www.the-ghb.com

role of non-governmental organizations in assuring an Example of the Topic Health Essays by

What is the role of non-governmental organizations in assuring the health of the public The current condition of the World is not very good. Though the World has advanced technologically but with every aspect and development there is a negative impact also. This negative impact has taken the World in to some serious problems. Including these problems are the conditions of the third world countries and the countries that are going through the state of war. These countries have no where to turn for help and need to be provided help in these worse conditions where so many lives are at stake. To help the people of these countries some organizations have been formed by the civilians present in different parts of the world belonging to developed or developing countries (Ahmed and Potter, 2006). Need essay sample on "What is the role of non-governmental organizations in assuring the health of the public" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed These organizations basically known as Non Government Organizations or NGOs have been working very hard to improve the health conditions of people that are living in the areas where living standards are lower than standards in which an average human can survive. One of the most famous NGO operating around the globe that has contributed the most in improving health conditions of the people in problems is The Red Cross. The Red Cross has contributed very much during the war against terrorism in helping innocent people of Afghanistan and Iraq. Apart from these efforts The Red Cross is also helping out Palestinians that have been the target of a severe long war going on between Israel and Palestine. All these efforts and hard work has helped save lives of many innocent humans that have no association with the wars that have been going around the World (Bebbington, Hickey and Mitlin, 2008). Bibliography Ahmed S., Potter D. (2006) NGOs in International Politics, Kumarian Press Bebbington A., Hickey S., Mitlin D. C. (2008) Can NGOs Make a Difference?: The Challenge of Development Alternatives, Zed Books

Capital structure for Diageo

Capital structure for Diageo Introduction and BackgroundDiageo was formed in 1997 through the merger of two consumer product companies Grand Metropolitan plc and Guinness plc under the strategy of reducing costs through marketing synergies, cutting overhead expenses and increasing production and purchasing efficiencies. The new merger wanted to concentrate solely on the beverage alcohol business, so it sold its packaged foods (Pillsbury) and fast food (Burger King) businesses. While the mandate for Managing for Value came from the highest levels of Diageo, the treasury team was given the task of establishing the cost of capital for each of the different areas the company operated. The team had to create a simulation model which should consider new finance approaches, treasury functions to focus on, what the firm's risk footprints will be, how to calculate cost of capital and finally how to optimally structure capital.How has Diageo managed its capital structure?Both Grand Metropolitan and Guinness had little deb t prior to the merger, which allowed them to benefit from relatively high ratings on their bonds (AA and A respectively).English: Guinness for strenghtStraight after the merger, Diageo's management announced it would maintain similar policies to the ones adopted by the two previous companies. This decision took the form of an implicit promise not to get into a debt level that would lead to a reduction in the credit rating of the company, which was aiming at an interest coverage between 5 and 8. A second target was set to keep EBITDA/Total Debt at 30%-35% level. This tranquilized investors and financial markets and as a consequence the company was given an A+ rating by credit agencies.Table 1 presents some key financial indicators extracted from the case. As it can be observed, Diageo's debt level is low (market gearing level is around 25%), which together with the favorable...

Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry Essay Example for Free

Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry Essay Automobile industry (27) , Suzuki (5) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Following India’s growing openness, the arrival of new and existing models, easy availability of finance at relatively low rate of interest and price discounts offered by the dealers and manufacturers all have stirred the demand for vehicles and a strong growth of the Indian automobile industry. The data obtained from ministry of commerce and industry, shows high growth obtained since 2001- 02 in automobile production continuing in the first three quarters of the 2004-05. Annual growth was 16. 0 per cent in April-December, 2004; the growth rate in 2003-04 was 15. 1 per cent The automobile industry grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 per cent between 1992 and 1997. With investment exceeding Rs. 50,000 crore, the turnover of the automobile industry exceeded Rs. 59,518 crore in 2002-03. Including turnover of the auto-component sector, the automotive industry’s turnover, which was above Rs. 84,000 crore in 2002-03, is estimated to have exceeded Rs. 1,00,000 crore ( USD 22. 74 billion) in 2003-04. Automobile Dealers Network in India In terms of Car dealer networks and authorized service stations, Maruti leads the pack with Dealer networks and workshops across the country. The other leading automobile manufactures are also trying to cope up and are opening their service stations and dealer workshops in all the metros and major cities of the country. Dealers offer varying kind of discount of finances who in tern pass it on to the customers in the form of reduced interest rates. Major Manufacturers in Automobile Industry Maruti Udyog Ltd. General Motors India Ford India Ltd. Eicher Motors Bajaj Auto Daewoo Motors India Hero Motors Hindustan Motors Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Royal Enfield Motors Telco TVS Motors DC Designs Swaraj Mazda Ltd Government has liberalized the norms for foreign investment and import of technology and that appears to have benefited the automobile sector. The production of total vehicles increased from 4. 2 million in 1998- 99 to 7. 3 million in 2003-04. It is likely that the production of such vehicles will exceed 10 million in the next couple of years. The industry has adopted the global standards and this was manifested in the increasing exports of the sector. After a temporary slump during 1998- 99 and 1999-00, such exports registered robust growth rates of well over 50 per cent in 2002-03 and 2003-04 each to exceed two and- a-half times the export figure for 2001-02. Automobile Export Numbers Category1998-991998-99Passenger Car25468121478Multi Utility Vehicles26543892Commercial Vehicles1010819931Two Wheelers100002256765Three Wheelers2113851535Percentage Growth-16. 632. 8 THE KEY FACTORS BEHIND THIS UPSWING Sales incentives, introduction of new models as well as variants coupled with easy availability of low cost finance with comfortable repayment options continued to drive demand and sales of automobiles during the first two quarters of the current year. The risk of an increase in the interest rates, the impact of delayed monsoons on rural demand, and increase in the costs of inputs such as steel are the key concerns for the players in the industry. As the players continue to introduce new models and variants, the competition may intensify further. The ability of the players to contain costs and focus on exports will be critical for the performance of their respective companies. The auto component sector has also posted significant growth of 20 per cent in 2003-04, to achieve a sales turnover of Rs. 30,640 crore (US$ 6. 7 billion). Further, there is a potential for higher growth due to outsourcing activities by global automobiles giants. Today, this sector has emerged as another sunrise sector. EVEN GROWTH Opposing the belief that the growth in automobile industry has catered only to the top income-stratum of society, Growth of exports of 32. 8 % in the first three quarters of 2004-05, the fastest growth in volumes has come from commercial vehicles as against passenger cars. Between 1998-99 and 2003-04, output of commercial vehicles has grown 2. 8 times compared to the 2. 2 times increase in passenger cars. Furthermore, two-wheeler output continues to dominate the volume statistics of the sector. In 2003-04, for every passenger car turned out by the sector, there were 7 two-wheelers produced. In the two wheeler segment, there is a greater preference for motorcycles followed by scooters, with both production and domestic sales of motorcycles increasing at faster rates than for scooters in the current and previous years. However, mopeds have registered low or negative growth. Export growth rates have been high both for motorcycles and scooters. Automobile Industry, India Automobile Industry. (2017, Feb 06). