A response on The Yellow Wallpaper Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A response on The Yellow Wallpaper - Thesis Example A response on The Yellow Wallpaper The earliest seeds of feminism brought new changes to the lives of women. During the late 19th Century, they began to express demands on equality, along with the rapid industrialization and their inclusion in the workforce. Gilman’s short fiction reveals the restriction of women’s roles in the society. There are various things that the narrator sees within the yellow wallpaper, which are actually expressions of resistance for the unequal treatment of women in that time. According to Hume, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper" appears to be a text that simultaneously mirrors Gilman's ideological limitations as a feminist reformer, and symbolically moves beyond those limitations† (par. 4) The first time the narrator is in the room where the wallpaper is found, she just described it as a â€Å"particularly irritating one† (9). However, the longer she stayed in the room, the more fixated she becomes with the wallpaper. It is noticed that the intensity of adjectives used to describe the wallpaper increases. . For example, the narrator describes it to be â€Å"irritating,† â€Å"horrid,† and â€Å"hideous;† the increasing intensity of the descriptions may connote that the more society suppresses women’s rights, the more they are encouraged to fight for it. On the other hand, it could also describe the feeling of women towards their limitations to ‘motherly roles.’ When the narrator’s obsession is at peak, she described the wallpaper to be â€Å"hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing† (15). Such statement might describe men as â€Å"hideous† because of the restrictions they made for women. The ‘ugliness’ portrayed by the wallpaper mirrors what the author sees in her society: the distorted and often absolute roles that women must portray because of social expectations. In the middle to the last part of the story, the narrator hallucinates about a â€Å"faint figure behind that seems to shake the pattern† as if â€Å"[it] wants to get out† (14). In this part, the theme becomes more apparent, as it implies about the women to be prisoners of their own household. As the â€Å"faint figure† disturbs the narrator’s mind, the more she feels that she has to help her get out of that wallpaper. This empathy would suggest that the author herself experienced the same kind of imprisonment, and having known the difficulty of being oppressed, she wanted to set that woman in the wallpaper free. In the end however, the narrator concludes that she is one of them, that she is one of the women locked in that wall. The narrator declared that â€Å"[she] get[s] out at last† and â€Å"[they] can’t put her back† because she peeled off all of the wallpaper (26). The Narrator’s Insanity as an Effect of Suppression By the birth of her only daughter Katherine, Gilman suffered from post-partum depression where women tend to be hysterical and nervous. The narrator of the story shows the same symptoms as she â€Å"gets so nervous† when she is close to her baby (6). As a treatment, the narrator’s husband, John, and her brother, as they are both doctors of high acclaim, advised her to refrain from any kind of work. Ironically however, John sees nothing wrong with her wife, yet he

Measuring Shareholder Value Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Measuring Shareholder Value - Term Paper Example Capital gain is the gain that if gotten above an assets original buying price upon disposal. Any realized capital gain forms an investment that has been disposed of as at a profit. An unrealized capital gain may, on the other hand, refer to an investment which is yet to be disposed of but would lead to a profit if it was disposed of. Assets that can realize capital gains may include options, bonds, shares/stock, or businesses. A buyback kind of program involves a situation where a company repurchases its bond or stock that it had issued previously. In that case, the amount of stock that is outstanding reduces and this gives the shareholders that are remaining a bigger ownership stake of that company in the process. (investorwords.com, 2011) Investors in the world over have gotten more informed and, thus, if they have made an investment in a stock and that stock has proven not of much return as they would have wanted, then, they are unlikely to continue holding on to that stock. Thus, this escalated demand for shareholder value has led to a lot of pressure upon finance managers of various organizations. They have to ensure that the companies are earning reasonable profits and besides that, they have to come up with a very appropriate measure to shareholder value. This way, shareholders can monitor the performance of their investments. The task of getting the befitting measure for that can be an uphill one to most managers. In recent times executives have adopted numerous metrics to determine shareholder value and these are with the inclusion of cash flows, operating profits, economic performance, and return on assets. All of these metrics can be applied one at a time or all of them in entirety instantaneously. In the recent past, another metric was introduced by Stern Stewart and Company and this metric was known as EVA (Economic Value Added). EVA is said to evaluate shareholder value through computing the magnitude by which profits surpass the given companyâ₠¬â„¢s cost of capital.           Ã‚  

Overview of Mammography and its Importance

