Standardized Testing Is Counterproductive Essay -- Problems With High

Excessive testing has been integrated in the public school system to measure student intelligence, observe teacher proficiency, and distribute federal funds since the passage of the No Child Left behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001. The (NCLBA) ‘‘called for 100% of the nation’s public school students to become proficient in mathematics and reading by 2014’’ through the usage of standardized testing (Hanson 3). Since the inception of this policy there have been numerous issues involved in these tests. ‘‘Instead of providing equal access for all children, the frenetic use of mandated testing in schools and in teacher education is having the opposite effect’’ (Richardson 34). Standardized testing is an ineffective and outdated tool that creates a counterproductive learning environment; testing enforced by the state should be altered to better accommodate the students needs. The primary function of standardized testing is to provide an accurate measure of student and teacher performance; they fall short of meeting this standard. Test scores don’t accurately reflect a child’s intelligence. One reason for this is that a single test cannot properly show the extent of a child’s knowledge. Language barriers are a determining factor as well, if English is not the primary language of a student they will have a harder time understanding questions and in turn procure lower scores. More problems arise when students enter high school; students don’t try as hard since standardized tests do not affect class grades. Moreover, scores are influenced by external factors. A child’s emotional or mental state during testing is detrimental to their results. Living conditions along with social status affect testing data as well. If a student is upset or living... ... ERIC. Print. Longo, Christopher. ‘‘Fostering Creativity or Teaching to the Test? Implications of State Testing on the Delivery of Science Instruction.’’ Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2010. ERIC. Print. Phelps, Richard P. ‘‘Characteristics of an Effective Student Testing System.’’ Educational Horizons, 2006. ERIC. Print. Reddell, Samantha. ‘‘High Stakes Testing: Our Children at Risk.’’ Online Submission, 2010. ERIC. Print. Richardson, Brian; Wheeless, Lawrence R. ‘‘Teachers Tattling on Teachers: Policy Attitude and Tenure's Influence on Peer Reporting of Unethical Behavior.’’ International Journal of Educational Reform, 2009. ERIC. Print. Ryan, Katherine E., Allison M. Ryan, Keena Arbuthnot, Maurice Samuels. ‘‘Students' Motivation for Standardized Math Exams.’’ Educational Researcher, 2007. EIRC. Print.

British Columbia

British Columbia is Canada’s western border province. At its north are Yukon and the Northwest Territories while its northwestern border is the U.S. State of Alaska.On its eastern border is another province, Alberta, and on the southern border are the U.S. States of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. It is the third largest province in Canada and encompasses 9.5 percent of the country’s total land area, which makes it around four times the size of Great Britain or more than twice as large as Japan. (Information on BC, 2006, par. 1)Physical geographyTopography. British Columbia boasts of great mountains.   Its highest peak is Fairweather Mountain which is 4,663 meters high and its lowest is Hallam Peak which is just 3,205 meters high.   (Statistics Canada, 2002) Volcanoes also abound in British Columbia although most are dormant. The largest of the seventeen volcanoes is Ruby Mountain and the smallest is called Mount Garibaldi.Water Forms. The Fraser River is one of the most important means of transportation in British Columbia because it directly flows to the Pacific Ocean nest. The province’s Columbia River is the location of 14 hydroelectric dams which is a major power source for its population. Other rivers that lead to the Pacific Ocean are Skeena and Kootenay while the Peace River drains toward the Arctic Ocean.   British Columbia is also the host of many large natural lakes including the Babine, Atlin, Kootenay, Ootsa and Okanagan. (British Columbia, 2007, p. 1)Climate. The climate in British Columbia can vary depending on the area’s location from the Pacific Ocean and the mountain ranges but the province is known for its mild temperature. Snow rarely falls on the coast even during winter but the interior lands can experience very cold temperatures and snow between the months of November to March.The warmest days in summer can be experienced in the interior lands, most especially in the south with temperatures that can go fu rther than 30 ºC while the coast enjoys a temperature range of about 22 to 28 ºC. (Climate and Weather, n.d., par. 1-4)Government and MunicipalitiesBritish Columbia espouses the parliamentary form of government headed by a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Canadian Governor-General. However, executive power truly emanates from the Premier who comes from the legislature branch because it is the position that appoints 20 ministers to the cabinet that maintains and makes the policies for the province.British Columbia has athe Legislative Assembly (unicameral legislature) which has 79 elected members with five-year terms.   British Columbia is also represented by 36 members in Canada’s House of Commons and has 6 senators all of whom are appointed by the Governor-General.

