Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Topic - Research Paper Example For the topic that I proposed initially, I can propose the following research question and hypothesis. Research Question: What are the underlying factors why increasing numbers of youth in the inner cities of America are at risk of dropping out of school? In addition, the following two secondary research questions will form the foundation for this project: 1) What programs today are proving effective at keeping at-risk students interested and motivated enough to stay in school through to graduation? 2) What community initiatives need to be developed to help local educational institutions identify at-risk students and propose strategies aimed at providing intervention strategies aimed at keeping young people in school? Hypothesis: The at-risk population in America continues to grow because of changing family dynamics and a lack of effective programming options aimed at keeping young people in school. The problem is that high school students around the country are dropping out of schoo l at alarming rates (Bracy, 2006). Society increasingly perceived that public schools are not living up to the expectations and needs of communities across the country. Recent years, therefore, have seen a dramatic increase in the number of intervention strategies and programs designed to keep young people in school. ... erned stakeholders, namely the public at large, sincerely hope that these new initiatives will provide a much needed spark to the role that education plays in society and, in particular, to the at-risk student population. The purpose of this non-experimental, mixed qualitative and quantitative research study will be to identify the traits inherent in successful programs targeting at-risk students. The goal will be to specifically determine which areas are proving effective in terms of keep at-risk students in schools. Existing statistical data will be reviewed, along with personal interviews being conducted, to determine some effective strategies that are currently being employed. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of such programs and initiatives will be determined through a combination of research and personal interviews. The interviews will be valuable because they will help to support the premise of which programs are succeeding and why. Interviews will also reflect the current climate of the at-risk student population and will help point out the various factors that either contributes to a program’s success or failure. An important item of note is that interviews and questionnaires will only be conducted with select educators and concerned adults. No student will be contact for participation in this study. It is important to focus on why programs designed for at-risk students are either effective or ineffective. This begins with an examination and understanding of they key characteristics of the at-risk student. That will form the basis for the study. The qualitative data gathered during this study will then be used to determine how programs and initiatives can be implemented more effectively in an attempt to help students succeed in high school. If a program

Mystery Shopping research for starbucks, costa coffee and cafe nero Essay

Mystery Shopping research for starbucks, costa coffee and cafe nero - Essay Example The purpose of the primary observation in the mystery shopping is to do a random surprise check on the three companies in order to collect data without manipulating the findings. The information is to provide room for comparison of the performance of the three companies by addressing the achievements and failures. The findings here expose the areas that require improvement to promote the satisfaction among customers. Mystery shopping provides data whose measurements are in percentage form. The validity of data is measured by percentages. For data to be considered as valid, it has to range between 0 and 100 %. The second aspect of validity is the measures of extreme information. For example, it may be invalid to obtain 100 percent score for all the variables or 0 percent for all. Similarly, it may not be valid to obtain a similar measure for all the three companies, say 77% for all the data being measures. The research technique used in this exercise is quantitative, descriptive and systematic. First, it is quantitative since it uses measurable data to do the analysis. Secondly, it is descriptive since it uses the results of the analysis to provide the descriptive statistics and their relevance to analyzing the three companies. Thirdly, it is a systematic method since it involves the use of specific and well-organized set of information for the three