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night - Essay Example Viola realized that her year of mourning would also be spent hidden. Olivia would not take her. "O that I served that lady and might not be delivered to the world" (Viola,I,ii). She then proceeds to ask the capitain to dress her as a "eunuch" to the duke. Olivier was in a "monastery " and Viola lived as a "eunuch" Viola as the center of the play showed the importance of how boys dressed as women to perform. Shakespeare took it one step further to show her strength of a girl dressed as a boy who had to sway another girl to fall in love. At one point, the play takes another turn. Olivia and Viola started as a one of the many dualities. Both as they stood behind their veils were strong willed and intelligent. The Duke took a liking to Cesario. Viola had fallen in love with the Duke. Some say he understood that she was a young woman. In Scene IV, Viola describes her first love as though it was the Duke. As early as Scene V in the first Act, Viola comments on Olivias beauty but takes it as a gift from the devil. She goes back and forth from being Cesario and Viola. "If I did love you in my masters flame, with such a suffering, such a deadly life, in your denial I would find no sense†¦."(Viola,I,v) She is putting herself in Olivias shoes as she has lost her brother and has fallen in love with the Duke. "Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. "(Olivia,III,i) As she speaks to Cesario, let me love you first, it is not bad as it is truer love. Viola talks of female love being stronger than male love." But died thy sister of her love, my boy" (Orsino,II,iv) "I am all the daughter of my fathers house†¦.."(Viola,II,iv) One has to ask if Orsino knows at this time the love "Cesario" has for him. As Shakespeare was writing these plays, the Elizabethan "golden world" of privilege and prestige--and idleness--enjoyed by royalty and the nobility was beginning to lean in favor of an empowered middle class (merchants and manufacturers) who

My passion for Cooking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My passion for Cooking - Essay Example Cooking has been my passion since time immemorial; I have seen my mother cooking, and have always wished I was in her place. Cooking to me has come as second nature. I believe I have a unique skill set as far as cooking is concerned, not because I can cook everything, but because whatever I cook is always appreciated and liked by others. I may not be the jack of all trades, but surely I am the master of cooking. I love cooking for myself and for everyone else. So when it’s a friend’s party or a family dinner I am always approached for the right menu and right meals. I consider myself as a master in this field because I believe I know the right mix of ingredients even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the recipe. I have an intuitive power when it comes to cooking, I can figure out my way and determine the right approach to cooking without any rational thinking. Part of the reason behind my success in this field, is my curiosity and urge to find out more about cooki ng all the time. I spend several hours searching for tips on the web and exploring recipes of well-known experts round the globe. My favorite dish as far as cooking is concerned is the Italian Pizza. Many people find it difficult to bake the crust of the pizza and often do not end up getting the right crispiness (MacKenzie). Either the crust turns out to be too fluffy or too thin. However, my crust somehow is always appropriately baked; it is never burnt. Pizza is something I like cooking the most because it is something that I love the most whenever I’m hungry I know the pizza is just a few hours away.

The Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation Essay Example for Free

The Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation Essay Schools are in business to promote learning; amongst both adults and pupils. But do they as organisations learn? Is it in fact possible for an organisation as a whole to learn? Even if there is evidence that individuals within organisations are learning, this does not automatically add up to collective learning: There are many cases in which organisations know less than their members. There are even cases in which the organisations cannot seem to learn what every member knows. (Argyris and Schà ¶n 2000:309) How schools learn to implement complex and multiple change successfully has always been of central concern to those interested in school improvement: making the link between organisational learning and school improvement is not a new idea. Roland Barth claims that school improvements main task is all about learning: School improvement is an effort to determine and provide, from without and within, conditions under which the adults and youngsters who inhabit schools will promote and sustain learning among themselves. (Barth 1999:45) In England especially, schools are under pressure to accommodate and manage change and are constantly dealing with public scrutiny of their effectiveness. Issues they are required to deal with include: a revised National Curriculum, performance management, revised criteria for OFSTED inspections, school self-evaluation, standards for head teachers and subject leaders, as well as the ongoing requirement to improve attainment for all pupils. All the activities that constitute learning are a fundamental contribution not just to improvement and performance, but also to an ethos and spirit of community in a school.( Stoll, 2005, 62-69)   We outline the importance of organisational learning to school improvement, and highlight the role of feedback, suggesting ways in which its role could be developed. The five questions we ask are:   1 What is organisational learning?   2 Why is it important to school improvement?   