School Inspections Improve School Quality Education Essay

School Inspections Improve School Quality Education Essay Introduction This critical appraisal of a research article entitled Do school inspections improve school quality? Ofsted inspections and school examination results in the UK looks at the research methodology, style and approach adopted by the writer, Leslie Rosenthal. The article has been chosen as it discusses whether the inspection process, that has been designed to improve standards in schools, actually make exam results worse, in particularly in the year during inspection. If the researchers theory is found to be correct, this would lead to questions about the effectiveness, and value for money of the inspection process. The objectives for carrying out a critical appraisal of this piece of research are to identify the research approach that has been adopted the research style that has been used the intended research population how information will be gained from the research population the research instruments used any other considerations such as validity, reliability and credibility Each of the objectives will be discussed in turn, making explicit reference to the research article and current research methods literature. A summary of findings will be presented at the end of the assignment. Background Leslie Rosenthal (2004) states that Improving the quality of state-funded secondary school education remains a major explicit policy aim in the UK and is the central means by which state-provided education in the UK is now regulated, though a system of inspections carried out by the Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted), set up in 1992. Research has been conducted which looks at the exam results of state-funded ,non-selective English secondary schools that had been inspected during the year of the exams. Rosenthal, L. (2004) describes the research as empirical research several times throughout the text. The data used for the research has come from publicly available material based on the exam success of 15-16 year old students in state-funded school. This measure of performance, from secondary school performance tables, is used to test the proposition that in the year of an Ofsted inspection, the measure of the quality of the school changes. Empirical research is described as research of any phenomenon that results in outwardly measurable criteria, or can be verified by observation or used to derive a particular interpretation, (Opie, C. 2006). Empirical research lends itself to quantitative approaches in educational research in order to lead to generalisability. This means that the research findings can be applied to other settings than where they where originally founded in order to show that the statement is true (CEM, 2009).This could be important to empirical or experimental research where the research design may not be ethical or practical in the required setting, but the results could be compared from another setting. Empirical research is described by Verma and Mallick (2004) as the starting point to a research problem, with a view to explaining important factors or what happened after the research has been carried out. This implies that the research has been carried out with an open mind and results should not b e corrupt or biased. Rosenthal carried out empirical research using data from the year previous to, and post Ofsted inspection to confirm the validity and generalisability of the results obtained (these terms will be discussed in more detail under objective 6). The purpose of this is to show that there exists a small negative effect on exam results during the year that Ofsted inspects a school, even though the general philosophy of the agencys approach is described by its own motto as Improvement through Inspection, and one of their four objectives is to raise standards of achievement by students in exams (Ofsted, 1995). Objective 1 Identify the research approach that has been adopted The overall approach to the research that was carried out by Rosenthal was a quantitative approach. Bryman, (2008) describes quantitative research as deductive and testing theory rather than being inductive or generating theory as with qualitative analysis. The theoretical and conceptual structure of the research is determined before testing it through empirical observation. Quantitative research is not merely number crunching but is the use of theory to deduce a hypothesis. Primary or secondary information is then gathered to test the hypothesis. Primary information research involves gathering new data by means of written questionnaire, survey, or face to face and telephone interviews. However, Rosenthal used secondary information, which is research or information that has already been collected by somebody else, in this case, Government officials collecting data about schools to measure attainment and performance. To carry out quantitative research, any information, whether from primary or secondary sources, needs to be processed in some way in order to quantify it. Rosenthal has used statistical measures to analyse the secondary data and show the effects of Ofsted inspections in school quality. Opie, (2006) describes quantitative research as being objective and positivistic as opposed to subjective and anti-positivistic. Objectivity can be defined as unbiased and open-minded, and that only one interpretation or meaning can be drawn from the data, where as a subjective point of view is regarded as belonging to an individual as a result of their own consciousness or thought. Subjectivity is not based on facts that can be demonstrated or observed, but could in fact be interpreted in different ways. This piece of research has been based on facts from secondary information, and independent variables that could have a positive or negative effect on results have been tested to ensure that the results are unbiased and can not be interpreted in different ways therefore demonstrating the quantitative nature of the research. Objective 2 Identify the research style that has been used The style of research that has been adopted by the researcher is Evaluation Research. According to Burton Bartlett (2005), evaluation research is used to assess the effectiveness of specific projects to see if the original aims have been met. Rosenthal states that the objective of the research is to investigate the direct influence of Ofsted inspections on exam performance of inspected schools for the year of the inspection, as one of the four objectives for inspection is to raise the standards of achievement by students (in exams). In other words, the research has been carried out to evaluate how effective the inspection process has been at raising student achievement in exams at GCSE level. Evaluation research is often funded by government in order to evaluate the effectiveness of policies or procedures, and can be broken down into formative and summative evaluation. According to Trochim and Donnelly (2007) formative evaluation research is carried out during a program or activity in order to form the direction or strengthen the outcomes of the activity. The formative research is used as a method of improving the quality of an activity by looking at the needs, conceptualisation, implementation and processes of the activity. Summative evaluation research looks to summarise the activity in terms of meeting objectives, cost-analysis and impact. The research may be conducted to improve performance or processes if the activity is to be repeated, or to carry out secondary analysis, which re-examines existing data to answer new questions that may have arisen from the activity. Rosenthals research is summative as it is not intended to improve the processes of inspection, but to summarise whether or not the inspection has met its own objectives of raising standards of achievement in exams. Objective 3 Identify the intended research population The indented research population is clearly stated by Rosenthal, in section 4 of the report as state-funded, non-selective English secondary schools that serve students up to 16 years. State-funded schools that are selective on the basis of religion (voluntary aided, voluntary assisted and special agreement schools) and/or on the basis of academic ability (grammar and secondary modern, and selective grant maintained schools) have been excluded from the study. Only those schools that were inspected under Section 10 of the 1992 Education (Schools) Act were included in the study and not those classed as failing or having serious weaknesses. Data was gathered from approximately 2,300 schools inspected during the years 1993/4 to 1997/8 with some 2,700 Ofsted inspections taking place. Under Section 10 of the 1992 Educations (Schools) Act, schools were to be inspected at least once in every four year cycle; therefore around one quarter of the 2,300 schools would be inspected each year, duri ng the four year research period. The exact figures have been shown in table form in section 4 (Data and method) by Rosenthal. Objective 4 Identify how information will be gained from the research population The information needed to carry out the empirical research was, and still is, freely available in the public domain for use by Rosenthal. Rosenthal references the web address for Secondary School Performance Tables (or Achievement and Attainment Tables as they are now called) and these tables are published annually on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website (http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables/) and in national newspapers. Information contained in these performance tables includes the official measures of exam success of 15-16 year old students at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) level or equivalent. The data collected focuses specifically on the number of GCSE passes at grades A* C in each school year of the research period 1993/4 to 1997/8. Objective 5 Identify the research instruments used Secondary data analysis has been carried out by Rosenthal. As discussed in objective one, secondary data is information that has been gathered previously by another person for some purpose, rather than information which is being gathered for the first time as with primary data. The data that Rosenthal used was gathered by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), and published in the annual league tables that shows the performance of a school in terms of attainment and achievement, pupil attendance and proportion of students with Special Education Needs (SEN) [DCSF accessed on 4th March 10]. Objective 6 Identify any other considerations such as validity, reliability and credibility Summary of findings

