Essay TAAS Test and STAAR Educational Test in Texas

Dallas ISD Needs A New System of Governance In the 1990’s, I grew up taking the TAAS test or Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. I did not know why we had to take them but everyone had to and teachers tried to prepare us as much as they can. Then in the 2003, the state decided to change it to TAKS test or Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. I knew that I had passed, but as a student we do not question why we have to take these tests. We are only told that they are important to our education and graduating to the next grade or from high school. A few years afterwards they had switched to a new standardized test form called STAAR which stands for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. It seems that a last few tests were†¦show more content†¦Houston which is ranked number one largest school district has 203,354 students enrolled. (Michels .2013) Statistically, Houston should have a greater propensity percentage for low performing test scores but they are not. Here lies the question why are we out performed by other districts if not by number of students enrolled then what? The main problem exists in the first place because of the standardized tests. Because we are a large district there are problems with the funding and getting good teachers to teach at the schools in Dallas. If we are constantly changing the test format and we keep getting lower scores who would want to work for Dallas ISD. By changing the format of tests students take they have to reassess their objectives in each respective grade level. Teachers are often forced to teach for the tests rather than their subject. It used to be that we were only graded by our teachers and how they taught their classes. We only had to make sure that we knew the subject matter as taught by the teacher. Then standardized testing came into play which made it fair for all the students because teachers had a power over student’s grades. A system of checks and balances came into play and standardized testing became the norm . Then there were more and more changes in testing and still today teachers focus more on what the test will be about rather than subjectShow MoreRelatedChanges In Education1178 Words   |  5 PagesIn Texas, there has many changes with teaching and learning. Over the past years, there has been many laws passed to try and initiate a change within the Texas school system had many laws passed to try and imamate a change in our school systems. In 2002, former President George W. Bush passed a law called No Child Left Behind. This law was similar to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. â€Å"The NCLB law which grew out of concern that the American education system was no longer internationally

Speech Outline On The Perils Of Cosmetic Surgery Essay

Vu Vo (Vincent) Dana-Jean Smith CMST 110 13 October 2016 Informative Speech Outline on The Perils of Cosmetic Surgery I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: â€Å"I prefer artificial beauty to natural ugliness† is a phrase that currently seems to be gaining popularity with many girls and women around the world. However, relatively few of them can comprehend the unsafe risks behind the artificial beauty. B. Introduce Topic and Significance: 1. These days, cosmetic surgery has quickly built up everywhere throughout the world. As indicated by a yearly report of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in 2015, the United States is the biggest market of cosmetic surgery in the world. About 16 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2015, with the five most common surgeries being breast augmentation, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction and tummy tuck (â€Å"Plastic Surgery Procedures†). 2. In Asia, cosmetic surgery has become more popular, and countries such as China, India and Thailand have become some of the main cosmetic surgery markets in Asia, in particular for â€Å"affordable breast augmentation and sex reassignment surgery, with international patients coming from Australia, Europe and neighboring Asian countries† (Riggs). C. Purpose Statement: Today I am going to share with you about three major perils from cosmetic surgery. It only transforms the outside appearances, but does not help to heal the lack of confidence and illnesses inside patients. ItShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesbe understood, that organization theory is not a monolithic subject but rather a rich resource for developing understanding of organizations. Each chapter begins with an Introduction which outlines the content and direction of the chapter, provides a clear guide to the structure of the chapter and then outlines the Learning outcomes. These learning outcomes provide a guide to the different sections of the chapter. Stop and think Each of the chapters contains ‘stop and think’ boxes. These are designedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesdegree of success or failure. In summary, evidence