3 What are the processes that influence organisational learning?   4 What is the contribution of feedback?   5 How could its role in organisational learning be enhanced? What Is Organisational Learning? A definition of a learning organisation as it relates to education is: â€Å"A group of people pursuing common purposes (and individual purposes as well) with a collective commitment to regularly weighing the value of those purposes, modifying them when that makes sense, and continuously developing more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing those purposes.† (Leithwood and Aitken 2003:41) This definition suggests certain basic activities need to happen for organisational learning to be able to occur: the pursuit, review and modification of common aims; and opportunities to identify, articulate and design more effective, efficient ways of accomplishing these purposes. It can be easy for a school to lose sight of its primary purpose of fostering and encouraging learning, particularly in times of increased complexity and requirement to respond to external demands for improvement. As a recent participant on one of our courses put it: the core beliefs and goals about learning in my school †¦ have been forgotten in the mass of pressures we are under at the moment. School improvement research distinguishes more effective and more rapidly improving schools by the ability of practitioners to stay in touch with the schools core values, beliefs and goals and take charge of externally driven change rather than being controlled by it (Senge 1999; Rosenholtz 2000; Stoll and Fink 1999; Gray et al. 2003, 141-53). This is, in Senges words, because they are constantly enhancing their capacity to create their own future and know that it is in their hands. This mind-set is a cornerstone of effective improvement efforts. Organisational learning has been described as a dynamic and complex phenomenon best understood by considering learning processes and effects as influencing each other in a reciprocal way (Cousins 1998:220-1). Through collective inquiry, school staff and their communities engage in processing of internal or external information that challenges them to reflect on and adapt assumptions underpinning their practice. It also helps them to understand how they can influence their own destiny and create the necessary knowledge. In this sense, the basic meaning of a learning organisation is one that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future (Senge 1999:14). The Processes That Influence Organisational Learning Our own work suggests four particular processes that can crucially influence the organisational learning of schools. Where these can be deliberately and strategically developed, this facilitates the appropriate conditions and climate within which school improvement can operate. These four processes are: working actively with the context; processing, creating and using strategic knowledge; developing learning-oriented cultural norms; and systems thinking. (Leithwood, K. and Louis, 1998, 119-23) Working Actively With The Context The articulation of goals that are shared by all stakeholders in a school, including pupils, is not enough in a rapidly changing and demanding context. More than twenty years ago, Argyris and Schà ¶n (2000) argued that the key challenge is not to help an organisation become more effective at performing a stable task in the light of stable purposes, but to help an organisation restructure its purposes and redefine its task in the face of a changing environment (p. 320). To do this, schools need to connect more effectively with the world beyond them: Schools cannot shut their gates and leave the outside world on the doorstep, they can no longer pretend that their walls will keep the outside world at bay.   (Hargreaves and Fullan 1998:7) Being able to read the context is a critical skill in effective school improvement. Schools, as other systems, must have the capacity to sense, monitor and scan significant aspects of their environment (Morgan 1999:87). Intelligent schools know their survival can depend on their sensitive response and adaptation to the environment of which they are a part. This contextual intelligence has been defined as one of nine key intelligences a school needs to have (MacGilchrist et al. 2002). Working to develop and adapt school goals in the light of contextual messages is a crucial purpose for the organisational learning that schools continually need to address. (MacBeath, 1998, 311-22) Currently, insufficient notice is being paid to the limited opportunity and power schools feel they have to attend to this basic process. Indeed, the predominant emphasis on the delivery of the external reform agenda paradoxically distracts many schools from initiating their own learning and this results in a loss of both collective self-esteem and of feeling in charge of change (Learmonth and Reed 2000). Processing, Creating And Using Strategic Knowledge The importance of strategic thinking, planning and action in school improvement together constitute a particular knowledge base required for organisational learning. Louis (1998) argues that what distinguishes organisational learning processes from the notion of acquisition, storage and retrieval inherent in some definitions of individual learning, is an additional step of collective knowledge creation: Schools cannot learn until there is