Leadership Management and Administration in Early Childhood Education Essay

Part 1 Operating a childcare centre can be a very challenging and rewarding career. Success in this field requires dedication, love and patience. There are a few types of childcare programmes catering to parents who have to leave their children at school and go to work. There is full-day programme, half-day programme and flexi-care programme. For those who do not want their children to be in a school environment for long hours, they have kindergartens and enrichment programmes. The demand for childcare services steadily increases as more and more women enter the workforce, giving up their roles of full-time mothers and house makers. Planning and operating a childcare programme consumes much time and energy thus, it is important that motivations, skills, experience and personality are thoroughly assessed. Early childhood care and education services are under the control of two Ministries in Singapore; Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). MCYS targets the childcare sector, which consists of children from two months to six years whereas MOE concentrates on children aged four to six in a kindergarten setting. Quality has become a priority issue for all concerned with early childhood care and education services. Starting from the premise that quality is a relative and dynamic concept based on values and beliefs. Providing quality education for children ensures that the learning journey and relationships in the early years of their lives have meaningful effects to their future achievements. (â€Å"Singapore pre-school accreditation,† 2010) Role of a Supervisor According to SPARK, â€Å"Leaders set the direction and tone for the preschool. † Leaders are a very important aspect in any organisation. Leaders must understand and play important roles; they must use evidence from research to make decisions; and they must work collaboratively. A good leader must have a strong philosophy which will enable her to deliver well. Having a good philosophy enables the leader to plan meaningful goals and objectives for the centre. Supervisors can play a pivotal role in â€Å"reinforcing philosophy in school settings and helping teachers integrate the theoretical frameworks with classroom realities. † (Grossman, 1990, p. 133) Having a good bond with the teachers will ensure that the supervisor has found a good team to work with and should constantly keep renewing the bond with her teachers. This can be done by looking into the teachers’ welfare and giving them benefits from time to time to motivate and encourage the teachers to work consistently. At the same time, the supervisor must set a good example to her team of teachers by practising what she preaches. A good supervisor should also encourage her staff to further their education and when they do, not hesitate to promote them and give them bigger responsibilities. The supervisor should evaluate the quality of the learning environment and the centre as a whole. Catering to Children’s Needs It is well documented that racial and ethnic identity, and developing concepts about racial and ethnic diversity are development tasks that begin in early childhood. According to NAEYC(2005), diversity in children, families and colleagues should be respected. Multiracial and multiethnic children not only have identity needs but they are also having difficulties adjusting to our early childhood and school programmes because their unique needs are not being met. For successful implementation of a programme, the supervisor has to look into the diverse backgrounds of the children. According to DAP (2009), â€Å"Development and learning occur in and are influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts†. The supervisor has to understand that children’s development requires viewing each child within the sociocultural context of the child’s family, educational setting, community and the society. The contexts are interrelated thus, they all strongly influence how the child develops. Celebrating different festivals together as a centre and talking about different cultural backgrounds during lessons are a good way to include children from various cultural backgrounds. While implementing a programme, the supervisor might come across children from dysfunctional families. Providing the proper financial assistance to these families is very important. Centre-based Financial Assistance for Childcare (CFAC) can be arranged for children who come from dysfunctional families. This scheme helps eligible families to offset childcare fees of their children every month. The government also gives childcare subsidies to working parents who enrol their children in childcare centres. (MCYS) Parents of children from dysfunctional families might find these two schemes helpful in providing their children with proper early childhood education. This should be taken care of so that every child has an equal opportunity to education and care regardless of their cultural and financial backgrounds. 656 words Part 2 In order for the quality of child care to improve and for childcare services to become more readily available, the administration of childcare programmes must become professional, effective and efficient. The effective preparation of childcare supervisors directly impacts the programme quality and enhances the ability to meet the various challenges facing the field of early childhood education. (Caulfield, 1997) a) Effective Supervision A good supervisor should be prepared not only with a background in early childhood education and teaching but with a working knowledge of management, principles and procedures, marketing and evaluation techniques, public relations, staff training and development, family counselling, community services and public policy. (Catron, & Groves, 1999) The supervisor’s role is more than observing teachers conducting lessons. There are many similarities between good teaching and good leading. A good supervisor does not only develop