suggests that a five-step learning model is most effective for helping individuals develop management skills (see Cameron Whetten, 1984; Kolb, 1984; Vance, 1993; Whetten Cameron, 1983). Table 3 outlines such a model. Step 1 involves the assessment of current levels of skill competency and knowledge of the behavioral principles. Step 2 consists of the presentation of validated, scientifically based principles and guidelines for effective skill performanceRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesgradually, a second threat to global survival in the last years of the century—accelerated climate change brought on by the release of ever-increasing, polluting emissions into the earth’s atmosphere. But, as Richard Tucker shows, this ultimate peril comprises only one of the many strands of environmental degradation that have, in their intensity and cumulative repercussions, set the world history of the twentieth century off from all previous phases of the human experience. Though he takes intoRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagespersonality traits have contributed to Jung’s high job performance and career success. Since joining Avon in 1994, Jung has led a dramatic turnaround of a company that had a poor image, slow growth, and decline in sales to one of the world’s top cosmetics companies and the world’s leading direct sales brand. She transformed Avon by developing and executing growth strategies, launching new brand initiatives, and developing earnings opportunities for women worldwide. How Do the Big Five Traits Predict

Book Review The Blueprint of a Green Economy Free Essays

The Blueprint of a Green Economy David Pearce, Anil Markandya, Edward Barbier Book Review Background The book â€Å"A Blueprint for a Green Economy† was written as a study for the Department of Environment in the U.K. under the name – â€Å"Sustainable Development, Resource Accounting and Project assessment: State of the Art Review† popularly known as the Pearce Report. We will write a custom essay sample on Book Review: The Blueprint of a Green Economy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Post the well-known Brundtland Report, the authors, conservationists, economic experts David Pearce, Anil Markandya and Edward Barbier have presented the â€Å"economic underpinnings of the thought of sustainable development† in the book documenting their thoughts and positions refering sustainability. The book depicts the meeting of the market doctrine of Margret Thatcher popularly called Thatcherism with the late articulated concern for the environment. Refering the demand of the hr inquiry, the book became a best merchandising in the field of environmental economic sciences when it was released in 1989. Contented Analysis and Major Subjects The rules were three:Policy to be based on sustainability, Delegating rating to environmental effects and incentivizing environmental betterment. Thesustainability constructis explained as a two-pronged attack, as much capital and environmental wealth to future coevalss as the present coevals. The 2nd subject concerns therating of environmental effectswhich aimed at seting a positive monetary value / economic value on the environment alternatively of 0 monetary value policy. The 3rd subject advocates theusage of market inducementsfor accomplishing preferable environmental results. The writers have tried to develop a market-based attack to reflect all these issues as it is in footings of variables of demand, supply and monetary values as they steadfastly believe that is the easiest and best manner to react and turn to the issues of environment-development tradeoff and sustainable development. The Congestion charges of London, the Carbon credits trading—are a twosome of illustrations of the 3rd subject mentioned. The Blueprint for a Green Economy believes in long-run policy steps for following a way to sustainable economic development. The book brought the way interrupting thought of sing Environment as capital plus brings out the position to include non merely natural resources and inputs as portion of these assets but besides the constructs of eco-tourism, and installations or chances such as fishing, hunting, wildlife sing etc as natural capital. As this natural capital is non earned unlike our fiscal and physical capital, there tends to be a grade of sloppiness associated in footings of our point of view. Hence, there is inclination to over-exploit and see them as abundant or limitless without caring for their equal saving and handiness for the future coevalss. While such usage leads to immense growing now, its long-run impact would be to sabotage it. The book answers the refering inquiry is where to pull the line, what is the tradeoff? Blueprint of a Green Economy gives a different return to theenvironment vs. economic growing argument. It points out that the existent trade-off is between our stock of semisynthetic capital ( viz. physical and human capital ) and our natural capital. It does non prophesize abandoning any economic development