explicit or implicit agreement about what they know about their students, teaching and learning, and about how to change. (p. 1086) She describes three sources from which this knowledge is drawn: teachers individual knowledge about the curriculum and their own pedagogical practice; knowledge created when their practice is systematically examined; and knowledge that comes from others, advisers, colleagues, inspectors. Through a combination of dialogue and deliberation, this information is explored, interpreted and distributed among the school community creating collective knowledge and helping powerful learning systems in a school to develop. (Cousins, 2000, 305-33) The process is complex but can also increase the potential for organisational learning in a range of ways. Five assertions have recently been made about the contribution that a strategic approach can make to school improvement (Reed 2000). These are: 1 A strategic approach is underpinned by an explicit commitment to fundamental values and goals in a school.   2 A strategic approach is not just about putting a particular plan into operation. It is a way of working with different levels, goals and expectations at the same time.   3 A strategic approach involves a complex combination of skills thinking, planning, doing, analysing, judging, reflecting and giving and receiving feedback.   4 A strategic approach is more than a way of achieving coherence. It is a social process that needs to take account of how those involved are feeling and experiencing life in a school as well as supporting them in investing in their own learning.   5 A strategic approach builds knowledge and interest about what is happening as it goes along so that everyone can learn about the process and work together to achieve the agreed goals. Developing Learning-Oriented Cultural Norms Once schools have identified key aspects of their environment, they must be able to relate this information to the operating norms that guide their current behaviour. Norms are the unspoken rules for what is regarded as customary or acceptable behaviour and action within the school. They are also a window into the deeply held beliefs and values of the school: its culture (Stoll 2003). Leithwood, Jantzi and Steinbach (1998) found that school culture appeared to be the dominant influence on collective learning, more so than vision and mission, structure, strategies, and policy and resources. Rait (2003) explains: An organizations culture embodies an informal structure and normative system that influence information flow and other organizational processes. Culture may implicitly or explicitly delineate the boundaries of what is considered proper and improper action. (p. 83) Norms are critical because Life within a given culture flows smoothly only insofar as ones behaviour conforms with unwritten codes. Disrupt these norms and the ordered reality of life inevitably breaks down (Morgan 2002:139). Norms, therefore, shape reactions to internally or externally proposed or imposed improvements and, indeed, to organisational learning. Cultivating learning-oriented norms is, therefore, essential because the acceptance of changes by a school depends on the fit between the norms embedded in the changes and those within the schools own culture (Sarason 1999). Knowledge needs to have a socially constructed, shared basis for organisational learning to occur (Louis 2004). If norms of individualism and self-reliance exist, and collaboration is not valued, the necessary team learning is at risk. Similarly, schools with norms of contentment, avoidance of change, goal diffusion, top-down leadership, conformity, nostalgia, blame, congeniality rather than collegiality, and denial (Stoll and Fink 1998), are less likely to engage in organisational learning. Stoll and Fink (1999) identify ten norms that appeared to underpin the work of improving schools: shared goals; responsibility for success; collegiality; continuous improvement; lifelong learning; risk taking; support; mutual respect; openness; celebration and humour. They highlight the human and cultural dimension of change. Two of these merit further discussion for organisational learning. The first, collegiality, involves mutual sharing and assistance, an orientation towards the school as a whole. It is spontaneous, voluntary, development-oriented, unscheduled, and unpredictable. Little (1999) identifies four types of collegial relations. She views three as weaker forms: scanning and story telling, general help and assistance, and sharing. The fourth form, joint work, is most likely to lead to improvement and, we would argue, organisational learning. It covers team teaching, mentoring, action research, peer coaching, planning and mutual observation and feedback. These activities create greater interdependence, collective commitment, shared responsibility, and, perhaps most important, greater readiness to participate in the difficult business of review and critiques (Fullan and Hargreaves 2000, xii). The second norm, risk taking, is also critical for organisational learning. Time for experimentation, trial and error and handling failure are essential parts of learning. They symbolise a willingness to try something different, to consider new approaches, and to move into uncharted territory. The other norms support, mutual respect, openness, and celebration and humour set the important climate that enables