Overview of Mammography and its Importance Mammography is the radiographic imaging of the breasts. It is a special diagnostic and screening tool of the human breasts. A mammography is done with specific x-ray equipment which is able to find tumors too small to be felt. Mammography examinations ultimate goal is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristics masses and / or micro calcifications. A mammogram is the best radiographic method available for early breasts cancer detection. It is ideal and indispensable for women above the age of 40 years old, for whom the risk of breast cancer is increased. Like x-rays, mammogram uses doses of ionizing radiation to create images but at lower dose amplitude-x-rays (most often around 0.7mSv). Radiologists then analyze the produced images for any abnormalities. A longer wavelength x-rays (typically Mo-K) is normally used for mammogram compared to those used in radiography of bones. Like many other medical tests, mammograms are not 100% accurate. The refore, a regular mammogram scheduling is needed to detect any early breasts changes before any obvious signs or symptoms show up. It is also scientifically proven that mammogram can reduce breast cancer mortality rate by more than a third. Despite its function in early detection of breast cancer, mammography has a false-negative (missed cancer) rate of at least ten percent. This is due to the dense tissue obscuring the cancer and the large overlap of cancer appearance in mammograms with normal tissues appearance. Mammography first started in 1960s. However, modern mammography has only existed since 1969 when the first x-ray unit dedicated to breasts imaging was made available to the public. Such examination as a screening device became standard practice by the year of 1976. Mammography then continues to improve as lower dose of radiation able to detect smaller potential problem earlier. Throughout the years, mammography has made advances to further improve its diagnostic ability. Digital mammography and computer aided detection are two examples of recent advances in the field of mammography. Digital mammography, also known as full field digital mammography (FFDM), is a mammography system in which solid-state detectors that convert x-rays to electrical signals replace the conventional x-ray film. These detectors are similar to those found in digital cameras where electrical signals produced are used to create images of breasts which are then projected on a computer screen or printed on a speci al film similar to conventional mammograms. A digital mammogram is essentially the same as a conventional film screen mammogram. Computer aided detection (CAD) systems help to detect abnormalities by using computer software. A digitized mammographic image that can be obtained either from a digitally acquired mammogram or a conventional film mammogram is used by the computer aided systems. The computer software then searches for abnormal areas of mass, density or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. It highlights the abnormal areas on the images, alerting the radiologists to the need of further analysis. A special mammography machine is used for the screening of breasts. The machine comprises of an x-ray tube connected to a breasts support which houses the film cassette or imaging device on a C shaped arm, with moveable compression paddle between the two. There are few standard functional requirements for the mammography machine in order to produce a good quality image. The high voltage generator of mammography machine shall supply a near direct current high voltage with ripple less than 5 percent. Most modern mammography machines have a automatic selection for kilo voltage (kVp) output in order to optimize contrast. The generator produces a constant potential and the high voltage applied to the tube must be from 22 to 35kVp in increments of 1kVp. The focal spot size of mammography machine should be as small as possible to ensure adequate resolution. A focal spot size of 0.3mm is recommendable for general mammography and 0.1mm (small focus) for magnification views. The tube current o f mammography machine should be set as high as possible in order to minimize exposure time and thus reducing the likelihood of motion artifact. A moving grid with grid factor of less than 2.5 at 30 kVp is essential to ensure optimum image quality. An automatic exposure control (AEC) is important in mammography machine. This is due to the wide variation in breasts sizes and compositions. There is little scope for mAs selection errors as there is a need for high radiographic contrast and consequently the system has low latitude. As for image recording material, most of the mammography facilities are still utilizing traditional cassettes, intensifying screens and single emulsion film with processing being taking place. Mammography usually uses cassette containing a single intensifying screen and the film which is usually green sensitive has a single emulsion layer. Both these equipment are essential to give optimum resolution. A mammography film requires high spatial resolution. It sho uld has enough speed to ensure that the dose is acceptable without being so fast that it causes visible quantum mottle and high contrast with enough latitude to show both dense glandular tissue and the skin edge. Quality control, assurance programs and strict processing parameters are vital to ensure the standard in film quality is not compromised. Any reduction in film quality may lead to misinterpretation of image and incorrect diagnosis. In the modern days, digital mammography is slowing making its way to the imaging field. This modern modality has some advantages over the conventional film mammography. The examination time and time between examining patients decreases as chemical processing and changeover of cassette is no longer necessary. Markers can be applied on image digitally. Images produced can also be manipulated. One of the major advantages of image manipulation is the ability for image magnification with significantly less unsharpness compared to those associated with macro or magnification images that are sometimes required to demonstrate suspicious areas already seen on mammograms. Unlike the conventional magnification views, digital magnification does not involve an additional exposure to radiation. Patients are required to do some preparations prior to a mammography examination. Fasting or observation in particular dietetic rules days before mammogram examination is not necessary. However, for women sensitive to caffeine, they shall refrain from taking caffeine containing products such as cola, chocolate