merely because there would be environmental impacts. The book recognizes worlds and the fact that some sum of environmental effects is ineluctable even at zero-growth phases. All that the book argues is that such a trade-off must be rational i.e. the economic development must warrant the environmental cost it would incur and for that the economic rating of the environmental impact must be right and non undervalued as it has ever been historically. Therefore, a undertaking should be undertaken merely if its economic benefits exceed the overall environmental costs every bit good as the benefits that are presently accruing due to non-existence of such a undertaking. The Southern Cross of unsustainable development in today’s universe is the gross undervaluation of environmental impact of economic development. Such wrong rating leads to incorrect picks as the trade-offs are non right assessed. Another cardinal subject highlighted in this book is theimmensefalse belief in disregarding the rating of cardinal constituents of natural capitalthat provide us services or serve of import natural maps for free such as purification of H2O by coastal wetlands. As this map has a nothing monetary value and there is no market place for it, there is natural hazard of its development or over-usage resulting in debasement. Exhaustible resources like oil have a market-determined monetary value that would mostly maintain in cheque such a effect but such natural capital is bound to stay unaccounted for. Hence, the writers have mandated environmental accounting so that a stock of such resources is profiled in a balance sheet. The flow of their utilizations must besides be accounted and stairss taken to guarantee that their stocks and flows are matched to maintain an history of their efficient use and look into development besides doing informed rational picks in the trade-off. Further, such ac counting and rating will besides supply the policy-makers a dependable and consistent database for effectual direction of the natural capital of the economic system. The book besides generates some contention over theundertaking assessmentsand their concern of dismissing the hereafter by sing that the price reduction rates do non necessarily move as a disadvantage to the environment. The present value of costs of 1000000s of dollars over the period of a longer clip frame say 100 old ages reduces it to a few dollars doing any action highly difficult to warrant on economic evidences. Continuing on their accent on market-based instruments for sustainable development, the writers argue that market-based incentive systems like pollution licenses for industries are better environmental-protection steps than Govt.-mandated bid and control steps. Critical Appraisal This book depicts treatments on the construct of a green economic system and presents an docket for policy on environment. The book limpidly explains why such an economic roadmap to a greener hereafter is indispensable, if modern economic systems are to develop successfully and sustainably. With the increasing jutting growing rate and force per unit areas on natural resources, it is indispensable to anticipate the deductions of this on the environment and program steps to carry through sustainable development. The market rule can happen some relevancy in economic policy-making in India excessively where the environment vs. growing argument finds a considerable policy infinite. However, any undervaluation or wrong measuring of these variables will get the better of the whole procedure and hence must be guarded against. This is a authoritative on the academic topic – environmental economic sciences and widely recommended for reading by pupils and research workers. This is a great book for acquiring started on the issue for a cause that finally has a much larger and long-run impact. The book explores the span of the ways in which we have distorted and damaged the environment and what can be done to account for that harm and perchance cut down or change by reversal it. This is a well-written book on the environmental economic sciences in seven chapters. The writers devote attending to assorted aspects in a systematic and limpid mode. The usage of illustrations, tabular arraies and graphs makes reading and understanding better. Not dismissing the powerful thoughts that the book puts Forth, my broad-spectrum feeling of the book is that the potency of the book is non rather realized. Although the book identifies attacks and schemes for rating of the environment, it seems to be a hard text for the non-practicing economic expert to work with. The book has besides dealt with the pecuniary every bit good as physical attacks to environmental accounting but does non reply which attack to follow but leaves the treatment by acknowledging that the work on the same is still at babyhood and more research needs to be done about it. Obscure Concepts such as ‘intergenerational equity ‘ , ‘informational value of hold ‘ , ‘uncertainty ‘ , ‘irreversibility ‘ , ‘importing and exporting