risk taking to occur without danger. School improvement depends on the use of different mental maps of a school and the creative pursuit of understanding how the whole (the system) and the constituent parts (the subsystems) are relating to each other. Organisational learning occurs where the interdependency of parts and whole, systems and subsystems can be enhanced to enable collective activity to be more effective and satisfying for everyone involved. Systems thinking has been described as a discipline for seeing wholes (Senge 1999:68). It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than linear cause-effect chains, for seeing patterns and processes of change rather than a static snapshot. The capacity to see patterns and discern connections between seemingly unconnected events emerges as a key feature of organisational learning from both our experience and the literature: A systems approach at least helps an investigator understand that the problem is to discover the underlying connections and interdependencies (Vaill 1999:108). It is also a crucial tool for improvement efforts, a basis for taking charge of change and feeling more in control. Systems thinking enables a school to analyse more deeply the causal factors that underlie their concerns and difficulties especially where linear deductions of causality fail to get at the root issues. In short, it means it is more important to focus on circles of influence rather than straight lines (Senge 1999). We now take up this point in relation to the role of feedback. One way we have come to understand the contribution of feedback to organisational learning is to take as a starting point Senges (1999) definition of feedback. He uses the discourse of learning and feedback described as loops. Feedback as it used here, is different to positive feedback meaning making encouraging remarks or negative feedback meaning potential bad news. It is a broader concept, meaning any reciprocal flow of influence (p. 75) encompassing the notion that every influence is both cause and effect. Indeed, Senge argues that the practice of systems thinking and organisational learning starts with understanding feedback. We want to present a view of feedback as an organisational process that itself can be learned about and used as well as having the other, more dialogue-based functions that feedback can have in the school community. OConnor and McDermott (2002) describe feedback as thinking in circles; hence the notion of feedback loops: the consequences of our actions coming back to us and so influencing what happens next. This concept of feedback challenges immediately any notion that organisational learning can be achieved by either linear or mechanistic means: it needs processing and use of information. Feedback, then, in this sense is the return of information to influence the next step (OConnor and McDermott 2002:26). Two basic types of feedback loop have been identified. The first is reinforcing feedback. This describes a situation where change continues to change and grow: a response to something happening makes it happen more frequently. An example from school life could be a response to a high number of exclusions. (Goldstein, 2000, 313-15) The school puts in place a procedure for sanctions and rewards, and this results in further exclusions. The feedback from this situation, then, suggests that the procedure for sanctions and rewards itself needs tightening up which, again, unexpectedly causes more exclusions to occur. The second is balancing feedback, which reduces change and restores balance. A balancing feedback loop is where the response to something happening makes it happen less (Johnstone 2004:12-13). An example would be a primary school that on analysing its KS1 results finds that the poor quality of spelling is contributing to low attainment. A plan implemented across the Key Stage for addressing spelling more systematically with pupils and their parents enhances their capability, reduces their errors and significantly raises attainment. Schools as systems are experiencing feedback loops in this way all the time, and to the extent that they are aware of and working with reinforcing and balancing loops, and are learning how to manage them, they will be in the process of genuinely becoming a learning organisation. (Anderson, 2003, 235-58) Currently, a focus on the analysis of attainment data and making causal links to practice in the classroom can provide good examples of use of feedback. Significant connections are being made from one part of the school (the data) to another (the learning and teaching programme), and in the process organisational learning can occur. Morgan (2002) and others have reminded us of a key element in organisational learning processes which may influence the direction a reinforcing cycle takes towards growth or decline. Organisations may display adaptive learning which solves problems at an operational level: they scan the environment, compare against the operating targets, and initiate appropriate action. In so doing, they show the ability to detect and correct deviations from the norm. Many organisations are quite proficient at this including bureaucratic, fragmented organisations where employees are not encouraged to think for themselves and interest in what the organisation is doing is marginal. However, single loop learning may keep an organisation focused on the