and coffee two weeks before undergoing the test. This is because caffeine could make the breasts more tender which may affect the quality of radiograph. Menstrual cycle phase usually does not affect the outcome of the examination. However, it is also highly recommendable to schedule for mammogram one week following patients menstrual cycle. This is so as the breasts are less tender compared to that during pre-ovulatory and postovulatory period (half cycle) as well as during premenstrual period. It is also advisable for patients to wear two piece clothing on examination day to ease the undressing process for mammogram. Cosmetics, oils, creams, lotion and talc or deodorant must n ot be applied hours prior to test at the underarms and breasts areas. Failure in doing so may result in those appearing in mammogram as calcium spots. Patients are also encouraged to bring along all previous mammograms for comparison purposes by the radiologist. Most often, mammograms are done on older patients compared to younger patients. this is due to the breast tissue changes during life. The breast tissue density in younger women often makes mammogram rather difficult to interpret. However, as women age increases, some changes in the structure of breasts occurs as glandular and fibrous tissues reduce in size and this results in breasts tissues become more fatty. On the examination day, a simple interview with the patients is conducted before the examination takes place. They will be asked on any prior surgeries history, family or personal history of breasts cancer as well as hormone use. It is also the responsibility of the radiographer or technologist to enquire the patients last menstrual period as to determine whether the patient is pregnant. Pregnant patients are not recommendable for such examination. Upon completion of the short interview, patients are then ushered to change into hospital gown and remove all potential artifact before proceeding for the examination. When the examination takes place, the breast is compressed using compression paddle on the mammography unit. A parallel plate compression evens out the breast tissue. Compression of breast reduces the thickness of tissue that x-rays penetrate, decreases the amount of scattered radiation, and reduces the required radiation dose and holding the breast (remove movement unsharpness) still and thus improving the image quality. Both craniocaudal, CC view (head to foot) and mediolateral oblique, MLO (angled side view) of the breast are taken in screening mammography. Extra views such as geometrically magnified and spot-compressed views of particular area of concern may be taken in diagnostic mammography. While performing the craniocaudal (CC) view, the mammography unit is positioned with the breast support table (image receptor holder) horizontal and the height adjusted to slightly above the level of patients inframammary angle. The patient is then instructed to face the machine, standing w ith approximately 5-6cm back, feet facing the machine but body rotated 15-20Â ° away from the side under examination. This is so that the breast under examination is brought closer to the image receptor holder and aligned with the center of it. The patients arms hang loosely by her side and head is turned away from the side to be examined. The breast is then lifted gently up and away from the chest wall of patient. While supporting the breast, the height of the machine is adjusted so that the image receptor holder makes contact with the breast at the inframammary fold and the breast is approximately 90Â ° to the chest wall. The breast is then carefully placed in contact with the cassette. Hand is then slowly removed from the breast, whilst ensuring that no skin folds are created underneath the breast. Patients arm of the side under examination is then flexed at the elbow and the hand is placed on the patients lower abdomen or relaxed at the side of the trunk. This relaxes the pect oral muscle. Patients shoulder is gently pressed down to bring the outer quadrant of the breast into contact with the image receptor. Slight pressure is maintained at the patients back to ensure she does not inadvertently pull back from the unit and cause some tissue to be lost from the resultant image. Radiographers thumb is then placed n the medial aspect and middle finger on the superior aspect of the breast, gently pulling forward towards the nipple while the compression is applied slowly. Radiographers other hand is placed on the patients shoulder of the side being examined to ensure that it stays relaxed. The light beam diaphragm can be used during the application of compression. This is to ensure the nipple is in profile, all breast is included in the main beam, both medial and lateral margins are included, no skin folds and an adequate breast compression. A CC marker with left or right identifier is positioned on the axillary edge of the cassette, within the primary beam. Pa tient is strongly advised not to move and the projection is done quickly after that. The same CC procedure is performed on both left and right breast. The CC view with the same procedure is performed on patients both breasts. Besides the CC view, a mediolateral oblique (MLO) view of patients both breasts is also taken for screening mammogram. The positioning of patients for left breast MLO view is to have patient facing the mammography unit with feet pointing towards it. From the position used for CC projection, the unit is rotated through 45Â ° with the x-ray tube on patients right and the beam angled caudally. The height is adjusted to bring the lower border of cassette 2.5cm below the inferior portion of the left breast. It may be necessary to further adjust the height during patient positioning. The lateral edge of the left of the thorax is in line with the image receptor holder so that the left breast also lies next to it. The radiographer then stands behind and slightly to the right of patient. Patient is then asked to raise her left arm and chin. The raising of chin may prevent the superimposition of the mandible over the breast. Patients left