Abstract This paper explains that, in the colonial era, education was largely exclusive and focused on the religious education of males. The author points out that modern higher education has been shaped by the implementation of technology, with students commonly using laptops in class and with teachers using overheads and computer-generated lessons. The paper stresses that higher education today encompasses much more than the universities, degree-granting accredited community colleges, and four-year colleges recognized as "higher education" by the U.S. Department of Education; in addition, corporate classrooms, virtual universities, and proprietary schools educate millions of individuals outside of this narrow definition.
From the Paper "At the same time, educational opportunities of minorities, including African Americans were limited during the early years of higher education. W.E.B DuBois was the first African American to get a Ph.D. degree from Harvard, receiving his degree in 1890 despite opposition to his entrance to the school. Booker T. Washington was also an important figure in African American education, and as head of the Tuskegee Institute, he taught newly freed slaves skills in education, business, and the trades."
Abstract This paper explains that the main hypothesis of this study is, while arts education in New Jersey is getting as much attention as it ever has, the state of New Jersey arts education has no effect either on school improvement initiatives related to arts education or on calculation of students' GPAs. The author further hypothesized that, while arts educators in New Jersey may well be feeling some dampening effects, financially or through curriculum demands, of NCLB, school districts typically do not receive funds from any outside sources, including parents groups, Booster Clubs, or local businesses to fund arts education programs. The paper includes the complete questionnaire developed by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, to be send to a sample consisting of 50% or more of the 604 New Jersey arts superintendents across virtually every school district in the state of New Jersey.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Restatement of Hypothesis
Sample description
Instrument
Data analysis
The Complete Questionnaire
From the Paper "The standards came into being as a result of a reform effort generated in the 1980s, emerging in several states and gaining nationwide visibility with the publication of A Nation at Risk in 19783. As a result, six national educational goals were announced in 1990. Later, with the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, the goals were written into law, naming the arts as an essential academic subject as important to education as language, mathematics, history, civics and government, geography, the sciences and foreign language ability."
Abstract This paper presents a literature review regarding immigrant elementary school students and the techniques that are being used to educate them. The writer provides a critical review of published literature regarding the topic. It focuses on difficulties being faced by the educationdepartments in educating chidren who are not native English speakers and how the systems which are currently being used are not working.
From the Paper "As the world continues to globalize it is becoming more important than ever to establish standard methods of teaching the immigrant elementary school students in this country. The non-English speaking students that live in America are struggling with two issues. They are trying to learn the basics, such as reading, writing, and math and build concept after concept to prepare them for higher level learning in later grades. While they are doing this they are also trying to grasp the English language. The educational system is charged with the education of all its students, regardless of their primary language. Throughout the system there has been examination of the situation and many studies and articles have been published regarding the best way to educate these students."
Abstract This paper argues that, although many Americans do not see the U.S. higher education system as a troubled area, if they were to look closer, they would recognize that it is in desperate need of reform. The author points out that, over the past few decades, our higher education systems have been lagging in four key components: access, affordability, quality and accountability. The paper relates that Secretary Margaret Spellings and the U.S. Department of Education did a year-long investigation of the Higher Education system in hopes of coming up with effective solutions to these problems. The paper underscores that many students do not feel ready for college because they are inadequately prepared and there are many financial barriers. The paper stresses that, because the system is so intrinsically linked to the future success of the children and the nation, its reform should be one of the highest priorities.
From the Paper "Just between 1995 and 2005, the tuition for attending a private four-year college rose about 36 percent, 51 percent in public institutions and 30 percent in community colleges (after adjusting for inflation). The worst part of this is that there are no incentives for colleges and universities to cut their costs because prestige is often measured by resources. Along with affordability is the problem of financial aid in the U.S. Our financial aid systems is too complex, long, confusing, inefficient, and usually does not provide aid for those who require it the most."
Abstract An extensive study of home-schooling, evaluating this form of education with a positive outlook based on a large body of evidence including standardized test scores, collegiate performance and expert opinions. The paper explores education theories and the history of public education in America. The author of the paper offers conclusive and thought-provoking arguments in favor of home-schooling.
From the Paper "For years, reform within the public, mandatory educational system was viewed by most as the only option for improving education. Now, we have seen the advent of the ?home schooling movement,? a response to educational reform involving complete renunciation of the public school system, and home schooling has received increasing media coverage. Yet the idea of teaching children at home is not a new one. Shaw and others saw the advantages of home schooling over a century ago. ?My schooling [...] prevented me from being educated to such an extent,? he wrote, "which infuriates me to think of all I might have learned at home by myself" (quoted by Libertarian). In his time, the idea of keeping a child at home, instead of sending them to school, was entertained by only a few radical thinkers, but it is now a viable option for American families, legal in all fifty states (Callaway 6). Given this newfound freedom, we should explore the possibility that home schooling is a superior approach to learning, with better long-term results, than public education -- just as the intellectual elite of Shaw's day suggested."