wrong goals and prevent success in a changing environment. Effective organisations require double loop learning in which the crucial extra ingredient is to question whether the operating targets are relevant and whether the norms are appropriate. (Chaston,   2001, 139-51) This is generative learning which solves fundamental problems in a creative way and facilitates survival in periods of change. Morgan suggests that when people are unable or not prepared to challenge underlying assumptions, The existence of single-loop learning systems, especially when used as controls over employees, may prevent double-loop learning from occurring (2002:90). The capacity in a school to reflect on its own learning while it is using the information provided by feedback is crucial. Ertmer and Newby (1999, 1-24) outline the characteristics of an expert learner, which include the capacity to regulate ones own learning, to self-monitor. It is possible to see that this capacity in a school, to use and reflect on feedback processes, is a key capability in a learning organisation. The following example illustrates the value of questioning while using feedback. A school joined one of our school improvement projects with the view that a group of Key Stage 2 pupils were, in the staffs description, restless and lacking concentration in their lessons because they had poor listening skills. It was to be the focus for their project. These were not pupils with any obvious learning difficulties. The teachers stated clearly that they wanted to improve the listening skills of these pupils. We cautioned them not to jump to conclusions before they had carried out a careful systemic audit and analysis of the context in which this problem was manifesting itself. (Fiol, 2002, 803-13) They reluctantly agreed. What emerged from the audit was a very different kind of causal picture. The process of gathering information showed that this group were actually very good listeners in settings that sufficiently caught their attention and enabled them to access the curriculum in ways that made sense to them. Through examining the wider system that the pupils were part of, it seemed that this group of pupils were signalling through their lack of engagement that schemes of work and teaching processes were inadequately differentiated for them. (Huber, 2000, 88-115)   Improving this practice was the focus of a very successful project in the school. The teachers learnt to look at their whole situation in a more sophisticated way instead of jumping too quickly to conclusions based in their minds on a linear and more simplistic model of the relationship between learning, teaching and achievement. The situation these teachers found themselves in is a very good example of reinforcing feedback. The more the pupils had a learning diet that did not meet their needs, the more they did not listen. When the school gave them a more carefully designed programme of activities the listening skills of the pupils were shown to be perfectly satisfactory. The balancing feedback process had produced the results that they wanted and staff had learnt a great deal about those pupils, their needs and most importantly about the impact of their teaching.( Kim, 2003, 37-50) It has been claimed that school improvement is an inquiry not a formula and that the successful structure for school improvement will have the nature of a clinical science, where communities of educators treat their best ideas as stepping stones to better ones (Joyce et al. 2003:2). The Making Belfast Work, Raising School Standards (MBW RSS) initiative can be seen as exemplifying such a process. Individual schools involved in the initiative engaged in self-evaluation and review as an integral part of the initiative. (Learmonth, 1998, 78-85) The fourteen schools also worked together during the three years on the project sharing experiences and approaches, creating a wider learning community outside the individual school. The LEAs engagement in the process was threefold; manager, participant and an evaluator of the change process. (Mumford, 2000, 24-31) The external evaluation, however, provided the LEA with an objective framework within which to consider organisational learning at a range of levels. Managing educational change and the resultant organisational learning is [a] multivariate business that requires us to think of and address more than one factor at a time. While theory and practice of successful educational change do make sense, and do point to clear guidelines for action, it is always the case that particular actions in particular situations require integrating the more general knowledge of change with detailed knowledge of the politics, personalities and history peculiar to the setting in question. (Fullan 2000: xii) In evaluating the MBW RSS initiative it is important to acknowledge the context of civil unrest which for over a generation has been an everyday fact of life for people living in the city. Recent political initiatives to move forward the peace process have been welcomed by all who are concerned about the quality of life in Belfast although uncertainty about the future remains evident. The term feedback, in education, is perhaps most commonly used in classroom and school contexts. (Sadler, 2003, 877-909)   It can, however, be used across the education system to promote organisational and institutional learning. We focus on the