breast is then held with right hand and patient is kep t in position by holding on to the right shoulder. Patient who is advised to lean forward into machine with feet still facing forward is asked to lean slightly laterally. The left axilla of patient should lie over the corner of image receptor that is nearest to chest wall. Radiographer then proceeds to life the posterior skin edge of the left axilla to prevent skin folds from occurring. Patients left arm is then pulled across and behind the image receptor holder. Patients elbow is also flexed so that the forearm can be placed on the unit for support and elbow is positioned so that it hangs down comfortably behind the holder. The humeral head is gently pushed forward and the corner of image receptor lies in the axilla, anterior to posterior fold. While the patient maintains the position, radiographer double check to ensure there is no skin fold in the axilla or under the lateral aspect of the breast and to check for and remove any creases at the inframammary angle. The breast is then lifted up and away from the chest wall while holding the patients left shoulder. The breast is then placed on the image receptor and compression is applied. Projection on the left breast is then taken. The same MLO view projection is then repeated vice versa on the right breast of patient. Upon completion of the examination, patient is advised to change back to her clothes. Patient is then escorted out and at the same time patient is informed on her next appointment for the review of results with the radiologist. Any discussion on the results with patient prior to the review of radiologist is prohibited. Mammography has been long known to be an effective modality for breast screening. Such examination improves physicians ability to detect small tumors and early treatment can be performed to reduce mortality rate. Mammogram is also the only proven method to reliably detect tumors as well as all types of breast cancer, including invasive ductal and invasive lobular cancer. Radiation used in mammography examination is of low dosage and usually has no side effects towards patient. Moreover, radiation does not remain in patients body after the examination. Despite its benefits in the purpose of screening and diagnostic, mammography poses certain risks towards its patients. There is a slight chance of cancer from excessive exposure to radiation. The effective radiation dose for this procedure varies depending on the thickness of tissue. However, radiographers are trained to use the lowest radiation dose possible for radiation protection purposes while producing the best images for evaluati on. False positive mammogram is also one of the risks in performing mammogram. Five percent to 15 percent of screening mammograms need more testing such as additional view for mammograms or ultrasound to further determine suspected abnormality. Most of the further tests turn out to be normal. However if there is an abnormal finding, biopsy may be performed on the patient to determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant. Women above the age of 40 are normally advised for a mammogram annually as they pose a higher risk of being diagnose with breast cancer. However, an ultrasound is more preferably performed on patients below the age of 40 as their breasts tissue is denser. Last but not least, women of all age should go for routine breast check up regularly for early detection on any breast abnormalities. Above diagram shows a conventional cassette film mammogram machine. Above diagram shows a Craniocaudal (CC) mammography view in progress. Above diagram shows a Mediolateral Oblique (MLO) view in progress. Above diagram shows a normal (left) mammography image compared to cancerous (right) mammography image.

Analysis of The Rape of the Lock :: Rape Of The Lock Essays

Analysis of The Rape of the Lock The destruction of the grand style of the epic is just what Pope was after in his mock epic, "The Rape of the Lock." Pope had no such universal goal, or moral pronouncements to make as did Milton. His purpose was merely to expose the life of the nobility of his time. While Milton chose blank verse to express the immensity of the landscape of his epic, Pope chose to utilize the heroic couplet to trivialize this grandeur. Pope's quick wit bounces the reader along his detailed description of his parlor-room epic. His content is purposefully trivial, his scope purposefully thin, his style purposefully light-hearted, and therefore his choice of form purposefully geared toward the smooth, natural rhythm of the heroic couplet. The caesura, the end-stopped lines, and the perfect rhymes lend the exact amount of manners and gaiety to his work. Writing for a society that values appearances and social frivolities, he uses these various modes of behavior to call attention to the behavior itself. Pope compares and contrasts. He places significant life factors (i.e., survival, death, etc.) side by side with the trivial (although not to Belinda and her friends: love letters, accessories). Although Pope is definitely pointing to the "lightness" of the social life of the privileged, he also recognizes their sincerity in attempting to be polite and well-mannered and pretend to recognize where the true values lie. Pope satirizes female vanity. He wrote the poem at the request of his friend, John Caryll, in an effort to make peace between real-life lovers. The incident of the lock of hair was factual; Pope's intention was to dilute with humor the ill feelings aroused by the affair. He was, in fact, putting a minor incident into perspective, and to this end, chose a mock-heroic form, composing the poem as a "take-off" epic poetry, particularly the work of Milton. He is inviting the individuals involved to laugh at themselves, to see how emotion had inflated their response to what was really an event of no consequence. For the reader, the incident becomes a statement about human folly, a lesson on female vanity, and a satire of the rituals of courtship. Perhaps Pope also intended to comment on the meaningless lives of the upper classes.