The history of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent

The history of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia’s history during the 1st 2nd and 3rd Millenniums BC Mesopotamia has been referred to as the cradle for civilization and has been home most of the important ancient civilizations. The first millennium BC in Mesopotamia was epitomized by imperial dominance. There was dominance by the Neo Assyrian kingdom in the first half of this particular millennium.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The history of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The rise and fall of the Neo- Babylonian Empire led by Nebuchadnezzar characterizes the latter half of this millennium. This was later on followed by the conquest from the East by Cyrus the Great who led the Persians. Hellenism was also an important element that characterized Mesopotamian history. This was followed by the downfall of Alexander the Great around 330BC. It is also important to note that the Minoan period took place in the 2nd mil lennium BC which was between 1900-1300 BC. The legal code was also wrote in this era by Hammurabi and went ahead to conquer Mesopotamia. In the 3rd Millennium BC, there was the building of the great pyramids. Some of the most important pyramids were those of Cheops of Giza (Craig, 2008, p.225) Egypt’s history during the new, old and middle kingdoms It was around 6000 BC when a community of hunter – gathers started settling along the Nile River as they practiced farming. Over time, this community grew and came to be known as the Egyptian Dynasty. Right after Egypt’s unification, the Manetho’s 4th Dynasty began to develop. It was at this particular time that the Egyptian old kingdom was established. The first Egyptian dynasty in this period of time enjoyed the advantages of writing which later on led to the development of the calendar. More so, around 2600BC there was the building of the first pyramid which was known as the Zoser’s monument built at Saqqara (Craig, 2008, p. 65). The middle kingdom period ranged between the 11th and 12th dynasties. This period in time is important because there was a lot of effort by the Egyptian dynasties as they tried to colonize Nubia. Its strategic importance to Egypt is that it was meant to be the Egypt’s trade center in luxurious items. Given that, it was also rich in Gold, Ivory as well as ebony among other items. Due to high demand for manufactured goods and weapons, the Nubians went ahead and established a market place at the second cataract. This place was used by the Egyptians to purchase the very much needed slaves in exchange for the manufactured products.Advertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The new kingdom in Egypt was roughly the last part of the second millennium. That is between (1550-1060). The eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth Dynasties composed this new ki ngdom after the Hyksos were expelled and the country got reunified again by Ahmose. The powers and wealth of the kings in the new kingdom seemed to have been elevated. There was massive construction of buildings, religious centers and mortuary temples all over Thebes. A good number of Egyptian kings led campaigns in areas where they wanted to gain control for instance Palestine. Religion in the history of Mesopotamia and Egypt Religion was an integral part of both Mesopotamia and Egypt. In Early Mesopotamia, the natural happenings were normally attributed to the actions of divine of divine forces which led them to having many gods and goddesses. However, they zeroed down on four creator gods. Egyptians on the other hand relied on religion to guide every aspect of their lives. Egyptians practiced pure polytheism and did not however concentrate on a few specific gods. They apparently had over two thousand gods and goddesses. There were those that were worshiped all over the country su ch as Amun. The Egyptian religion was rather optimistic. This is because it upheld that there would be a rather positive afterlife no matter what one goes through in their earthly lives. Osiris, the most famous god known as the one who gives the law was also considered the guardian for the dead in the other world. On the other hand, Mesopotamian religion was rather dreary and gloomy. The ancient prayers illustrated the need for an establishment of relationships with the gods as well as the goddesses. This is basically because it was assumed that the gods and goddesses viewed humans with not only suspicion. Hence, they would often send catastrophes to act as a reminder to every individual in society of their humanity (Rivstvet, 2006,p.97). Both religions however have one thing in common. They are associated with nature as well as the environment. Most of the gods and goddesses names were for instance derived from nature. More so, most of the natural events were what gave birth to som e gods. For example when there are good rains which lead to a good harvest, the Egyptians in this situation found would give such an event a name. Therefore, whenever they would need a good harvest they would call on the rain god.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The history of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Hebrew historical events in the lush crescent The Hebrews began their journey in Mesopotamia in the 1900s BC travelling through eventually stopping in Egypt in 1500BC. The make up of the Hebrew society consisted of several tribes. During the time with which they were travelling, one of the tribes began considering themselves the chosen ones. Hence they went ahead to use the title, â€Å"soldiers of God† It is sad to note that the Egyptian pharaohs went ahead to enslave them until around 1250BC when Moses their chosen leader led them into freedom. By the 10th century, th e Israelite Kingdom was well established and was economically prosperous. The influence of river valley cultures to their history The ancient Hebrew culture was to some extent suppressed. This was due to the Egyptian imperialism hence many Hebrew generations lived under slavery. Given the situation they could not practice most of their values and beliefs and those who dared to were severely punished. However around 800BC a new culture arose that was more powerful than the Egyptian culture. This was the Greek culture. After the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery the Hebrew and Greek culture were the dominant ones. The dominance of these two cultures gave birth to some sort of conflict between the two as they sort for supremacy. However the Greek were able to win the battle hence the suppression of the Hebrew culture. In spite of all this the unity amongst the Hebrews strengthened and the Hebrew culture was able to influence other cultures such as the European and the Roman (The B ritish Museum, 2011). In short, this paper explains the undertakings of the ancient civilizations. It explains how important contemporary practices such as writing and more so arithmetic’s came into play. The different cultures involved have also been discussed to facilitate better understanding. References Craig, A., et al. (2009). Heritage of world Civilizations (8th Ed.). Prentice Hall: New YorkAdvertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rivstvet,L. (2006). Legal and archeological territory of the second millennium BC in Northern Mesopotamia. Web. The British Museum. (2011). Ancient Egypt: the new kingdom. Web. Web.