sustainability ‘ , etc. are used in an abstract mode. Chris Patten, the Secretary for Environment at that point of clip, failed to implement the ideas put away by the study, but this does nonper Secan be used to indicate fingers at the content of the study. But the positive image was that, that the book brought all the issues on the tabular array and in public position. The writers could hold included alternate theoretical and methodological attacks like the followers: †¢Tangible thoughts of execution for sustainable development – focal point on how instead than what. †¢Quantitative non qualitative processs for measurement e.g instead than physical/monetary attack, rating of a tree by the energy stored in it, chance cost et Al Overall, although the book is over two decennary old, it is still both appealing and pertinent for person who believer in the cause of the environment. The read should be supplemented by reading the subsequence written twenty old ages post the publication of the original book i.e. â€Å"A new Blueprint for a Green Economy: which highlights the new attacks needed to pull off the turning environmental concerns. The subsequence emphasizes on the implementable policies for economic systems, and explains the importance for the same. In a nutshell, the book’s practical relevancy even today can non be doubted. It has influential thoughts and its realistic proposals continue to fascinate policy shapers till day of the month. Its message underscoring the importance of sustainable economic development is merely deriving more relevancy with each go throughing twenty-four hours in today’s epoch of planetary heating and clime alteration. One can merely disregard this at its ain hazard. How to cite Book Review: The Blueprint of a Green Economy, Essay examples

The Mortality and Morbidity Risk due to Heat Waves

Question: What is the risk of morbidity and mortality in the City of Perth due to Heat Waves? Answer: Introduction The combined effects of climate change, rising global temperatures and urbanization have all contributed to an increase in the number of warm nights as well as more regular and longer heat wave durations. As a consequence, the impact that climate change on Australias populations health has gained increased concerns ('Center for Climate and Energy Solutions', 2017). In recent times, populations have suffered serious health, social, and economic effects in Europe, south East Australia, and the USA, especially in urban areas. This is because urban areas have the issue of buildings that affect the natural micro environment and can act as heat traps during a heat wave. Such events have a multiplier effect, impacting emergency response systems, management of health risk, and infrastructure such as power supply systems (Russo, Sillmann, Fischer, 2015), (Lemonsu, Vigui, Daniel, Masson, 2015). It is widely known that exposure to extreme temperatures significantly impact human health, and in extreme cases, may result in fatality. An example is when over 70 thousand deaths were attributed to the heat wave of 2003 across Europe. Research shows that the relationship between mortality and temperature is usually not linear; further, the highest mortality is usually not achieved on the same day when peak temperatures are reached. This paper discusses the risk of morbidity and mortality in the City of Perth, Australia, by formulating a research question and then providing an answer, basing the discussion on geospatial data for the City of Perth, Australia obtained from AURIN combined with other sources such as the ABS. Risk of morbidity and mortalit The City of Perth is located within the greater Perth metropolitan area; the Perth Metropolitan Area is the capital of the Western Australia. The City of Perth is located on latitude 31.951o S and Longitude 115.818o East with an elevation of 42 meters. Australia has suffered more heat wave deaths than all other natural causes combined and with the effects of climate change, the duration, frequency, and intensity of heat waves are expected to increase. Apart from causing heat stroke and heat exhaustion, exposure to heat can also exacerbate preexisting medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Different people also have different vulnerabilities to heat exposure, with older adults (above 65), outdoor laborers, children, geographically isolated persons, different races and ethnicities( especially those having low Socio Economic Status) are at an increased risk. The impact of heat and heat waves is likely to be multiplied due to amplification of existing risks relating to heat exposure, including buildings and the materials used for the buildings. Buildings, despite being designed to provide shelter, are associated with other hazards such as extreme temperatures and poor air. The density of urban areas has an impact on heat wave effects; high densities coupled with a high urban heat island (UHI) will increase the heat load urban populations experience. During adverse weather conditions, people are more likely to spend