a programme and worry about enrolments. The supervisor must look into the safety aspects in the childcare centre. Meeting all safety requirements before starting the programme is very essential. This ensures that children’s needs are taken into consideration and taken care of. Planning a proper timetable is very important in developing a programme. It allows the whole programme to run systematically and also for smooth transitions in between lessons. Resources and materials should also be distributed evenly among the teachers to avoid lack of resources during planned lessons. The supervisor should also keep track of the resources and materials and replenish them regularly. b) Regulations and Policies In order to set up a childcare programme, license should first be acquired from MCYS. The child care centre has to comply with the standards set out in the Regulations of MCYS. All the pre-requisites stated in setting up a childcare centre should be taken into consideration in order to provide quality care and education. (MCYS, 2011) The type of programme that I am looking into implementing is a full day childcare programme. The centre will be catering to children from two years to six years old. It will be operating five and half days a week. The programme will be conducted from seven o’ clock in the morning to seven o’ clock in the evening. This is to cater to parents who have to leave their children and go to work very early in the morning and for parents who end work late in the evening. On Saturdays, the centre will operate from seven o’ clock in the morning to two o’ clock in the afternoon. This caters to some parents who have to go back to work on weekends. The childcare centre will be open throughout the year except on Sundays and gazetted public holidays. Half-days will be observed on the eve of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. In addition, the centre will be closed for another five and a half days in a year, following the MCYS policies. These regulations and policies of the centre strictly follow the MCYS Childcare Policies as MCYS firmly believes that children should not be cared for in the childcare centre for more than 24 hours continuously. c) Operational Issues How you structure your programme for your centre is another very important aspect to consider. The programme will be the key to your professional success and pleasure. Having a proper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will ensure that your programme runs smoothly and effectively. SPARK (2010) will be a good guide to get started with. Spark (2010) focuses on seven criterions. Leadership, Planning and Administration, Staff Management, Resources, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Health, Hygiene and Safety. Reflections should be done on the programme regularly to ensure that children are being delivered with nothing but quality excellence. Opening/Closing Time The opening and closing hours of a childcare centre is a very important period. The supervisor must ensure there is enough staff to open the centre and close the centre. There should be at least one first-aid trained, qualified teacher to open the centre and it is required for the teacher to arrive at least fifteen minutes earlier to do the opening duties and to receive children. The teacher, however, has to remember that parents are only allowed to send their children in at seven o’clock onwards. There should be two teachers doing closing daily. Out of the two teachers, at least one teacher should be first-aid trained. Should the opening/closing teachers be on leave, they are required to find a replacement for their shifts before they go on leave. Should they be on medical leave, they should inform the centre either the day before or by seven-thirty in the morning so that replacements can be found. Staff-Child Ratio Staff-child ratio must be observed at all times as according to MCYS Regulations. (Refer to Appendix 1, pg 10, Table 1) Teachers’ Qualifications Teachers hired in the centre should be trained in Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education- Teaching (DECCE-T). According to MCYS policy, the programme staff should be certified by MCYS/MOE. Teachers should also have at least two years of teaching experience in a childcare setting, hold a valid first aid certificate recognised by MCYS and certified by MCYS/MOE as a Level 2 Teacher. d) Administrative Procedures School fees are a major part of a programme. All school fees have to be paid via GIRO. Deductions will be made every 5th of each month for fees payable that month. Parents are to ensure that there are sufficient funds in the bank account for deduction on the due date otherwise there will be a $10 administrative fee payable for every unsuccessful GIRO transaction. If they choose to opt out of the GIRO payment scheme, they are required to place a two month deposit upon enrolment. An additional fee of $5 per day will be imposed for late payment after the 5th of each month. All outstanding fees must be cleared before a child is promoted to the next level. e) Quality of Curriculum Integrated curriculum is a form of interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes on content learning and knowledge acquisition. It incorporates several subject areas such as language and literacy, math, music and movement, creative arts, self awareness, social awareness and motor skills into a curriculum that provides a holistic learning for children. In this curriculum, children apply skills, concepts and processes derived from the total curriculum in the meaningful context of thematic learning. (Erikson, 2001) Teachers are supporters of children’s learning. The curriculum should be designed to enable teachers to scaffold and support children’s knowledge and understanding and thinking. The curriculum should be designed to aid the child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. (KCG, 2008) f) Documentation of Children’s Progress and Portfolios All records should be kept up-to-date