Phase Definition and Examples

Phase Definition and Examples In chemistry and physics, a phase is  a physically distinctive form of matter, such as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma. A phase of matter is characterized by having relatively uniform chemical and physical properties. Phases are different from states of matter. The states of matter (e.g., liquid, solid, gas) are phases, but matter can exist in different phases yet remain in the same state of matter. For example, liquid mixtures can exist in multiple phases, such as an oil phase and an aqueous phase. The term phase may also be used to describe equilibrium states on a phase diagram. When phase is used in this context, its typically synonymous with a state of matter because the qualities that describe the phase include the organization of matter as well as variables such as temperature and pressure. Phases of Matter The distinct phases used to describe states of matter include: Solid: Closely packed particles with a fixed volume and shapeLiquid: Fluid particles with a fixed volume but variable shapeGas: Fluid particles with neither a fixed volume nor shapePlasma: Charged particles with no fixed volume or shapeBose-Einstein condensate: A diluted, cold boson gasMesophases: Intermediate phases between solid and liquid There may be multiple phases within a single state of matter. For example, a bar of solid iron may contain multiple phases (e.g., martensite, austenite). An oil and water mixture is a liquid that will separate into two phases. Interface At equilibrium, there is a narrow space between two phases where the matter doesnt exhibit properties of either phase. This region, known as interface, may be very thin, yet can exert significant effects.