Huckleberry Finn: A Trip :: essays research papers

A Trip Within’ The Heart Of A Colorless Boy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main characters take a trip within the heart, not just a trip down the Mississippi River. Throughout the trip down the Mississippi River, Huckleberry Finn’s, a homeless waif, thoughts about racism change from a racist unwanted boy to a true human being with a sense of his own destiny. Throughout the novel, Huck narrates his adventure and thoughts upon racism and inequality between “niggers'; and whites. Huck and “nigger'; Jim, runaway slave, float down the Mississippi River as unequal individuals, but towards the end of the novel Huck distinguishes that even African-Americans are as equal as white human beings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Huck never respects the “niggers,'; especially Jim since Huck and Tom Sawyer, a romanticized friend, continuously play tricks on Jim so they can feel superior to the “black'; race. Even though Huck escapes society and his abusive father, Pap Finn, he continues to play tricks on Jim, since Jim ran away from slavery. For example, when Jim explains that he ran off Huck disapproves but promises not to turn him in even though “people would call [him] a low-down Abolitionist'; (50). This demonstrates that Huck is a kind trustworthy racist boy; however, Huck’s superstitious character “curled [a rattlesnake] up on the foot of Jim’s blanket'; as a joke, although in the night the rattlesnake’s mate bit Jim (59). In addition, Huck “warn’t going to let Jim find out it was [his] fault'; nor apologize because he did not want to feel low to a “nigger'; (59). This incident demonstrates that Huck still views himself as su perior to Jim because of his skin color. At this point of the novel, Huck is helping Jim escape which makes him feel low down to civilization; however, he continues to trick Jim so he can be better quality. Huck maintains to treat Jim with little respect and even though he suffers for the trick, he never apologizes to Jim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As they progress down the river, Huck begins to realize the true character of Jim as an equal man with greatness and kindness in his heart. During their ride down the river Huck decides to play another trick on the so-called unintelligent Jim. The final trick Huck plays on Jim while they are in the fog is making Jim believe that everything that has happened in the storm after they broke-off from each other only occurred in Jim’s mind.