Study And Analysis On Cash Flow Statements Finance Essay

Study And Analysis On Cash Flow Statements Finance Essay The Statement of Cash Flows is one of three very important financial reports that managers and investors look at when analyzing a companys past or present financial status. The balance sheet and the income statement are the other two reports. All of these reports are very important in running a successful business, but I personally feel that the cash flow statement is the most important. It is like the blood of a company since it would not survive successfully without it. Cash on hand can actually be much more important than income, profits, assets, and liabilities put together, especially in the early stages of our company. The cash flow statement tells us how much cash we have on hand after all costs are met. It shows how much cash we started with and how much we pay out. There are two parts to the Cash Flow Statement which are the top and bottom halves. The top half deals with the inflow and outflow of our companys cash. The bottom half of the statement reports where the funds end up. Just like the balance sheet, the top and bottom halves of a cash flow statement match. Knowing just how important it is to have cash on hand to pay the bills we want to make sure and review our cash flow statement regularly (How to Prepare, 2010). The top half of the cash flow statement deals with the inflow and outflow of cash. This tracks where our company gets our money and what we spend those funds on. Cash flow is a little more honest than an income statement, because the cash flow statement shows money coming in only when we actually deposit it and money going out only when we physically write out a check (How to Prepare, 2010). Because the cash flow statement reflects the actual receipt of cash, no matter where it comes from, the entries are a bit different from the revenue shown in a companys income statement. These funds are usually made up of gross receipts on sales, dividend and interest income, and invested capital. Gross receipts on sales represent the total money that we take in on sales during the period. Gross receipts are based on our gross revenue, of course, but they also take into account when you actually receive payment. Dividend and interest income is the income that we receive from savings accounts and other securities (Dividend Income, 2010). This is one of those amounts that are also reported on the income statement and should be the same as long as we actually receive the money during the period covered by the cash flow statement. Invested capital is part of the owners equity in the balance sheet. Although it does not represent revenue from our business operations and would not be part o f the income statement, it can be a source of cash for our company. The cash flow statement keeps track of the costs and expenses that we incur for anything and everything. Some of the expenses appear in the income statement and some dont because they dont directly relate to our costs of doing business. These funds consist of cost of goods produced, sales, administration, interest expense, taxes ECT. The cost of goods produced is exactly that, the cost incurred to produce our product or service during the period. Sales expenses are the same expenses that appear in an income statement except that paying off bills or postponing payments may change the amounts (. On to the bottom half of the cash flow statement which shows where our money is ending up. When our companys cash reserves raise the money flows into one or more of our asset accounts. The bottom half of the cash flow statement keeps track of what is happening to those accounts. This part of the Statement consists of changes in liquid assets and net change in cash position. With cash flowing in and out of the company, our liquid assets are going to change during the period covered by the cash flow statement. The items listed in this portion of the cash flow statement are the same ones that appear in the balance sheet. Raising the level of our liquid asset accounts has the effect of strengthening our cash position. In order to properly construct a cash flow analysis we have to look at three very important activities which are operating, investing and financing (Cash Flow, 2010). Operating activities are the cash components that are generated from the sales of the companies goods or products effecting the core business operation. These include the purchase of raw materials, production costs, advertising cost and even the delivery to customers (Cash Flow, 2010). Investing activities are straight forward items that report adjustments in the balances of fixed asset accounts like equipment, buildings, land and vehicles. Investing activities include making and collecting loans and acquiring and disposing of investments and property, plant and equipment (Investing, 2010). Financing activities are cash adjustments to fixed liabilities and owners equity. Cash increases when the company takes up a loan or raised capital, when dividends are paid out, cash decreases accordingly. Financing activities involve liabilities and owners equity items. They include obtaining resources from owners and providing them with a return on their investments, and borrowing money from creditors to repay the amounts borrowed (Financing, 2010). There are a few main objectives of the Statement of Cash flows one of which is to help assess the timing, amounts and the uncertainty of future cash flows (Revenues, 2010). This is one of the quarterly financial reports that publicly traded companies are required to release to the public. According to Investopedia, because public companies tend to use accrual accounting, the income statements they release each quarter may not necessarily reflect changes in their cash positions. The statement of cash flows is very important to businesses because it helps investors see where the company can benefit from better cash management. There are many profitable companies today that still fail at adequately managing their cash flow so it is important to be able to see where the weaknesses are in order to correct them. In conclusion the statement of cash flows is very important for companies and people that want to invest into a certain company. It shows how well a company manages its cash incomings and outgoings as well as showing how profitable a company might be or become. It is a very clear document to understand so that we dont fall victim to making a profit while still going broke. It is also helpful for the companies finance department so that they can see where the company stands in order to get more potential investors. It is a great resource to look at in order to recap a companys financial standing that most people are able to understand.