and readily accessible. Periodic reports of children’s progress, documentation of children’s habits, character traits and interests and anecdotal notes of children’s behaviours that are significant are all documentation of children’s progress. The centre should have a system which evaluates records for completeness, accuracy of contents and timelines of entries at regular intervals. Portfolios are collections of student work representing a selection of performance. A portfolio may be a folder containing a student’s best work pieces and the student’s evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the pieces. (Wortham, 2008) Portfolios are usually used as the center-piece of teacher-parent conferences. Portfolios can be used in the intention of motivating students, to promote learning through reflection and self-assessment and to be used in evaluations of students thinking and writing processes. An archival portfolio will be used to document the children’s progress from year to year. This portfolio can be useful to the child’s future teachers. It provides useful information about the child’s developmental progress, strengths and weaknesses. (Wortham, 2008) The portfolio should be organized using the developmental area approach. Using this approach, a child’s developmental areas such as physical, cognitive, social-emotional, creative and language and literacy can be assessed. The teacher can use this type of portfolio during parents-teacher conferences to show parents the specific skills that has been prominent and those that need improvement in the child. Using the developmental area approach a student’s growth and development can be clearly visible as the work collected usually spans throughout a year and observers and parents can clearly see the child’s progression in this. (Benson, & Smith, 1998) A combination of work samples, checklists, observation records and photo documentations have been used to compile this portfolio. Developmental checklists have been used to assess the child’s progress in terms of skills. (Hanson, & Gilkerson, 1999) The checklists used aid in assessing and reporting the child’s progress and development. It also assists in assessing teaching processes. The developmental checklists used in this portfolio are categorized into four domains. They are namely language and literacy, math, social-emotional and physical skills. The assessments done on the child in this portfolio was collected when the child was participating in various types of activities with other children in the class. These kinds of activities allow scaffolding to take place as the child gets assistance from other children or adults. The checklists designed centers towards the objectives that the teacher has set for the child. These objectives are developmentally appropriate according to the child’s age. g) School, Family and Community Partnership Having strong family involvement in children’s education are best achieved through family-school and community collaboration. By articulating a common mission and developing proactive ways of strengthening families and schools, parents and teachers can influence children’s school success positively. Parents should be encouraged to be involved in their children’s school activities as much as possible. Parents can be encouraged by volunteering for centre events like celebrations, excursions and field trips. They can even conduct workshops for children in the centre like speech and drama or art workshops. References Benson, T. R. , & Smith, L. J. (1998). Portfolios in first grade: four teachers learn to use alternative assessment. Early Childhood Education Journal, 25(3), Catron, C. E. , & Groves, M. M. (1999). Teacher to director. Early Childhood Education Journal, 26(3), Caulfield, R. (1997). Professionalism in early care and education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 24(4), Erickson, H. L. (2001). Stirring the head, heart, and soul: Redefining curriculum and instruction. (2nd Ed. ). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Pr0065c007Axzxz ss Inc. Hanson, M. F. , & Gilkerson, D. (1999). Portfolio assessment: more than abcs and 123s. Early Childhood Education Journal, 27(2), Ministry of Education. (2008). Kindergarten curriculum guide. Singapore Ministry of Education, Pre-school Education Branch. (2010). Singapore pre-school accreditation framework:quality rating scale. Singapore: Ministry of Education. NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Washington, DC Wortham, S. C. (2008). Assessment in early childhood education (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River: New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures

Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures Religion originates from ancient Latin practices and language where some practices were adopted to bind people to God. Religion is a way of life that connects people to God and according to some people it helps in attainment of Godliness.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Religion has been there since the beginning of the universe with the purpose of bringing consolation to human beings who do not want to exist like any other objects or animals but want some spiritualism so that they can have some peace and consolation of the spirit. Past experiences have shown that human beings do not live to eat or gain wealth alone but there is something that we always crave for so as to get satisfaction with life. In this paper, I am going to discuss about the religion of Hinduism some of its practices and its principles. According to Smith (1991), â₠¬Å"Hinduism as a religion has its roots in India and the name â€Å"Hinduism† originated from the dominant religion that was practiced in India.