Database Needs for Early Learning Programs Essay

The Outcomes and Targets for the recently passed Families and Education Levy are very high. At the heart of the levy is accountability and using data in timely ways to improve annual outcomes. In the realm of Early Learning the dollars will double and the number of children and professional staff served will increase dramatically. The need for reliable, accessible data is great. An HSD IT web based data system (ELNIS) was created in 2006 for the previous levy. It was deployed in the summer of 2007 and began to be used in the 2007-2008 school year. Hosted by the state of Washington, it is accessible to each agency under contract with the city through a city purchased computer and digital certificate. Help desk support and training are also provided by the city. In 2009 the state ECEAP program substantially changed its enrollment form. ELNIS no longer matches the data elements required by the state. It was decided, because the change came so late in the year, that it was not feasible to make the changes in ELNIS. For the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years the data has been out of sync with enrollment forms for ECEAP. ELNIS was designed in 2005 with the hope of having a single early learning data base for ECEAP, Step Ahead, and Child Care Subsidy. This proved to be unfeasible given the time constraints and limited resources available to accomplish the task. Children are entered into multiple data bases that do not connect with each other, but all ECEAP children are also in ELNIS. In 2010 Creative Curriculum substantially change the child assessment tool, such that in the final year of the levy 2010-2011 the child assessment data is no longer uploaded into ELNIS. Again it was decided not to reconfigure ELNIS to match the changes in the assessments because of time and cost, until the new levy passed. The OFE monthly report drives the immediate need for data. Each month OFE requires a data set of demographics, attendance and assessment data be delivered on the last day month following the month reported. In the MOA each year between OFE and HSD the data elements are negotiated. The data reporting required for early learning in 2010-2011 is on pages 5 – 8 of this report. These will still form a substantial part of the required data, but there will be additional items and number of records will increase substantially. Further, each year an analysis is completed by the data and evaluation strategic advisor in August/September for the previous school year. The data is used to help managers and education specialists to improve the performance of the agencies in the next school year. This process begins by creating a large data set of assessments matched to each child who has been served. The early vision was that the data would be stored in ELNIS and download for use in evaluations ready to be reported or analyzed. ELNIS is capable of containing the demographic data (although it no longer matches the data collected for ECEAP families) for each child, the agency, site and classroom data, and the ECERS assessment. It can no longer upload the Embedded Child Profile Assessment data, the PPVT- 4 child data, nor any data about professional development. All of this data must be managed separately in Excel spreadsheets and appended to the download from ELNIS. Increased needs for data and new data elements The new levy includes six components of which are three are new and three are expanded: †¢Professional Development †¢Family Engagement and Outreach †¢Preschool †¢Kindergarten Transition †¢Home Visiting Program †¢Health and Mental Health Support for Children The new required elements for reporting are expected to include the following indicators of progress toward the outcomes: †¢Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) – Caregivers/Adults will demonstrate increased positive behavior on the Parent and Child Together tool (PACT). †¢PCHP – Children will meet standard on the Child Behavior Traits (CBT) and the Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL). †¢Family Friend and Neighbor’s (FFN†S) Care Providers – Caregivers/Adults will demonstrate increased positive behavior on the Parent and Child Together tool (PACT). †¢Step Ahead Preschool Programs – Children enrolled will meet the Standard Score and/or make gains on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4) of Receptive English by the end of the preschool year. †¢Step Ahead Preschool serving children who are English Language Learners: Children will make statistically significant gains in English Language Acquisition at the end of the preschool year on the PPVT-4. †¢Step Ahead Preschool – Children will meet age level expectations at the end of the preschool year on Teaching Strategies Gold Child (TSG) assessment. †¢Children served by Step Ahead and SEEC and enrolled in full-day kindergarten – Children will meet the age-level expectations on Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) . †¢SEEC Pre-K – Classrooms will meet the Environmental Rating Scale (ERS) standard at the end of the program year. †¢SEEC Pre-K – Teachers will meet standard on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) at the end of the program year. †¢Children enrolled in Step Ahead pre-K program will have fewer than 5 absences per semester. †¢Children served by a Step Ahead Preschool will be assessed at level 2 or higher on the district English assessment test at the beginning of Kindergarten. †¢Number of early learning and child care settings receiving targeted consultation or training. †¢% of children who enroll in kindergarten on time. †¢% of children enrolled in full day kindergarten. †¢% of children who attend 90% of school days. †¢% of children who meet the birth to 3-year indicator for health (TBD). †¢% of 4 year olds who meet standard on the curriculum embedded assessment in preschool. Early Learning Health †¢Number of early