Should Marriage Be Left To The States? Essay -- essays research papers

My short answer is "no", but let me explain. Before answering what I think the situation should be, it is helpful to look at what the situation is. Currently family law is a matter left to a great extent to the states. States have the power to decide who may marry, the legal process required to do so, and what the legal consequences of that marriage are within the state. In all these matters states differ from each other. The state is limited in its actions, though, to the requirement of its own constitution as well as the constitution of the United States. What those constitutions require is often a matter of great debate, but the ultimate judge is the state's highest court for matters pertaining to its own constitution, and the Supreme Court of the US for matters in the US Constitution. In either case the constitution can be amended by a process laid out therein. So, for example, the US has ruled that a state may not forbid interracial marriages, or forbid inmates from m arrying (except under compelling reasons). I am not aware of any argument claiming that the US Constitution currently forbids same-sex marriage, although there are arguments that it requires it either as matter of a fundamental right to marry, or as a matter of equal protection. It has been noted that the federal government has banned polygamy, but I don't believe this is quite true. The US Congress is ultimately responsible for the laws in DC and the territories. It thus banned polygamy in Utah when Utah was a territory. The Congress also the power to decide whether to admit a new state to the Union (both these powers are in Article IV, Sec. 3). Thus Congress refused to admit Utah to the union unless it's state constitution perpetually forbade polygamy. If Congres had thought it had the power to ban polygamy in the states, this would not have been necessary. There is also the issue of section 1 from the above Article IV which guarantee Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. (Section 2 could also lead to some issues, but as it has been interpreted these issues seem minor). Here is briefly my understanding of how the SCOTUS has interpreted that clause, based primarily on my reading from Andrew Koppelman's book (see left sidebar) which devotes all of chapter 5 to this subject. Fulll Faith and ... ...ough a process they decided upon. As I said, I'm not a big fan of the state as sovreign concept, but it's what we have right now. Unless we are going to abandon that concept, it is up to the state to deal with matters of how their own constitution should be interpreted. Other than prohibition (which many say in hindsight was a terrible idea) the only time we limit what a state can do within its own territory is when otherwise it would violate the right of an individual as a US citizen. In summary, if I could write the constitution as I saw fit, states wouldn't have rights and marriage policy would be set by the federal government. If we are going to leave marriage policy to the states, as the constitution currently does, I see no reason to carve out an exception for same-sex marriage. States already have the requirement to provide equal protection in all of their laws including marriage, and I believe this would require same-sex marriage. I have no problem with somebody pushing for an amendment to the constitution if they see a change as necessary. I would hope the amendment would be narrowly tailored, though, to address the specific problem or problems it is designed to address.