† It is believed to be the oldest religion that has been practiced according to Hindu loyalists. Unlike other religions which have basic foundation of prophets like Christianity and Islam, Hinduism does not have prophets that spread it values like Jesus and Mohammed of the later religions. Hinduism is different from other religions in the sense that it does not rely on teachings from specific people or prophets in history. It does not have religious fanatics. Banerji (1992) wrote that, â€Å"Another name that is used to refer to this religion is Sanatana-Dharma and Vaidika Dharna.† Sanatana implies that it is a religion that is eternal while Vaidika means the religion of the Vedas. Due to the fact that it is the oldest religion, followers of this religion refer to it as an eternal religion and that it has the protection o f God. The name Vaidika Dharma is referred the same as Hinduism due to the fact that the scriptures that govern the conduct of Hindus originate from it. The scriptures that determined the practices of Rishis are regarded as the basis of the religion of Hinduism.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hinduism is a little bit different from other religions in the manner in which practices are imposed. There is no dogmatic imposition of religious practices, but provides a means through which individuals dictate for themselves and approve things for themselves. There total freedom on the way people think and decide for themselves. It does not restrict individuals to think but allows them to reason out issues freely. Some researchers refer to it as, â€Å"A religion that guarantees freedom.† This is due to the fact that it allows people to question the existenc e of God, creation myths, how to worship and the relevance of life. The other characteristic of this religion is that it does not dismiss doctrines of other religions or even adherence of other rituals and forms of worship. Neither does it force their doctrines and teachings on people but gives them a chance to assess and meditate for themselves. As a result of these fundamental believes, Hinduism has got the favor of some religions in India who have collaborated with it to foster their values. Hinduism does not criticize people who doubt the existence of God and as the soul maker of the world and all creatures. The groups of people who doubt existence of God are considered respectable members Hindu religion. Hinduism can be considered as the extremist version of catholic practices and is characterized with liberty. This feature of Hinduism gives it an image that it is respectful to all religions. It does not revolt against teachings of other religions but considers what is regarded as truth irrespective of where it originates. Despite the fact that there are several religious groups in India, Hindus live in harmony with all of them and tolerate behaviors of followers of other religions. Their ability to tolerate other religions is exemplary. Irrespective of the differences in religious practices among different sections of the Hindu, the perception of the religion and the way it presents itself to the outside world is uniform. According to Radhakrishnan and Moore (1967), â€Å"Hinduism as a religion, compels for provision of Yoga Sadhnana and spiritulal food for all followers so that they can regulate their temperament taste and desires of life.† It recommends Yoga to all kinds of people even to the non Hindus so that they can get to know God while doing daily duties in the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Hinduisms Religion and Its Scriptures specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Radhakrishnan and Moore(1967) further claim that, â€Å"Instructors of Yoga put a lot of emphasis on self control and practical acquisition of Sadhana that is aimed at providing control for the mind and all that pertain self identity.† This religion does not merely rely on theories, but practical in nature. If you can compare the kind of activities that are done in Hinduism like Yoga, no other religion uses this practical approach. Some scholars define religion as a â€Å"practical aspect of philosophy and philosophy as a rational aspect of religion.† Hinduism as a religion is a practical manner in which people lead their lives. For a Hindu loyalist, religion is an avenue to gain spiritualism. Practices associated with this religion are an avenue to gain freedom for a person. All aspects of life are dictated upon by the religious practices of the Hindu people. These practices allow people to find ways through which they can attain freedom for the soul and life in general. A person who is considered an Hindu is one that believes that Vedas contain true scriptures while other define a Hindu as a person who follows a religion that has its roots in India among many other liberal definitions. Hinduism has survived for a long time because of the nature of practices and teachings it proposes. In this religion, there is no worship of many gods neither does it compel people to practice certain behaviors. It is an amalgamation of several religious practices and experiences with full consideration of the human life. It discourages fanatics which has enabled it survive amongst a big number of religions in the world. Hinduism has a global presence. It can accommodate all the teachings of other religions of the world. Teachings of Hinduism are flexible and quite easy to adopt. Its practical approach to issues in life makes it unique while its ethics are considered by Hindus as soul elevating. It has some teachings for the modern world in the manner in wh ich it can handle issues of hatred and war from the teachings that advocate for universal love, truthfulness and peace among people. Practicing Yoga implies you appreciate the scriptures and practices of Hinduism. The scriptures of Hinduism are known as Sanskrit literature. They are classified differently according to their forms and authority. Among their doctrines is the Srutis, which is also referred to as the Vedas. It implies the scriptures that arose as a result of revelation and classified as superhuman revelations that have no human authors.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sargeant (1984) claims that, â€Å"The Hindus hold the Vedas with high respect and pride with supreme authority over the whole world. The word Srutis which also means Vedas means knowledge.