learning and child care settings and providers receiving targeted consultation or training. †¢Number of children in early learning and child care settings receiving developmental assessments. †¢Number of children in early learning and child care referred for mental health therapy and/or medical follow-up. †¢Number of low-income families linked to a health care home, Medicaid coverage, and/or other health care resources. Assessment Tools used to provide outcome and indicator data Formative Assessments †¢Child: Teaching Strategies Gold (administered fall, winter and spring of the pre-k year) †¢Classroom: Curriculum-embedded classroom checklist (administered annually) †¢CLASS: Annual voluntary observation of pre-k and kindergarten- 3rd grade teachers to measure teacher effectiveness. Summative Assessments †¢Child – PPVT-4 (administered fall and spring of pre-k ) †¢Child – WaKIDS ( administered fall and spring of kindergarten) †¢Classroom – ECERS ( administered annually) Performance Payment with OFE will likely include these Outcomes (indicators) 2010-11 Indicator BaselinesNumber of Students Meeting IndicatorPercent of Students Meeting Indicator Families demonstrating increased positive behavior on the PACT and the CBT 35/4283. 3% Children making gains in the Standard Score from the fall pre-PPVT to the spring post-PPVT 657/93570. 3% Children with a minimum of two assessments meeting age-level expectations on Teaching Strategies Gold397/546 73. 0% Children are in classrooms meeting an ECERS standard of 5 in each subscale or an average of 6 in all subscales. 397/636 62. 4% Indicator Targets2010-20112012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19 Families demonstrating increased positive behavior on the PACT and the CBT 83. 3% 84% 85% 86% 87% 88% 89% 90% Children making gains in the Standard Score from the fall pre-PPVT to the spring post-PPVT 70. 3% 73% 76% 80% 83% 86% 89% 90% Children with a minimum of two assessments meeting age-level expectations on Teaching Strategies Gold 73. 0% 75% 78% 81% 84% 87% 89% 90% Children are in classrooms meeting an ECERS standard of 4 in each subscale or an average of 6 in all subscales. 62. 4% 67% 71% 76% 80% 85% 89% 90% Conclusions: ELNIS as currently configured will not meet the needs of the Early Learning System to report data to the funder, to use data for improving outcomes, or to manage data for contract payment purposes and monitoring. Either work needs to begin ASAP on reconfiguring ELNIS or a new data system needs to be created or purchased. Options include an HSD IT build or a purchase of a configurable off the shelf software system, such as Adsystech or ETO. Data will need to begin being reported to OFE in the fall of 2012, eight months from now. What options exist for meeting this need? What resources are available? What planning team should be assembled? Data Set currently required to be reported by OFE (2010-2011) SEEC Early Learning – Pre-K Source: HSD (monthly) Data ElementData TypeNotes YearNumericThe year of the period that the data is reported for. e. g. 2006 for reporting period December 2006. MonthNumericThe month of the period that the data is reported for. e. g. 12 for reporting period December 2006 Child HSD IDNumeric1 = English 2 = Other than English 3 = English and another language 4 = not reported Student IDNumericEnter SPS Student ID after child is enrolled in Kindergarten Ethnicity CodeChar 25 categories from SPS Child’s Home LanguageNumeric Gender CodeChar 1 SEEC Agency CodeChar 4Corresponds with Agency name look-up table SEEC Site CodeChar 4Corresponds with classroom site look-up table SEEC Classroom Code Char 7Corresponds with classroom look-up table. SEEC StatusNumeric1 = Step-Ahead Pre-K 2 = Step Ahead Match SEEC TierNumericTier I – Step Ahead, Tiny Tots, Refugee Women’s Alliance, and Jose Marti Tier II – Denise Louie Education Center/Head Start Tier III – Non-Step Ahead Early Childhood Education and Assistance Programs (ECEAP) , Neighborhood House Head Start Tier IV – Comprehensive Child Care Program (CCCP), other Head Start Programs in the City of Seattle Days in Pre-K ProgramNumeric/NullTotal number of days the student has participated in the Pre-K program during the month. ECERS Average Subscale Scores and average totalNumericRange 1-7 ECERS – Met StandardYes/No/Null ECERS average score of 4 across all 7 elements Classroom Quality StandardYes/No/NullClassroom met quality standards Classroom LevelNumeric/NullClassroom score based on years of experience and training 1st Child Assessment – Social/Emotional DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 1st Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR 1st Child Assessment – Physical DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 1st Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR. 1st Child Assessment – Cognitive DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 1st Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR 1st Child Assessment – Language DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 1st Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR 2nd Child Assessment – Social/Emotional DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 2nd Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR 2nd Child Assessment – Physical DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 2nd Creative Curriculum child assessment. or High/Scope COR 2nd Child Assessment. Cognitive DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 2nd Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR. 2nd Child Assessment – Language DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 2nd Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR. 3rd Child Assessment – Social/Emotional DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 3rd Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR. 3rd Child Assessment – Physical DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 3rd Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR. 3rd Child Assessment. Cognitive DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 3rd Creative Curriculum child assessment. 