Mentoring Is A Nurturing Process Education Essay

My mentee was one of my co-workers and friend at school, who had fewer old ages of learning experience than me. He teaches prevocational pupils who are of low ability and are recognized as being troublesome. Mentor indicated that they considered the ability to supply unfavorable judgment as imperative to carry throughing the function of supplying professional support. ( Hall et al. , 2008 ) . Therefore I was cognizant that my relationship with my mentee was traveling to alter from a friendly to a professional 1. In order to keep the friendly relationship between me and my mentee, I realized that I should non be excessively dominant since mentoring exists merely in the context of a collaborative relationship based on a partnership in which neither party holds a place of power over the other. ( Landay in Awaya et al. , 2003 ) The mentoring procedure is non ever clearly understood in Education. I had to give my mentee a clear image of mentoring and the mentoring plans and this was really of import for both of us as a starting point. I explained to him that the mentoring procedure would be a journey where both of us would be larning from each other as Coombs stated â€Å" as we assist mentees to develop their ain professional pattern, we are co-enquiring into bettering our ain. ( Coombs, 2005 ) Mentoring is a procedure whereby a wise man ushers, Teachs, influences and supports a mentee, this was what I told my mentee about the function I would be set abouting along this journey. I besides made him cognizant of my function as a â€Å" critical friend † and how this function would be assisting him in his professional growing. What is of import is the procedure of contemplation by the actor, the mentee, so that they can larn more from the procedure and possibly go their ain â€Å" critical friend † ( Peddler, 1983 in Wood, 1997, p.335 ) . Self-reflection has been identified as a major portion of going a professional pedagogue. So, I explained my mentee, the ALACT theoretical account of self-reflection to happen solution to his job. V appreciated being given a clear sense of way, in footings of advice and thoughts with regular clip table meetings for the feedback and treatment. ( Hobson, 2002 in Cain, 2009 ) . Hence I had to inform V that it would be four hebdomads mentoring session with four formal meetings whereby feedbacks and treatments would be taken topographic point. My mentee seemed satisfied with the clear overview he got and found himself psychologically prepared and enthusiastic. I felt happy since we were screening the journey in a good and positive manner. My first category visit took topographic point on the 21st June 2012.The category period was of 40 proceedingss and there were 15 pupils in all. It was a little group and I was greeted by about all of the pupils. I sat at the dorsum of the schoolroom watching my mentee at work. We were already good friends may be that is why my mentee was at easiness in my presence. My mentee started directly off by pulling the works construction and labeling the different parts viz. the foliages, roots and roots without composing the subject of the lesson on the board. I did non happen the starting motor effectual since the aims and the intent of the lesson was non provided to the pupils. At the beginning of a category, the students ‘ concentration are at the extremum ad they are most receptive at that clip, so a proper starting motor helps to capture the involvement and concentration of the students and prosecute them to the full in larning. We can mention the starting motor as a mental ‘warming up ‘ . What I appreciated with my mentee was that he gave a clear, good structures presentation of the works construction utilizing pulling on board as ocular show. Siting at the back watching the pupils was in itself a utile experience. There was one student oscitance at the dorsum and I could see one looking outside the schoolroom and a few of them looking at their fingers or at their friends. This clearly showed their disinterest in the lesson. Even if the pupils were non demoing any involvement, they remained quiet in the category as if they were esteeming some regulations that have been established. I realized that every schoolroom is different, because every instructor is alone. My mentee maintain on his account. There was much of his speaking taking topographic point in forepart of the category. He did non travel about in the schoolroom. At the terminal of the lesson, my mentee did asked some inquiries to the pupils to guarantee if acquisition has taken topographic point. But this wa s done without taking their names. About all the inquiries were closed inquiries. Therefore students did non acquire chances to spread out their thoughts and engage in bad treatment. I observed that most of the pupils were unable to reply these inquiries. Questions should be structured to fit students ability degrees so that all are involved. But here, it was ever the same students answering. There was deficiency of engagement and deficiency of mental battle from the students ‘ sides. This may take to a feeling of dissatisfaction from their work and neutrality for the topic In my first reappraisal meeting with V, I had to supply him with feedback and thoughts and besides discourse them with him. Feedback is the most utile constituent of the plan ( Brandt, 2008, in Copland, 2010 ) . I started with the positive facets in order to construct up his assurance. He listened to me mutely. Then I moved on to the negative facets. As Maynard ( 2000 ) said wise mans appeared loath to state anything which might ache their mentee ‘s feelings, I did experience precisely the same I explained to myself that if I wanted to assist my mentee to develop professionally, I had to knock his work. He started to warrant for the deficiency of active battle in the category, the ground being that the students were already of low ability. I listened to his justification, after which I asked him what harmonizing to him could be done to do the students engaged. I wanted V to undergo self-reflection because contemplation is the ability to convey past events to a witting degree to do sense of them and to find appropriate ways to move in future ( Baornett, 1990 in Wovel, 1997, p1338 ) . But I was non ready for that. Bergnet and Holmes believe that the individual is person of import, who has within him a great potency for alteration, who has the capacity to be a alteration agent. So I asked V whether he agreed to convey alterations for his professional development he needed. For that ground, I explained him in item the ALACT theoretical account: Action, Looking back on the action, Awareness of indispensable facets, Making alternate methods of action and eventually the Trial. I besides provided him the manner to his solution. We parted off on a friendly and jesting note after make up one's minding the day of the month of the following category visit and feedback meeting. Afterwards when I reflected on the meeting, I felt guilty and was inquiring myself â€Å" was n't I excessively rough while naming the negative facets? † Listing these facets one after the other might hold caused him to experience low and for that ground, V gave those justifications. I realize that following clip I should be more careful with the manner I listed the negative facets. During the 2nd category visit, I was once more greeted by the pupils. V was explicating on flower construction. This clip lesson aims were made clear and the subject of the lesson written on the board. He so drew a labelled diagram of a flower on the board and maintain on explicating on each portion of the flower. Still I could see the students non paying attending to their instructor. There were some who were even speaking when V was composing on board with his dorsum to the students. All the behaviours were due to miss of engagement of the pupils. If they would hold been engaged with their acquisition, there