† According to the scriptures of the Hindu, it means a documentation of facts that bring knowledge. All the other scriptures have their basis in the Vedas. According to some researchers, the Vedas is the source of Wisdom in India which humanity will cherish forever. According to the teaching of Hinduism, the Veda is true teachings that were revealed to Rishis in the ancient India. These teachings were believed to have been heard by Rishi which forms the basis for its naming as Sruti which means to hear. Even after hearing, Rishi did not write them down but believed that these teachings were existent even before they were revealed to him. All the other religions in the world give credit to specific people that were sent by God to bring the truth to people. The Vedas which also implies Hindui sm does not recognize any authority as having been sent by God. They recognize themselves as having been given knowledge and authority by God to find out for themselves. They believe this knowledge was given to them by Lord Brahma whom they consider as their creator. The Rishis have been depicted by Hindus to have had a strong connection with the creator. They were inspired to write the scriptures and left an example that has been followed by other religions to date. Vasu (1919) elaborates that â€Å"Apart from the Srutis, Hindus also follow the doctrines written in the book called Rig Veda Samhita which is believed to be the oldest book.† Just like the Christian bible, Hindus hold the scripture of this book with high respect and forms the basis of foundation of their values right from birth. The manner in which it is written is stylish and inspiring. The immortal expression of the Mantras depicts it as the oldest book of religion in the earth that contains the truth. The scr ipture in this book is written in prose form and is meant to be interpreted by a priest called the Adhvaryu. It outlines procedures that ought to be followed when delivering sacrifices. Other teachings of Hinduism are the Upanishads. This is a section of the Vedas that form concluding remarks. The teachings in the Upanishads form the basic values of Hinduism and are also referred to as the Vedanta. There are different categories of Upanishads affiliated to the Veda. Though they might give different interpretation of the Veda, the all obey the authority and values of Upanishads. Scholars from western countries appreciate the work of the Upanishads because at a time when the west was far behind in terms of development, the seers of the Upanishads had achieved incredible civilization. Smritis is another doctrine of the Hindus. Fuller (2004) argues that, â€Å"Unlike the Sruti, Smritis is a secondary source of scriptures to the Hindus.† It contains sacred laws that were followed by the Hindus with regard to the Sanatana Dharma. They provide further explanations of scriptures contained in the Vedas especially the chapter on Vidhis. The teachings of the Smriti are dependent on the teachings of Sruti and contain stipulated explanations of regulations that govern the society as a whole and the family. From the past, all laws that determine the way of life for the Hindus are written in the Smritis. It contains a laid down policy in which individuals in the society should follow so as to gain harmony. It stipulates the duties of all men. A typical Hinduism follower has to learn from the Smritis on how to conduct his or her entire lifetime. The main emphasis of this book is to purify a human being so as to get perfection and freedom. Due to the dynamics of the times, the present day society ought to be given a new Smriti to accommodate the changes that have been seen with time. This is due to the fact that Hinduism itself allows people to formulate ideas that enab le them gain freedom. Sruti and the Smriti books form the basic foundations of the teachings of Hinduism. From the explanations of the two books, Sruti means what is heard while Smriti implies that which is to be remembered. The other books that contain the doctrines of Hindus are the Itihasas, Puranas, Agamas, Tevaram and Tichurakam. Dharma is one of the dominant aspects of Hinduism and is used to mean righteousness. It is used mainly to foster unity and brotherhood among members of the community. It promotes harmony and brings unity of purpose. Hindus describe it as an avenue through which solutions to conflicts in the world emanate. The opposite of this word is Adharma. According to Banerji (1992), â€Å"Dharma brings happiness to people while on earth and in the next world.† Dharma is further described as that thing that lifts people to attain perfection and freedom. It connects people to have straight communication with God, implying that it is a way of going directly to God. The definition of Dharma is not limited. It also means laws that govern our daily lives that are categorized under Achara. Hinduism has different roles for different categories of people, rules for men are different from those of women but they all promote harmony and peace in the society. The basis upon which ethics is determined in Hinduism is the responsibility of Dharma. From the earlier discussion, practice of Dharma brings harmony and respect in the society. It proposes a life of love, brotherhood and friendliness. By abiding by Dharma, one is guaranteed of good life now and even after death. According to the Hindu practices, â€Å"Ethics is a cornerstone of Yoga, Vendanta and realization of Godliness.