3rd Child Assessment – Language DevelopmentNumeric/NullStudent’s level from the 3rd Creative Curriculum child assessment or High/Scope COR. Formative Assessment – ChildYes/No/NullChild met the standard in the final embedded assessment as adopted by the SEEC assessment workgroup. PCHPYes/No/NullParticipated in Parent-Child Home Program. SEEC Early Learning – Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition PPVT Source: HSD (twice yearly) Data ElementData TypeNotes Child HSD IDNumeric. Child AgeXX-XXChild’s age at time of test in years and months 1st assessment – standard scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s standard score from the 1st Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. 1st assessment – raw scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s raw score from the 1st Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 1st assessment – grade equivalent scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s grade equivalent score from the 1st Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 1st assessment – age equivalent scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s age equivalent score from the 1st Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 1st assessment – growth scale valueNumeric/NullStudent’s growth scale value from the 1st Peabody Picture. Vocabulary Test 1st assessment – percentile scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s percentile score from the 1st Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 2nd assessment – standard scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s standard score from the 2nd Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. 2nd assessment – raw scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s raw score from the 2nd Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 2nd assessment – grade equivalent scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s grade equivalent score from the 2nd Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 2nd assessment – age equivalent scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s age equivalent score from the 2nd Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 2nd assessment – growth scale valueNumeric/NullStudent’s growth scale value from the 2nd Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 2nd assessment – percentile scoreNumeric/NullStudent’s percentile score from the 2nd Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. SEEC Early Learning – ECERS Source: HSD (twice yearly) Data ElementData TypeNotes SEEC Classroom Code Char 7Corresponds with classroom look-up table  1st ECERS score – Space and FurnishingsNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS score – Personal Care RoutinesNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS score – Language and Reasoning Numeric/NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS score – Activities Numeric/NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS score – Interaction Numeric/ NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS score – Program StructureNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS score – Parents and StaffNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 1st ECERS cumulative classroom scoreNumeric/NullAverage score across all subscales 2nd ECERS Score – Space and FurnishingsNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS Score – Personal Care RoutinesNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS Score – Language and Reasoning Numeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS Score. – ActivitiesNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS Score – InteractionNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS Score – Program StructureNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS Score – Parents and StaffNumeric/NullAverage score for subscale 2nd ECERS cumulative classroom scoreNumeric/NullAverage score across all subscales. Early Learning – Parent-Child Home Program Source: HSD (twice yearly) Data ElementData TypeNotes YearNumericThe year of the period that the data is reported for, e. g. , 2006 for reporting period December 2006. MonthNumericThe month of the period that the data is reported for, e. g. , 12 for reporting period December 2006. Child HSD IDNumeric Student IDNumericEnter SPS Student ID after child is enrolled in Kindergarten Ethnicity CodeChar 25 categories from SPS, Other, Bi-Racial/Multi Racial Gender CodeChar 1 AgeNumeric In Parent-Child Home Visitor ProgramYes/NoStudent has participated in the Parent-Child Home Visitor Program during the month. Parent-Child Home Visitor Program – Provider CodeNumeric292 = Atlantic Street Center 304 = Neighborhood House at Rainier Vista 305 = Neighborhood House at New Holly 310 = Southwest Youth and Family Services Parent-Child Home Visitor Program – Total Number of VisitsNumeric/NullCumulative number of visits during the month. 1st Child Behavior Traits (CBT) Assessment – Cooperation with Adults Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4: average score for items that make up the domain shown at left 1. Does not exhibit this behavior 2. Sometimes exhibits this behavior 3. Most of the time exhibits this behavior 4. Always exhibits this behavior 1st CBT Assessment – Attention to Task Domain. Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4: average score for items that make up the domain shown at left 1. Does not exhibit this behavior 2. Sometimes exhibits this behavior 3. Most of the time exhibits this behavior 4. Always exhibits this behavior 1st CBT Assessment – Engagement in Developmentally Appropriate Tasks Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4: average score for items that make up the domain shown at left 1. Does not exhibit this behavior 2. Sometimes exhibits this behavior. 