Abstract This paper explains that Title IX of the civil rights statute for education banned all gender-based discrimination in education, except under extremely limited exceptions, such as physical contact sports. The author points out that single-gender schooling, which has a relatively successful model in the private sector, is one possible resolution to encourage academic achievement. The paper relates that, although there has been no conclusive research on the effectiveness of single-sex schooling experiments in limited public school districts, President George W. Bush, as a component of his "No Child Left Behind Act", has arranged a three million-dollar endowment for the establishment of single-gendered schooling. The author argues that it is most important that the quality of education and curriculum remains uniform to both sexes.
From the Paper "George W. Bush's plan to allocate almost three million dollars in an effort to create more single-sex classes necessitates a great deal of restructuring that will undoubtedly affect both the teachers and students within public school systems. Under Bush's plan, however, single-sex vocational at the K-12 level would remain outlawed. Bush's revision of Title IX is contingent upon the notion that schools will remain "evenhanded," which indicates that boys and girls must be treated equally with respect to the courses that are offered to them."
Tags: options, restrictions, discrimination, private, bush
Abstract This paper takes an in-depth look at the educational system in Canada with emphasis on the public school system. The writer compares it with other like system and shows how they differ. Topics discussed are curriculum, tuition and standards. The question of which government body is responsible for the education system is also raised.
From the Paper "Two of the major goals of education are to provide society with the skills and knowledge required for growth, and to give each individual the opportunity for personal development and achievement. The pursuit of these two aims can sometimes conflict, so the Canadian approach to the public education system is founded on coordination, in an attempt to provide education that is diversified, comprehensive, and available to all. The public education system in Canada differs from most countries in that it is composed of ten provincial and three territorial systems, which in addition to controlling public education, is also responsible for denominational schools and private education. The legalities of attendance are common to all thirteen systems, and children are legally required to begin school at the age of six or seven, and must attend until they reach the age of sixteen or seventeen. In order to facilitate this obligation, all public education in Canada, from kindergarten through to grade twelve, is publicly funded and free to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents until the end of secondary school. Post secondary and higher education differs, in that it relies on the payment of tuition fees in all but a handful of cases, such as in Quebec where the general and vocational colleges (CEGEPs) remain publicly funded (Manzer 1994)."
Abstract The paper defines the Higher Education Act, established 30 years ago to offer financial aid to people seeking higher education. It thereafter examines the 1998 provision denying this aid to people with prior drug convictions. The affect of this new provision on colleges and universities throughout the United States is discussed.
From the Paper "But many students and politicians have voiced out against the bill, saying that it is class-discriminatory and racist. Several student and statewide organizations, including the University of Southern California Student Senate and statewide New York and Wisconsin organizations, have recently passed new resolutions speaking out against the bill, on the grounds that financial aid should be given out to academically qualified students who need the aid to attend college."
Abstract This paper argues that English-language learners (ELLs) and underprivileged and minority children that have difficulty fitting in with mainstream schools need more latitude in dealing with their language and socio-economic barriers. The author of the paper is of the opinion that bilingual programs and charter schools hold the best hope for providing them with a foundation to succeed despite their initial limitations. Bilingual programs allow students to learn in the only language that they understand and charter schools devise programs that serve the needs of children that have had trouble succeeding in traditional schools.
From the Paper "Bilingual education would be a better way to pursue the welfare of ELL students for several reasons. Contrary to popular fears, bilingual education does not prevent students from learning English or from assimilating into American culture. Instead, bilingual education teaches English in a very effective manner while providing students with the ability to learn academic content through their native language that they are the most comfortable with. Thus, students become proficient in two languages that will prove beneficial in adulthood, without sacrificing their ability to do well in school because they can"t understand their teachers. With respect to the sheltered instruction/structured immersion option, it's simply not fair to offer inferior academic content to students that can"t speak English. This, in essence, denies them the right to an equal education."
Abstract Explores the purpose, goals, rationale, and implementation strategy behind Maine's educational statute, which required that every school district in the state of Maine develop and implement Career Preparation Education Programs for all students.