Bottlenecks in a Process Essay

Bottleneck can slow down production and diminish efficiency. According to Li, Chang, & Ni, (2009) â€Å"quick and correct identification of the bottleneck locations can lead to an improvement in the operation management of utilizing finite manufacturing resources, increasing the system throughput, and minimizing the total cost of production† (p.1). The operation of preparing dinner will be analysis to find where the process has a bottleneck and how to eliminate or reduce the bottleneck time. Identifying the Bottleneck in the Process When preparing dinner marinating the meat has proven to be a bottleneck for the process. For example steak can require up to 24 hours to be marinated, holding production for 24 hours is a problem. Choosing a different cut of meat can reduce the time and can require as little as one hour for the meat to marinate. In the production of preparing dinner an hour is still a bottleneck in the process. Considering it can be one hour to marinate the meat, then twenty minutes to cook while side dishes such as rice will only take about thirty minutes to cook the two process can not be run parallel on product will be undercook while the other overcook. Data Collection Reviewing the data collected over the last four week in preparing dinner the cycle of the process is longer when meat requiring longer marinating time is used in the preparation of dinner. During week two on the second day the preparation of dinner took sixty minutes. The marinating of the meat prevented the process of the side dish to begin because it would cause the meal to be overcooked. The key is to schedule the process capacity carefully to ensure the bottleneck is eliminate or reduce. One step taken to reduce the bottleneck time to make long-term decision regarding the process and have the meat marinates overnight. Avoiding last minute decision increases the efficiently in the process time. Conclusion According to Kamauff, (2010) †bottleneck-point in a process where the flow slows and work-in-process accumulates because of a difference between capacity of one process and the demand of the next†(p.32). Identifying the bottleneck can help plan the process more efficient to reduce the waste of resource such as time. Preparing dinner can be time consuming but with long-term planning and decision making improvements can be made to the process to reduce time. The extra time can be utilize do spend more time with the family reviewing the day.

Wind Farms in Cumbria

A way of preventing this happening Is by using renewable energy. This means that the source of energy wont UN out and It Is sustainable for future generations, unlike fossil fuels which have a Limited supply. They produce little/no greenhouse gases which Is much better for our environment. Forms of renewable energy Include solar energy, hydrophone, biomass, befoul, geothermal energy and most importantly wind energy. Wind turbines generate electricity through this process: the wind turns the blades which then spins a shaft.The shaft connects to a generator which produces electricity. The UK is an ideal place for wind turbines because we are one of the windiest nations in Europe. Cambric in particular is an ideal place to build new wind farms because it is a very hilly area and it has a long coastline; making the area very windy. There is already a wind farm in the village of Great Rotor and so far it has been a success. It has supplied 2,000 homes and has saved about 8,530 tones/year of greenhouse gases.It also gives farmers extra income in the area because the wind farms are built on their land. A decision has been made to build another wind farm in Cambric as it has had quite a lot of success. Callback fells is the location chosen for another wind farm. It as high exposed land which means there will be lots of space for many turbines. Some residents of Cambric are against wind farms being built due to several reasons. Some elderly people cannot live peacefully with the level of noise that the wind farms produce, it gives them headaches.Other members of the community are concerned that it'll ruin the landscape and will stunt the level of tourism generated, as Cambric is a tourist attraction. However, they won't need to be concerned with this location. The location is very remote, therefore It won't cause noise pollution which may bother some citizens. It won't also be ‘ruining the landscape' since there was nothing there before hand. Although the area Is remote, you can access It through country lanes, therefore maintaining the wind farm won't be as difficult to do.Building the wind farms will reduce the level of greenhouse gases In the atmosphere. This Is a positive step for Cambric. By cormorants this is having a negative impact on the world. Fossil fuels generate most of our Hence this contributes to global warming and is impacting the rest of the world. If happening is by using renewable energy. This means that the source of energy won't UN out and it is sustainable for future generations, unlike fossil fuels which have a limited supply.They produce little/no greenhouse gases which is much better for our environment. Forms of renewable energy include solar energy, hydrophone, biomass, a shaft. The shaft connects to a generator which produces electricity. The I-J is an location. The location is very remote, therefore it won't cause noise pollution which nothing there before hand. Although the area is remote, you can access it thr ough Building the wind farms will reduce the level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is a positive step for Cambric.