† They believe that if one does achieve ethical perfection, then he or she will not achieve spiritual perfection. For instance, a student pursuing Yoga must be ethically perfect and should not engage in practices that will cause harm, injury or abuse. The ethics of H induism are based the rules set forth by Buddha. Just like many other religions, Hinduism has got rituals that are widely practiced. One of them is Sandhyopasana. This ritual is characterized by prayers that are offered to God in timed occasions of the day. During these prayers, people seek forgiveness of transgressions committed when carrying out daily routines. It is believed that these prayers have to be performed during specific times when the Lord can hear them. Other times that are not stipulated in the schedule, prayers cannot be heard. The Samskaras is a ritual in the Hindu religion that defines the sanctity of life. It elaborates purification practices that ought to be followed in the entire life of and Hindu loyalist. What ought to be done in every stage of life is documented. Garbhadana is a ritual in Hinduism where the husband prays for conception to occur. They believe that through this prayer, the cells in the embryo are excited. Simantonnayana is a ritual performed af ter seven months of pregnancy to offer protection to the unborn baby. According to Sargeant (1984), â€Å"Jatakarma ritual is conducted immediately after a baby has been born as a sign of welcome and success wishes in life. Other rituals that follow include Namakarana, Annaprasana, Chudakarma, and Upanayana in life.† In the present day, several aspects of the religion of Hinduism have been incorporated in the society. These include the celebrations that are done when a child is born, during birthdays, weddings and burials. In search for perfection, people have resorted to interpreting scriptures of religions in a manner that suits their practices. As far as looking for harmony in the society is concerned, leaders have resorted to promote religious values that bring love and brotherhood just like Hinduism promotes these practices. References Banerji, S. (1992). Tantra in Bengal (Second Revised and Enlarged ed.), Delhi: Manohar. Fuller, C. (2004). The Camphor Flame: Popular Hin duism and Society in India, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Radhakrishnan, S and Moore, C. (1967). A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Sargeant, W. (1984). The Bhagavad Gita, New York: State University of New York Press. Smith, H. (1991). The Worlds Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco. Vasu, S. (1919). The Catechism of Hindu Dharma, New York: Kessinger Publishing, LLC.

New SAT Scoring Advantage

New SAT Scoring Advantage SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While the new SAT is out of 1600 and the old SAT is out of 2400, the two aren't directly proportional; you can't just multiply your old SAT score by 2/3 and expect the result to be how you'd do on the new SAT. The only way to know for sure how you'd do on the new test (besides taking the new SAT exam) is to use the College Board's data to convert your score from old to new SAT. To find out if you’d score higher on the new SAT and why that might be the case, read on! feature image credit:Aspirational/used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. What’s Changed About SAT Scoring? College Board premiered the new SAT March 2016, with a new out-of-1600 scoring system that now gives one out-of-800 Math score and out-of-800 Reading score. The increased importance of Math to the overall SAT score isn’t all that’s changed, however; the difficulty of the individual sections appears to have shifted as well. Based on data released by the College Board, a 700 on the old SAT Math isn’t the same as a 700 on the new SAT Math section, and a 700 on the old SAT Reading and 700 on SAT Writing isn't the same as a 700 on the new SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. Even after adjusting for the 1600/2400 change, it’s easier to get a higher score on the new SAT than it was on the old SAT, especially if you had an average score. The amount by which you’d score higher varies with your scoring range. Old SAT Math vs. New SAT Math The comparison for this section is pretty straightforward: based on the concordance tables released this spring by the College Board, there’s an average 29 point increase on the new SAT Math section compared to scores on the old version. This average does not take into account number of people who score at each score point, however; you can’t expect score 30 points better no matter what your old SAT score was. The graph below sheds a little more light on the matter: Here's an example of how the score difference between the old and new SAT Math sections works out: If you got a 730/800 on the old SAT Math section (shown as a black vertical bar in the graph above) and took the new SAT with exactly the same preparation and skills, you’d likely score a 760/800. If you scored around the national average of 510 on the old SAT Math section, you'd similarly expect to see a new SAT Math score of 540. Old SAT Reading/Writing vs. New SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Comparing old SAT Reading Writing and new SAT Reading and Writing is a little trickier because reading and writing have been smushed into one score on the new SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, or EBRW). The College Board has kindly provided concordance charts to help out with this calculation which show that you can still expect to see higher scores on the new SAT EBRW compared to the old SAT Reading and Writing section scores. If the two tests were exactly equivalent, you’d expect that the combined old Reading and Writing section scores (a range of 400-1600) divided by two would be the same as the concorded new SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score (a range of 200-800), but this is not the case. Instead, students can expect to score between zero and sixty points better on EBRW than they would have on each of the Critical Reading and Writing sections on the old SAT. The graph below gives a more detailed look at how the score increases are distributed across old SAT combined Reading and Writing scores: To put this graph in context, consider the following example: If you took the old SAT, got Critical Reading 700 and Writing 710 (a combined score of 1410, shown as a black vertical bar in the graph above), and took the