From the Paper "The Career Preparation Implementation Plan purpose is to ensure that all students enrolled in K-12 are given the opportunity to achieve the content standards in the Career Preparation program. The goals of the program include aligning curricula to meet the Learning Results goals established by the department of education, is focused on enabling K-12 develop core knowledge and learning skills that they can build on throughout their time in Maine's public schools system and places an emphasis on continuous improvement of both the teachers and the students. The rationale driving this new focus include the idea that will have a positive impact on students and the communities they live in, and the fact that Career Preparation Education has been incorporated the Maine Job Council's Strategic plans."
Abstract The NCLB Act has placed greater demands on states and school districts than ever before. States are expected to define the level of proficiency that all students are expected to reach and set a timetable for schools to bring all their students up to this level by school year 2013-14. This paper shows that, while some initial studies have documented the problems associated with implementing the NCLBA, there is sparse research that documents the perceptions of teachers and administrators as to the current state and alignment of schools in relation to the NCLBA. There remains a need to further explore and document such perceptions, including those associated with the NCLBA and leadership, teaching and learning processes, technology, parental involvement, stakeholder involvement, local school council, knowledge on special education, teacher qualifications, and the degree to which yearly progress is being achieved. The overall purpose of this proposed dissertation study, therefore, is to investigate and further document current perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding NCLBA.
Paper Outline:
Background/Context of the Problem
Statement of the Problem
Research Questions
Purpose of the Study
Research Methodology
Research Design
Literature Review
References
Teacher Questionnaire
From the Paper "Research conducted after the first year of NCLBA implementation suggested that while the federal government had made lofty promises for the success of this initiative, the magnitude of change that needed to occur in American public education to bring about those promises had been underestimated (Center on Education Policy, 2003) . As also reported by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), while President George W. Bush had supported a significant increase in appropriations for the first year of NCLB as part of a political compromise to get the measure enacted, his budget for the second year proposed a much smaller increase with the states lacking the financial resources to make up the funding difference. Additionally, as concluded by the CEP, since the Act was signed, the nation's attention and resources have shifted to a war on terrorism and preparation for engagement in a war in Iraq. According to the report provided by the CEP, while the original ESEA failed because it provided money without accountability, the NCLB Act demands heavy accountability without much greater federal financial and technical assistance, representing an approach no more likely to succeed."
Abstract This paper explains that department store shopping is an experience most women enjoy and many men hate; however, women are not the only ones who shop. The author points out that the priorities of the department store often depend upon who the buyers are and their gender culture and ethnic backgrounds. The paper relates that often different items are strategically staged to draw the interest of different buyers, such as beauty supplies are often placed in the front of the department store so it attracts the attention of women entering into the store.
Abstract This paper gives an extensive presentation of the Nordstrom's department store chain. First, the writer describes the history and background of the stores. This is followed by an analysis of Nordstrom's marketing strategy and its target market. Also described is the Nordstrom approach to merchandising, which involves dividing the store into departments to give the shopper the feeling of being in a smaller boutique. The author further develops Nordstrom's marketing and merchandising techniques by highlighting their Website. The paper concludes with the author's own suggestions for Nordstrom's to increase their sales and market share.
Outline:
History/Background
Market Strategy
Target Market
Lifestyle Departments Organization on Web Site Vs. Brick and Mortar
Alternatives
Sources
From the Paper "Nordstrom continued to grow and soon became the largest independent shoe chain in the United States. Entering the late 1960's, the company was looking to expand its retail chain by adding apparel. The Nordstrom sons bought a Seattle based clothing store, Best Apparel, and later merged the store with one of its shoe stores in Portland. The sons added children's wear and men's wear to the mix in 1966, finally making Nordstrom a one-stop store for the whole family. When the company went public in 1971, it formally changed its name to Nordstrom, Inc. Soon after, Nordstrom opened stores in California and eventually made a move to the east coast with the first store in McLean Virginia at Tyson's Corner Center."
Abstract This report analyzes the problem that the Department of Defense faced regarding the Y2K issue. The paper explores what course of actions they must undertake to tackle the problem. In the end the report summarizes conclusions and suggests recommendations.
Abstract This paper describes the organizational structure and the different levels of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and then goes on to point out the weaknesses and strengths of this type of structure. Next, the paper presents recommendations for improving the agency's structure based on the analysis provided of its structural weaknesses and strengths.
From the Paper "Another potential weakness with the structure relates to the range of departments within the structure. As noted, the National Institutes of Health has over 17,000 employees and a budget of over $27 billion. In contrast, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has 294 employees and a budget of $309 million (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HHS: What We Do, 2003). The question this raises is whether the departments receive equal attention from the Office of the Secretary, or whether attention is related to size. If attention is related to size, it is possible to assume that the smaller divisions may be neglected. This could include not providing adequate control, supervision, or assistance."