role of the external evaluation as a method of providing feedback to   †¢ increase understanding of the various impacts of an educational improvement initiative; improve awareness of the processes of implementation at school and LEA level; and provide the basis for analysis of planning, implementation of future initiatives, enhancing the capacity of the LEA to evaluate its own organisational learning with regard to future initiatives involving clusters or individual schools. The extent to which an organisation can learn from feedback from an outside evaluation depends on a number of factors. The very act of commissioning shows a willingness to be scrutinised and a desire to learn from an experience. In the MBW RSS there was a climate within both the LEA and schools which suggested that they could effect change and raise standards. Participants were willing to ask difficult questions and challenge practice. A high degree of co-operation among participants and an honest willingness to talk about strengths and weaknesses were important prerequisites for organisational learning. (Prange, 2003, 23-43) However, many school improvement initiatives have fallen short of their stated objectives because managers have tried to change too much, too quickly. If learning is to take place there must be a tacit understanding that this will not happen for all participants at the same time. Finally there was an acceptance by participants that if this initiative was not going to be just another one of many, which would have little impact beyond set funding, plans and systems had to be put in place which would sustain learning. (Nicolini, 2003, 727-47) LEAs are charged with the duty of managing and monitoring school improvement in their schools. There are many ways in which an LEA might approach this function. Areas for improvement could be identified in Educational Development Plan (EDPs) and targeted through programmes for continual professional development (CDP). Perhaps the most common mechanism used to stimulate school improvement by an LEA is the formulation and management of school improvement initiatives. (Gray,   2002, 27-34) The recent implementation of national initiatives in England (e.g. the National Literacy and Strategy and Numeracy Hour in primary schools) has not stopped LEAs from continuing to develop locally targeted projects aimed at raising school standards. Most recently, inspection has been one route by which the performance of school improvement initiatives has been monitored (the programme began in January 1998). The Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED) underlines the important contribution an LEA can make in delivering school improvement by calling its framework for LEA inspection LEA support for school improvement, picking out school improvement as an LEAs key function (OFSTED 2003:6). However, the Chief Inspector of schools in his annual report (1998/2003) claimed that some LEAs gave ineffective support to schools and could spawn a plethora of ineffective and often unwelcome initiatives which, more often than not, waste money and confuse and irritate schools (p. 20). The extent to which OFSTED can give detailed feedback on initiatives, sufficient to ensure organisational learning, is limited because inspections use a national framework and thus do not focus on the aims of different LEA initiatives. An alternative to inspection would be to use outside consultants to evaluate a specific programme. If an LEA is to make use of an evaluation to improve its services, the evaluators feedback can identify areas in which the LEA can learn and should indicate how that learning can be transferred to other initiatives. In evaluating the Making Belfast Work Raising Schools Standards initiative, the ISEIC team were specifically asked to investigate the impact of the overall project and to identify the factors which facilitated improvements and any barriers to success. The BELB, which has a history of innovative projects, wished to consider the implications of the evaluation with a mind to examining other school improvement projects and its part within these. The idea for the initiative stemmed from thinking in the Department of Education: Northern Ireland (DENI) which approached Making Belfast Work as funders. The initiative intended to help schools address significant disadvantage and under-achievement among their pupils. The project was intended to target a small number of secondary schools and their main contributory primary schools. Additional funding of  £3m, over a three-year period was to be allocated. We cannot report on all aspects of the evaluation covered in the main evaluation report (Sammons et al. 1998; Taggart and Sammons 2003) but will focus on ways in which the evaluations final report was able to feed back key learning points to the LEA, relevant to its management of future school improvement initiatives and the extent to which the initiative had an impact in term of its stated aims. The feedback was couched in terms that were intended to enable BELBs personnel to engage with their own learning and thus better understand their crucial role in initiating and managing initiatives. By doing this, the evaluators sought to help the Board improve its capacity to learn and thus enrich the service it offered to schools in the crucial area of raising school standards. 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