would hold been no speaking and looking here and at that place. This clip excessively, my mentee merely talked and talked in his account on flowers. Teaching ( like medical specialty ) requires application of cognition, reading of grounds and its application to real-life state of affairss, actioning critical thought accomplishments and old experiences ( Harrison, J.K et al.,2005 ) .Thus for learning pupils on flowers and its construction, I thought V could hold told his pupils to convey some flowers, which they could utilize to reenforce their acquisition and apprehension, so as to acquire the pupils to an analysis degree and do the larning active instead that inactive and develop accomp lishments for womb-to-tomb acquisition. â€Å" Good instructor accounts, with appropriate illustrations will bring forth mental battle and apprehension. Understanding is best thought if as holding a representation or theoretical account in the head that corresponds to the state of affairs or phenomenon being encountered. Battle is about assisting students to develop these mental theoretical accounts ( Ofsted active battle ) Concsiously, we teach what we know, unconsciously, we teach who we are. ( Hamachok, 1999, p.209 ) . teahcre ‘s competences are determined by his beliefs he told with respects to larning and learning and these find their actionsand every action that a instructor undertake has an consequence on students. Feiman-Nemsec ( 1983 ) province that instructors have themselves spent many old ages as studnets in schools, during which clip, they have developed their ain beliefs about learning, many of which are diametrically opposed to these presented to them during their teacher instruction. For illustration, they may hold developed the belief that instruction is transmittal of cognition and most teacher pedagogues find this belief non really good to going a good instructor. Unless instructors act on their contemplations of themselves and their beliefs so no development would take topographic point. I saw my mentee traveling about among the pupils while explicating. Before stoping the lessons, my mentee asked inquiries to the whole category to see if they have understood. But unluckily the inquiries being asked to the students remained unreciprocated since the scholars had non been engaged and larning had non taken topographic point. V felts slightly defeated. Questioning is extremely effectual. It should be structured to fit students ‘ ability degrees so that all are involved. It helps instructors to better their instruction when they make an attempt to larn their pupil ‘s names and acquire to cognize them personally. Questions should hold been asked separately by naming them by their names. V so shifted to closed inquiries. This clip all of those who knew the reply replied in chorus. The mentee so gave a classwork derived from their text edition. V moved about in the schoolroom while the students were making their classwork. He was look intoing if the work was bein g done. After completion of the classwork, V corrected it on the board. I left the schoolroom after repairing for the 2nd feedback meeting When we met, I asked my mentee how he found his category instruction. He showed his dissatisfaction with the deficiency of response from the pupils and asked for my suggestions. I could feel that V recognized that his instruction has non been effectual and that he wanted to have these constructive unfavorable judgment, support and solutions. Mentors hoped to back up their mentee while working together with them to larn new thoughts that they could implement. ( Abell et al. , 1995, Koballa et al. , in imperativeness in Bradbury and Koballa Jr, 2008, p.2142 ) . There was a demand to speak since speaking is an of import manner of acquisition. So I talked about active battle, doing the students take parting instead that the instructor kept on speaking about the whole category period. I told my mentee to reflect on what could be done to acquire the pupils involved so that larning takes topographic point. That was the advantage of holding mentoring review meetings to enable mentee to refle ct profoundly on their experience of instruction and to get mostly at their ain decisions ( Martin, 1995, in Cain, 2009 ) . V cam up with the same thought I had, of conveying flowers to show the construction of flowers. I smiled since our ideas matched as if he had read my head. I agreed to his thought and suggested him that he could organize group acquisition, spliting the students in groups, where each group would discourse and speak about the construction of flowers which pupils in each group had brought. Group acquisition is good since it acquire all of the students involved, there would be sharing of information and development of communicating accomplishments. But V showed reluctance for the group larning the ground being that such attacks of advancing whole-class synergistic engagement may take to misbehavior. I encouraged V to give a attempt and offered him my aid in instance of any hazard of misbehaviour. Anyhow the pupils seemed afraid of V, so there might be no opportunit y of misbehaviour. By this clip, he agreed to give a attempt in the following category visit. The mentoring procedure and the mentoring meetings are clip devouring and demand tonss of forbearance. So I should non hotfoot my mentee. We would hold to see the negative facets small by small and conveying alterations bit by bit. We so left for tiffin By this clip of the mentoring procedure, my mentee and I were looking frontward for the undermentioned category visits as we were approximately to experiment a new thought and the schoolroom was as if the research lab. Unconsciously, my mentee and I were larning the mentoring civilization which is a civilization that encourages wise mans and mentees to see each other as confederates and follow determination shapers instead than figures keeping unequal places in a hierarchal construction. V got the students into groups. About all the students had brought all types of flowers bespeaking their avidity and enthusiasm. The salutation I received this clip was so different. It was warmer and full of felicity.

Advantages and disadvantages of internet Essay

Nowadays internet is the most common form of communication. It is a worldwide connection of computer systems over a massive network. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to the Internet. First of all internet has made communication very simple, easy and convenient. It is possible to stay in touch with people that you hardly ever see. Moreover internet is a source of knowledge. Anyone could simply open internet and get many information about anything. In other words it is a small encyclopedia about everything in the universe. Nothing online is trustworthy. Websites that are supposed to be trusted and are supposed to be reliable are not full of reliable information. Even major websites that are run by big and trusted companies are using writing firms to write their websites and the writing firms are simply hiring the cheapest freelancers to do their work for them. It is true that the Internet has made it easier to find out basic facts such as the location of places, but even that information is commonly incorrect. Also some people use the Internet too much and forgot real life contact. It may now be easier to keep in contact with people you know, but it has removed any incentive to visit people. In other words it can be addictive and a waste of time and even money. Two angles have been compared in both a positive and negative light. Internet can be useful and dangerous at the same time. In my opinion, Treat the information you read online with a high degree of skepticism and you will be alright. It is also a good idea to use the Internet in order to stay in contact with people, as it is easy and convenient. However, do not allow online contact to start replacing physical contact. It is important to strike a balance between the two.