Environmental science lab Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Environmental science lab - Assignment Example Driving my car has made it possible for me to keep my appointments since I usually arrive at my destinations on time. It is easy to travel by road because I follow the roads, which do not have a lot of traffic. Through road transportation, I am able to reach remote areas, which cannot be accessed by other forms of transportation. It is also economical to buy gas for my car. Road transport has saved a lot of lives; drivers are licensed and they maintain speed limits when driving (Reggiani & Schintler 312). There is a little chance of me to change my mode of transportation since the other modes of transportation such as water or air are not convenient for me. For instance, there are areas, which I frequently visit that do not have water or air transportation. Additionally, travelling by air or water does not guarantee me the privacy I need whenever I am travelling. It is not necessary also for me to change my mode of transport, since the other alternatives are either not readily available and they are extremely expensive (Reggiani & Schintler

The United States Move to IFRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The United States Move to IFRS - Essay Example One positive aspect of the IFRS is it allows the management of companies to have more desertion when it comes to asset valuation, which in turn can increase company income. In fact European companies, who made the switch from the GAAP to the IFRS in 2002, reported that eighty two percent of their companies had higher income under the IFRS than under the GAAP (Briginshaw, 2008). Due to this fact most would assume that investors would be for the switch, there are some other aspects to consider, however. One aspect is that the reports of higher incomes of these European companies came from the same year. So the companies actually had the same profits and expenditures, yet the IFRS reported a higher income yield than that of the GAAP which leaves some investors wondering how accurate the IFRS reports really are. This means that a dollar profit calculated under the IFRS will hold less meaning that one calculated under the GAAP so investors will have to change there way of thinking as far as profits are concerned. Also because the IFRS reports are not quiet as current as the GAAP are they will show less association between reported earnings and stock prices. Overall this means that investors are going to have to relearn and rethink how they read the reports they are given. This knowledge will in turn, however, give them more expertise in investing in companies outside the U.S. Multinational Companies For multinational companies who have long been dealing with converging the two sets of standards, this is a long awaited change. The switch to IFRS will allow them to coordinate all of their accounting systems under one set of guidelines whether the branch is located in the U.S. or another country. This will also be of use... The United States’ Move to IFRS The United States’ Move to IFRS The world of accounting seems to be on the precipice of undergoing a dramatic change in the United States. For more than seventy years the United States accounting system has relied on a set of generally accepted accounting principles known as the GAAP. These principles set out by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), guide accountants in preparing, presenting, and reporting financial statements for various entities, including: publicly-traded and privately-held companies, non-profit organizations, and governments. They are implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The globalization of business and finance has led to over twelve thousand companies in more than one hundred nations to adopt an internationally recognized set of accounting principles known as the International Financial Reporting System (IFRS) (â€Å"International Financial Reporting,† 2010). With many of the United States’ companies expan ding overseas, and foreign corporations now purchasing companies in the United States, there has been a huge push for the United States to forgo there use of the GAAP and adopt the new IFRS standards. So on August 27, 2008 the SEC set out a road map for all U.S. companies to adopt the IFRS by 2014 and some of the large companies started adopting them as early as 2009. If the SEC calls for a higher standard in the IFRS before and while adapting it, then it seems to be a win for all countries and companies involved.

Convincing the selection committee of the college Essay

Convincing the selection committee of the college - Essay Example A scholarship essay needs you to recount your personal experiences; your major accomplishments, academic and extra-curricular, of the past. The scholarship essay should ideally highlight skills and qualities that make you different and more eligible for the scholarship than the others. Considering these elements of a scholarship essay you may be tempted to conjure up a scholarship essay by yourself, but on the other hand taking into account the importance of a scholarship essay, the fact that it can help you to get that coveted scholarship, it is better not to take any chances. Hence it will extremely wise of you if leave the writing of the scholarship essay in our able and professional hands. Not only do we know the general rules of writing a scholarship essay, but we actually can write the scholarship essay that is especially suited for your purposes and that will secure you that admission you have been yearning for. In the many years that we have been in service we have written innumerable custom scholarship essays and on all these occasions our assistance proved indispensable to students like you. Our team of professional and highly competent writers all with British educational backgrounds is fully aware of what it takes to write an impressive and winning scholarship essay. All you have to do is send in the details of how you want your custom essay to be written and some information about your personal achievements and the skills and qualities that you possess and leave the rest to our writers. All our writers are professionals with at least three or more years of experience in this field. All our writers are British graduates and post-graduates, specialising in their individual fields.