3. Most of the time exhibits this behavior 4. Always exhibits this behavior 2nd CBT Assessment – Cooperation with Adults DomainNumeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 2nd CBT Assessment – Attention to Task DomainNumeric/NullScore ranges 1-4. 2nd CBT Assessment – Engagement in Developmentally Appropriate Tasks DomainNumeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 3rd CBT Assessment – Cooperation with Adults DomainNumeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 3rd CBT Assessment – Attention to Task DomainNumeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 3rd CBT Assessment – Engagement in Developmentally Appropriate Tasks DomainNumeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 1st Parent and Child Together (PACT) Assessment – Parent-Child Interactions Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 average score for items that make up the domain shown at left 1. Does not exhibit this behavior 2. Sometimes exhibits this behavior 3. Most of the time exhibits this behavior 4. Always exhibits this behavior 1st PACT Assessment -Positive Parenting Behavior Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4: average score for items that make up the domain shown at left 1. Does not exhibit this behavior 2. Sometimes exhibits this behavior 3. Most of the time exhibits this behavior 4. Always exhibits this behavior 2nd PACT Assessment – Parent-Child Interactions Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 2nd PACT Assessment – Positive Parenting Behavior Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 3rd PACT Assessment – Parent-Child Interactions Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4 3rd PACT Assessment – Positive Parenting Behavior Domain Numeric/NullScore ranges 1-4. 1st Teacher Rating of Oral Language and Literacy (TROLL) Assessment – Language ScoreNumeric/NullScore ranges 0-20 (5 items with maximum of 4 points for each item) 1st TROLL Assessment – Reading ScoreNumeric/NullScore ranges 0-20 (5 items with maximum of 4 points for each item) 1st TROLL Assessment – Print Concept ScoreNumeric/NullScore ranges 0-12 (3 items with maximum of 4 points for each item). 2nd TROLL Assessment – Language ScoreNumeric/NullScore ranges 0-20 (5 items with maximum of 4 points for each item) 2nd TROLL Assessment – Reading ScoreNumeric/NullScore ranges 0-33 (8 items with maximum of 4 points for each item; one Yes/No item scored 1/0 ) 2nd TROLL Assessment – Print Concept ScoreNumeric/NullScore ranges 0-28 (7 items with maximum of 4 points for each item).

Current Events in Business Research Edit

Identifying Research Problem The first step and perhaps one of the most critical steps in carrying out cuisines research is to isolate and identify the problem. In the research study we are considering the problem identified is how a company can be assisted in accurately predicting short and long term sales forecasts by analyzing factors that affect the sales performance of its life insurance agents. By analyzing this data the goal is to produce a predictive model of agent and agency performance in an attempt to figure out the most important predictors of successful sales performance.This model would allow increased focus and training based on the predictors to maximize sales by the life insurance agents and their prospective agencies as a whole. Research Method Used The type of method used in the study is the reporting study type. Using this method the researchers considered characteristics of agents including formal education, professional education and various types of training us ed in the industry. The researchers also considered other studies in an effort to provided baseline and comparison models to use in helping develop their hypothesis.How Research is Solving the Problem This study went beyond what other studies failed to do, because it provided further analysis and comparative data to further study and investigate radioactivity. Much of the prior research seemed to only measure certain factors e. G. Behavioral, tenure, and education. This study looked at both sales and commissions for home service agents and regular agents because of the significance in number Of policyholders and leads.They study required data to be collected by contacting area agencies and having those agencies complete questionnaires on each of their sales agents with at least one year of contract. The final data was compiled from seven local agencies including Commonwealth Life Insurance Company and The Prudential Life Insurance to name a few. The study described its weakness for data that was often time hard to evaluate and not readily available or hard to measure. For instance, the study about agents with formal education, professional education and specific training showed no effect on production.The benefit of the study was that it was able to analyze possible factors that were believed to have an effect on an insurance agent's productivity. The approach of this study used two research techniques. It used basic a reporting study that summarized data to compare findings on the topic collecting their own independent analysis and used only data that was objective. The article referenced previous studies and data available on the subject, and then relied on its own findings and research. Over the years there had been research that suggested other causal affects of an agent's productivity.In this effect the study also used explanatory research because it compared prior studies and looked at the hypothesis that caused the inability to increase productivity. Th e study required data to be collected by contacting area agencies and having those agencies complete questionnaires on each of their sales agents with at least one year of contract. The final data was compiled from seven coal agencies including Commonwealth Life Insurance Company and The Prudential Life Insurance to name a few.