Demonstrative Communication Essay Example

Demonstrative Communication Essay Example Demonstrative Communication Paper Demonstrative Communication Paper Demonstrative Communication Lauretta Smith BCOM/275 August 22, 2011 David Walker Most of us have heard sayings like â€Å"Say what you mean and mean what you say† or â€Å"Actions speak louder than words†. Adhering to these statements is more difficult than one may imagine. Communication is the exchange of ideas, messages, information, writing, spoken words, and behaviors. Communication can be exchanged in a number of ways. It can be verbal, nonverbal, written, and unwritten. In this essay, I am going to discuss demonstrative communication and its impact on the message intended by the sender and receiver. Demonstrative communication can be described as a process of delivering and receiving verbal and nonverbal as well as written and unwritten messages. Verbal and written messages are reinforced with demonstrative communication. The expression of â€Å"Dress for Success† can be interpreted many different ways depending on the sender and receiver. For example, a young man arrives to an interview dressed in a suit and tie. He has a tattoos slightly peeking out of the collar of his shirt and a small nose ring. The receiver who is part of the Baby Boomers Generation immediately assumes that this young man is defiant and lazy. Therefore, the young man does not get the job. The facts are this young man is an entrepreneur. He owns a lucrative computer software company, however wanted to venture out to do something different. In communication what a person does not verbalize is just as important as what is verbalized. Demonstrative communication is an integral part of communication. Nonverbal communication is an imperative form of communication. According to Cheesebro, O’Connor, and Rios (2010), current estimates put the nonverbal messages at about 2/3 of all the messages that are delivered. Facial expressions, gestures, body language, eye contact, and tone of voice are all examples of the unspoken conversation. For example, my son comes to tell me the exciting news that his team just won the championship and he scored the winning basket. As he is speaking, I am reading a text message from my other son and providing very little eye contact. My son decodes this nonverbal message as â€Å"She really does not care. † Therefore although I say to him â€Å"Congratulations, I am so happy for you†, my message is not believable. Working at Verizon Communications, it was crucial that our nonverbal communication was aligned with our verbal communication. Dealing with customers over the telephone was challenging because although we were not visible to the customers our facial expressions, body language, background noises, and tone of voice could be incorrectly decoded. For example, the office is recognizing its top performers so there is music and cheering in the background. A customer calls to set up new phone service in his new home. The consultant is listening and responding to the customer. She states â€Å"That’s exciting†. The customer decodes the message as the consultant is being attentive and empathetic to his needs because he detects a smile in her voice. The customer does not know about the activities going on in the office. Although this type of communication can be positive, it can also have negative implications as well. The way we look, listen, and interact tell the sender of the message whether or not the receiver is truly listening and engaged. These nonverbal behaviors can either enhance or diminish relationships. The sender and the receiver can effectively utilized unspoken gestures to impact their messages. Unwritten communication is yet another dimension of demonstrative communication. The context, grammar, placement of words, and symbols used can all impact the written message. For example, Kim sends an email to Katherine relaying a message that Mr. Smith left to place an order to change his long distance package. The email is in caps. The email states â€Å"YOU NEED TO CALL THIS CUSTOMER AT 715-555-3444 REGARDING HIS LONG DISTANCE PACKAGE†. Katherine immediately assumes that she made a mistake and that the customer will be irate. Katherine also thinks that Kim is upset with her about this issue. Although this is not the message intended, the encoding of this message by sender was ineffective. All caps used in an email represent shouting. Kim simply did not realize the caps lock was on and did not review the message before sending because she was interrupted by another employee. Listening and responding is vital to ensure that the messages intended are the messages sent (Akerman, 2010) Communication is a two-way conversation. We must enable a channel for feedback whether that is by questioning, paraphrasing, or probing. Misunderstandings occur when effective listening and responding are not utilized. In conclusion, demonstrative communication can have a positive or negative impact on messages for the sender and receiver. Understanding this concept will equip the speaker and listener with the tools necessary to influence the message intended. The outcome of the conversations at home and work can be improved with implementation of this knowledge. The verbal and nonverbal as well as the written and unwritten communication must align in order to send a clear message. All types of communication include a sender, a receiver, a message, and a delivery channel. The communication process is effective when all the elements work well together (Sommers, 2000). References Akerman, J. (2010). Communication and indexical reference. Philosophical Studies, 149(3), 355-366, doi:101007/s11098-099-9347-0. Cheesebro, T. , O’Connor, L. , Rios, F. (2010). Communication in the Workplace. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Sommers, A. L. (2000). Everything You Need to Know About Effective Communication at School and at Work. New York, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