new SAT with exactly the same preparation and skills, you could expect to score a 740/800 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. If you got around the national average old SAT scores of 500 on Reading and 480 on Writing, you could expect to score a 550 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing - a huge jump. How Do the Changes to SAT Scoring Affect You? The 2016-2017 school year is a unique time for college applications because colleges will be accepting both old and new SAT scores. Theoretically, schools have access to the concordance tools needed to compare old and new SAT scores and admissions officers will do their due diligence to understand that it’s easier to get higher scores on the new SAT. Schools won’t be superscoring between the old and new SAT, so it’s not like you can get a 760 Math on the new SAT and combine that with your Critical Reading and Writing scores from the old SAT for a higher superscore. In practice, however, a SAT result of 510 Math/ 650 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing makes a better impression than 470 Math/590 Reading/590 Writing (even though according to the College Board’s concordance tables and its conversion tool, these scores are equivalent). Even after the old SAT has been phased out entirely from college applications, it will take admissions officers a little while to adjust and align their unconscious, split-second assessments of student scores with the new reality that more students will be getting higher scores on the SAT, and so a 760 isn't as impressive as it used to be. Therefore, if you took the old SAT and scored in a range where you can expect to see at least a 20-point increase in nominal score, you should consider taking the new SAT to see if you can get a higher score. Add effective prep to that score increase, and you might very well be able to get a high enough score on the new SAT to step yourself over the threshold for acceptance for colleges previously just out of reach. Reach/used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Resized from original. What’s Next? How long will colleges accept old SAT scores for? We go over whether it's better for the classes of 2017-18 to submit new or old SAT scores in this article. How can you improve your SAT score? We’ve got fifteen great tips for SAT studying and score improvement here. Want to double-check a specific score for yourself? Use our old to new SAT conversion tool. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How to Work With a Recruiter and Build a Lasting Relationship

How to Work With a Recruiter and Build a Lasting Relationship Chances are, at some point in your career, you’re going to need a recruiter. It’s best not to attack them out of the blue when you’re at your most desperate. Instead, try to keep in mind that recruiters are human beings too. Try building a relationship that way, rather than being a job-sucking vampire. Also keep in mind there are different kinds of recruiters. Figure out first if you’re dealing with someone salaried who does this all day every day, or whether you’re dealing with someone who works only on commission. Tailor your needs to match theirs, and vice versa.Here is your 10-step plan to building a good relationship with a recruiter.1. Start with â€Å"the talk†Your recruiter should open your working relationship by asking you a bunch of questions: who you are, where you are, what you’ve been doing, your strengths, your weaknesses, your goals, etc. The more they know about you, the better they can help put you in a good position- both for you and for the company.2. Know thyselfDon’t recruit a recruiter if you don’t already know what you want and need. Figure out what you want to do and be when you grow up before you start soliciting the services of a professional. Make sure that every job they put you up for is one you’d be glad to take.3.  Have all your documents readyGet your ducks in a row before making the call. Up-to-date resume, updated LinkedIn profile, a tasteful and professional headshot, a website, samples of your work, etc. And then go in with the list of companies or titles you’d like to aim for.4. Don’t be needyYou’re not in a position to make demands. The recruiter is not â€Å"working for† you. Hopefully you’ll both come to a mutually advantageous outcome, but your chances of this go down the more you play the diva. Know your place in the food chain, make life easy on your recruiter, and things will turn out right.5. Ask for tipsIf you r recruiter knows a company well, feel free to ask for tips before you interview. There might be some very valuable information to be gleaned that you couldn’t get from the usual pre-interview research session.  6. Think about your salary historyYou aren’t required to share this with your recruiter. But they can (and should) ask. And it might be useful for you both to be on the same page when it comes time to figuring out which applications fit you best.7.  Know the ins and outs of industry salaryIf you want to go for a pay increase, make sure you’ve done your homework and know exactly what the range is for your position or your field. If you’re really being underpaid, you can walk into a meeting with stats.8. Don’t be a pushoverSome recruiters do work entirely on commission. If they don’t place people that month, they don’t pay rent. Don’t let yourself get shoe-horned into a position that isn’t right for you just to please your recruiter. It is okay to say no and push for something more appropriate.9. Hold onto the good onesA good recruiter, with whom you have a fruitful working relationship, is a thing of beauty. Hold onto this relationship with both hands. Trust and goodwill are not to be taken for granted. And they aren’t always the norm.10. Give backIf you get the job, make sure to thank your recruiter. A thank you card goes a long way towards showing your appreciation and bolstering good will all around. And keep in touch! You never know when you might need your recruiter’s services again.