most times indoors and research shows that multi dwelling structures are more vulnerable to higher mortality rates during heat waves, using data from the 2003 heat wave in France (Erdman, 2015). Research also shows that urban areas have a higher risk of death than rural areas during heat waves (Gabriel, Endlicher, 2011). The image below shows the aerial view of the city of Perth showing the urban areas and the green (tree) cover for the City; Source: AURIN The City of Perth has a population of 21 092 (for the municipality) spread around the suburbs of Perth, Crawley, East Perth, West Perth, Nedlands, Northbridge, and Subiaco. Source; ABS The factors that are likely to impact mortality and morbidity due to extreme temperatures (hot ) are summarized in the table below, Number Factor 1 Age 2 Accessibility/ remoteness 3 Socio economic index 4 Gender Past studies have shown that the older the person, the greater the impact and effects of heat and heat waves; a 10 oC increase in the maximum temperatures was associated with a 9.8% increase in daily mortality rates (Williams et al., 2012) . The figure below shows historical data showing the relationship between heat and the factors (variables) that affect the effects of heat waves Below is a heat map of Australia taking an average of ten years from 2006; it shows that Perth and Western Australia has on average experienced the highest rise in average temperatures, which makes the region of Perth City a highly risky area during a heat wave. During heat waves, a number of facilities are affected, including power supply systems that in turn interfere with air conditioning services, creating heat traps. The use of glass and having multi story buildings further exacerbate the problem as urban heat islands are created and the buildings act as heat traps. The risk index for morbidity and mortality for the city of Perth therefore is highest in the high density building areas around central Perth and where there are multiple story buildings as the below heat map indicates, the darker the color, the greater the risk of morbidity or mortality from a heat wave in the City of Perth. As the images above show, planers and emergency personnel should develop emergency systems as well as other ways of mitigating the effects of heat waves by concentrating on areas with a higher density of multi-story buildings which act as heat traps, have the lowest tree canopy cover, and experience elevated temperatures that exceed the 30 oC threshold for continued periods. Central Perth City has glass sided tall skyscrapers that rely on air conditioning to keep people inside cool; however, these can become huge heat traps; if there was power failure due to a heat wave; for instance, the buildings will become heat traps and can cause mortality and other adverse health effects, apart from being extremely uncomfortable. The heat map shows that the central regions of Melbourne experience greater warmth, making them UHIs and this is mainly because of human activity of tall buildings made of glass. Glass also reflects away some heat to surrounding buildings; these exacerbate the heat wav es as they create heat traps References 'Australian Bureau of Statistics',. (2017). Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2012-13. Abs.gov.au. Retrieved 3 April 2017, from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/products/AC53A071B4B231A6CA257CAE000ECCE5?OpenDocument 'Center for CLimate and Energy Solutions',. (2017). Extreme Heat and Climate Change | Center forClimate and Energy Solutions. C2es.org. Retrieved 3 April 2017, from https://www.c2es.org/science-impacts/extreme-weather/extreme-heat Erdman, J. (2015). Heat Records Shattered in Germany, France, The Netherlands in June/July 2015 Europe Heat Wave. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 3 April 2017, from https://weather.com/forecast/news/europe-heat-wave-record-highs-june-july-2015 Gabriel, K., Endlicher, W. (2011). Urban and rural mortality rates during heat waves in Berlin and Brandenburg, Germany. Environmental Pollution, 159(8-9), 2044-2050. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2011.01.016 Lemonsu, A., Vigui, V., Daniel, M., Masson, V. (2015). Vulnerability to heat waves: Impact of urban expansion scenarios on urban heat island and heat stress in Paris (France). Urban Climate, 14, 586-605. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2015.10.007 Russo, S., Sillmann, J., Fischer, E. (2015). Top ten European heatwaves since 1950 and their occurrence in the coming decades. IOP. Retrieved 3 April 2017, from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/12/124003/meta Williams, S., Nitschke, M., Weinstein, P., Pisaniello, D., Parton, K. and Bi, P. (2012). The impact of summer temperatures and heatwaves on mortality and morbidity in Perth, Australia 19942008. Environment International, [online] 40, pp.33-38. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221780781_The_impact_of_summer_temperatures_and_heatwaves_on_mortality_and_morbidity_in_Perth_Australia_1994-2008.