Foucault's Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foucault's Philosophy - Essay Example It is important to situate the topic, to understand in what context it should be viewed in Foucault’s theory. Discipline is distinguished from either torture or punishment; by these distinctions, the discussions on discipline, therefore, excludes those practices that subject the body to atrocious and terrifying abuse, and the strictly punitive measures to which errant individuals are subjected for purposes of either retribution or rehabilitation in atonement for their misdeeds. In describing disciplines, Foucault goes through a description of what they are not. For one, disciplines are not slavery because they do not involve the ownership of the body and its attendant violence. They are not served because they do not subject the individual will to the expressed will of the master. Disciplines are not vassalage because the latter entails a distant relationship that exerts no power over individual behavior or department, but only on the claim to the products of labor and ritual symbols of loyalty. Finally, they are not ascetism, which is a spiritual renunciation of things worldly, and seeks to increase one’s utility over his own body – the reverse of what disciplines do. Foucault draws a parallel between economic exploitation and disciplinary coercion: "If economic exploitation separates the force and the product of labor, [then] disciplinary coercion establishes in the body the constricting link between an increased aptitude and an increased domination† (Foucault, 1977:138).... They are not service, because they do not subject the individual will to the expressed will of the master. Disciplines are not vassalage because the latter entails a distant relationship that exerts no power over individual behaviour or deportment, but only on the claim to the products of labor and ritual symbols of loyalty. Finally, they are not ascetism, which is a spiritual renunciation of things worldly, and seeks to increase one’s utility over his own body – the reverse of what disciplines do. Foucault draws a parallel between economic exploitation and disciplinary coercion: â€Å"If economic exploitation separates the force and the product of labour, [then] disciplinary coercion establishes in the body the constricting link between an increased aptitude and an increased domination† (Foucault, 1977:138). Clearly, then, the aim of discipline is to make the body more capable to do things in a certain way, while at the same time detaching this competency from t he individual’s will over it in favour of a higher degree of obedience to the external will. Discipline then is a â€Å"political anatomy of detail† (p. 139), and the results of discipline then are obedient or â€Å"docile† bodies. Foucault broadly traces the genealogy of disciplinary methods that span centuries. First among these is the art of distributions which refers to how the spatial allocation of individuals influences the body to comply with what is desired of the individual. These refer to enclosures such as factories, schools, barracks; partitioning, where â€Å"each individual has his own place, and each place its individual† (Foucault 1977:143); and functional sites architecturally designed to enhance supervision and

Project plan's name Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Green Maps for a More Sustainable Future - Essay Example More tasks carried out by the organization are through partnering with other institution in carrying out projects such as educating the society, feeding the hungry, providing men and women with skills that are aimed at elevating their living status among others. All the projects carried out are geared towards adhering to the mission and vision of the organization. The mission of the organization is geared towards getting people to lose with the aim of impacting positive change while its vision is to catalyze a global market for information, ideas, and money that democratizes philanthropy (Globalgiving, 2015). The funding of this organization is through donors and well-wishers. Some of the organizations that the institution has partnered with are Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Omidyar Network, USAID (Global Development Alliance), and The Rockefeller Foundation among others (Globalgiving, 2015). It is approximated that since 2002 the number of donors is roughly 421,651 and have carried out approximately 11,669 projects. The projects vary from country to country or region to region depending on situations and needs.Moreover, the projects are of different topics such as finance, education, climate change among other numerous topics ((Globalgiving, 2015). This paper seeks to address a development project being carried out by GlobalGiving on climate change Canada that is currently ongoing. Climate change is one of the major challenging issues in the society today. People have tried modifying the daily weather either by increasing or decreasing heat or temperature of the surrounding. These increase and decrease over a long period of time contribute to climate change. The threat posed by climate change has awakened international community and various governments to start setting up mitigation measures.However, in North America, response to climate change has met several challenges.These challenges are that the public have a conviction and belief