Marketing Communications on Sound Choice - REPORT format not essay

Marketing Communications on Sound Choice - REPORT format not - Essay Example Another benefit of sponsorship is its ability to provide extendibility and more exposure to the sponsor (Pope, Voges, & Brown 2009). This is especially true to sponsoring individuals. In cases where companies sponsor individuals such as athletes and celebrities, the individual carries the company trademarks in most of its major appearances. As the company sponsors events, the reach of the event through its own marketing campaign would provide extendibility to the brand. If the event is targeted to the companys main consumers, through the advertising materials and publicity the event would generate, the benefits from the exposure of the sponsoring brand could be enormous. Sponsorship is cost-effective by nature. This is because, with the amount of cash or in-kind support the sponsoring brand provides to the sponsored entity, the effect is leveraged in many different ways (Dees, Bennett, & Villegas 2008). These ways could include extendibility and greater brand exposure as previously stated; most especially if the target audience that the sponsored entity can reach is in line with the companys target consumers (Cornwell 2008). The multiplying effect of association with the sponsored entity can usually accomplish more than the objectives that are primarily identified by the company by using sponsorship as an IMC tool. In corporate social responsibility events, the involvement of the brand creates a perception about the brands personality, which is part of the overall brand image of the company. If the companys actions are philanthropic by nature, this could bring good will within the community, which leads to a positive attitude toward the brand (Close et al 2006). Even if the event is not a CSR or cause-related by nature, involvement of the brand in different events through sponsorship could create some presence among the community. This brings the brand closer to the consumers (Bennett, et al. 2009). As noted

Applying Motivation Theories to Compensation Essay

Applying Motivation Theories to Compensation - Essay Example As the discussion stresses Pat’s job has greater responsibility than that of Chris. Pat could be more successful or performs highly than Chris. Ninthly, pay might have job that involve more complex tasks than those of Chris’s.From this paper it is clear that Pat and the boss might have blood relationship thus giving her more benefit. Race: Chris might be in minority group and their boss normally discriminates against them. Also, Pat might know about the company’s negative side so she is paid more to keep her mouth shut. Finally, Pat might be helping in marketing the company thus gaining more customers. She therefore deserves a referral fee. Equity theory is relevant to most of the above reasons. Equity theory explains relational satisfaction regarding perceptions of fair resource distribution within interpersonal relationships. There should be fair treatment of employees in the work place based on the ratio of inputs to incomes. Employees with advanced education, higher experience, more superior position, higher degree, greater company loyalty, greater responsibility, greater performance and more complex tasks should be paid more than others. This is because it would support the wisdom of those reasons because job difficulty is a relevant input.  Compensation plan elements such as Piece-Rate and Recognition Awards basically account for the pay differentials. This is because an employee who produces more units or more services should be compensated highly that the other.

Outline the process of economic and social change envisaged by Essay

Outline the process of economic and social change envisaged by Modernisation Theorists. Critically discuss their contention that the Western model of developmen - Essay Example ry have been thoroughly examined by researchers trying to identify its strengths/ weaknesses but also its role in the development of less – benefited countries (referring especially to the countries of the Third World). It should be noticed that the development of modernization theory has been quick and multi-dimensional – possibly influenced by the simultaneous development of globalization (Dtiglitz, 2002). Trying to locate the historical roots of this theory, Blaney et al. (2002) was led to the conclusion that modernization theory could have started in the previous centuries having being transformed through the years in order to meet the new political and social standards – the so-called – neo modernization theory. Regarding this issue it is noticed by the above researchers that since the putative end of the Cold War, modernization is increasingly reimagined as a global process— as an expanding liberal zone of peace, a global civil society, or as emerging forms of global governance’ (Blaney et al., 2002, 103). This form of modernization theory has been also characterized as being part of the International Relations – a concept developed through the years in order to explain the models of cooperation among the states, the role of governments, and the power of international authorities/ bodies to intervene in order to settle disputes of international character – being developed between members of the international community. The above role of modernization theory in the development of international relations has been explained by Blaney et al. (2002) as follows: ‘while modernization theory implicitly relies on IRs freezing of difference into geopolitical containers, it also projects a natural and universal developmental sequence through which all cultures must pass’ (Blaney et al., 2002, 103). Under these terms, modernization theory could be regarded as being part of the political efforts for the improvement of cooperation among the states