Sonny With A Chance soundtrack by various artists free essay sample

â€Å"For the first time ever Sonny Sings!† Who remembers this announcement for the promotion of the special, â€Å"Sonny with a Song†? It was the first time, excluding the theme song, â€Å"So Far, So Great†, that Demi Lovato’s character, Sonny Munroe, sings. It was also the time that Walt Disney Records announced that they would be releasing the first ever Sonny with a Chance soundtrack. Well, here it is! Featuring songs by three of the series stars and a song by the band Allstar Weekend, this soundtrack showcases a myriad of sounds and flavors: from the pop style of â€Å"Come Down with Love† (Allstar Weekend), the acoustic soul of â€Å"What to Do† (Demi Lovato) and the classic Disney feel of â€Å"Kiss Me† and â€Å"Feels Like Love† (Tiffany Thorton) to the almost boy-band, Joe-Jonas-meets-‘NSync style of Sterling Knight’s â€Å"Hanging† and â€Å"How We Do This†, this soundtrack is sure to be a fan favorite for a long while (even though I fear it’s lacking having only nine tracks). We will write a custom essay sample on Sonny With A Chance soundtrack by various artists or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I find the soundtrack lacking in another aspect also. While Demi Lovato, Sterling Knight (Chad Dylan Cooper) and Tiffany Thorton (Tawny Hart) contribute their voices to eight out of the nine tracks, I’m left wanting seeing as how rapper Brandon Michael Smith didn’t contribute any songs (oppose to contributing two tracks on the Starstruck soundtrack) and songs such as â€Å"High School Miserable†, â€Å"Make Babies Cry† and Sonny It Up didn’t find their way onto the track listing. Only two songs (excluding the theme) to date have been featured in the series (â€Å"Me, Myself and Time†-â€Å"Sonny with a Song†, â€Å"Work of Art†-â€Å"A So Random Halloween Special†). I’m hoping for a second soundtrack to be released featuring songs from the So Random sketches and possibly more contributed from other cast members. But dont get me wrong, anytime you buy an album or soundtrack with less than eleven tracks, you can find something wrong with it. This soundtrack is still fun and entertaining and while the songs are not â€Å"so random† or as silly as the show itself, it’s still a great buy.

Frederick Douglass Importance of Education Research Paper Example

Frederick Douglass Importance of Education Research Paper Example Frederick Douglass Importance of Education Paper Frederick Douglass Importance of Education Paper Essay Topic: Education To Learn or Not to Learn Throughout Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the importance of education becomes apparent as Frederick Douglass’ opinion wavers. Towards the beginning of the narrative, Douglass is eager to learn, and when his master forbids his learning, it only fuels his desire to further his education. Once he is finally able to read, however, he becomes restless with his life and blames education for his discontent. Ultimately, though, he views education as vital to his freedom from lavery and realizes that he can put his education to good use, helping other slaves to freedom. Frederick Douglass comes to see the power of education when he moves in with the Aulds. When he is first living with them, Mrs. Auld starts to teach him the basics of reading and writing. He is content and eager to learn, until Mr. Auld prohibits his wife from furthering Douglass’ education, saying, â€Å"If you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. : As to himself it would do him no good. It would make him discontented and unhappy’ (Douglass 22). Instead of discouraging his education, however, this only prompts Douglass to learn more, as he now understands that education is key in his escape from a life of slavery. Douglass soon finds new means of education in the young white boys that live near him, who will occasionally give him lessons in return for bread. Just as Mr. Auld had predicted, as soon as Douglass is able to read on his own, he begins to become discontent and restless with his life. His education had â€Å"opened his] eyes to the horrible pit, but offered no ladder upon which to get out† (Douglass 26). At times Douglass finds himself envious of the lack of knowledge of the other slaves around him, as he is now aware of his foul quality of life, but can find no way of relief. â€Å"l often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for the hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself, or done something for which I should have been killed† (Douglass 26). This quote is an example of Just how disturbed and discontented Douglass is with his uality of life. The more Douglass reads, the more frustrated he feels, as he comes to believe that his masters are no more then â€Å"successful robbers† who took his people from their homes and enslaved them. Although having an education seems like a curse to Frederick Douglass at times, he comes to view education as essential to his escape from slavery. Through reading, Douglass becomes aware of the abolitionist movement in the northern part of the United States. As a result, he is able to eventually find a way to run away to the north, and start a new life for himself as a free man. He soon puts his education to good use and starts writing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, in hopes that it will tragic reality of slavery. Despite the fact that Frederick Douglass’ education sometimes felt like a burden, he would not have been able to escape to freedom without it. Because of his motivation to learn early in life, he was eventually able to understand the abolitionist movement and run away to the north. He used his education to write one of the most influential works of literature to help the emancipation movement in the United States.

THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT AT LLOYDS TSB BANK Dissertation

THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT AT LLOYDS TSB BANK (FRONT DESK STAFF) - Dissertation Example Employee satisfaction is absolutely necessary among front desk staff especially those working in investment banks or other sales related companies as they represent an organization and bring in a greater portion of the revenue. The purpose of this study is to measure the employee satisfaction levels among Lloyds TSB front desk staff, one of the leading banks of UK. A questionnaire based survey was conducted and it was found that although the pay package and benefits provided by the bank were quite attractive, employee satisfaction was average among the Lloyds TSB front desk staff. An analysis of the questionnaire using popular satisfaction/motivation theories revealed that along with money other factors such as communication with the employees, respect and recognition and appreciation are also important. It was found that hard HRM is mostly practiced in Lloyds Bank TSB branches and hence it is recommended that a blend of both hard and soft HRM should be applied in order to improve th e employee satisfaction levels. ... ies 15 2.3 Maslow’s Theory 16 2.4 Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory 18 2.5 Alderfer’s ERG Theory 19 2.5.1 Using Alderfer’s ERG Theory at Workplace 20 2.6 Vroom’s Theory of Expectancy 20 2.6.1 Applying Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in an Organization 21 2.7 Locke’s Path Goal Theory 21 2.8 Studies on Employee Satisfaction 22 2.9 Theoretical Framework 24 3.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 26 3.1 Research Philosophies 26 3.2 Research Design 27 3.3 Data Sources 28 3.4 Data Collection Tools 28 3.5 Sampling Strategy and Sample Size 29 3.6 Data Analysis 31 3.7 Validity and Reliability Concerns 32 3.8 Ethical Considerations 33 4.FINDINGS 34 4.1 Section A: Demographics 34 4.2 Section B: Human Resource Policies 37 4.3 Section C: Job satisfaction at Lloyd’s bank 43 4.4 Section D: Employee Training and Development Practices 48 4.5 Section E: Performance and Evaluation 48 4.6 Section F: Compensation 49 4.7 Section G: Employee Retention 51 4.8 Section H: Employee Commitment 52 5.DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 54 5.1 Analysis 56 6.CONCLUSION 59 6.1 Recommendations 61 6.2 Revisiting Aims and Objectives 62 6.3 Research Limitations and Future Research Scope 63 References 64 Appendix- I 73 THE LEVEL OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND COMMITMENT AT LLOYDS TSB BANK (FRONT DESK STAFF) 1. INTRODUCTION Employee satisfaction is commonly defined as the measure of how happy and content an employee is with his/her job and working environment (Kennet & Salini 2011). It has been observed that at times even though the package offered to the employee is good, the employees become discouraged and resign from their jobs. Certain factors like limited growth opportunity, lack of appreciation and recognition, high job stress and even lack of communication within the organization discourage and frustrate an employee. The

The Debate Over Social Security Today Research Paper

The Debate Over Social Security Today - Research Paper Example The program created to aid those who are unemployed in US is still functional and the program that was created to assist the families that have dependant children has been transformed into a program created to aid the needy ones. The era of the Great Depression led to the creation of Social Security Act but the same idea existed even before this time period. For example: during the 1880s a program to aid the old aged people, pregnant women and ill people was functional in Germany. These programs are said to be developed due to the urbanization of Germany. Similarly, the program of social insurance is said to have developed due to the urbanization in US. During the period of 1880s the number of people working in industries and number of people working in farms and agricultural arena were equal. By the 1930s, the number of people working in farms decreased to 21% of the total workforce and people started gaining wage based employment in the industrial sector. Further states that the wa ges earned by people working in industrialized areas were variable in nature even before the Great Depression. Before the Great Depression, the unemployment rate between the eras of 1905 to 109 fluctuated from as low as 3.9% to 16.4% and the unemployment rate during the era of 1920 to 1924 fluctuated from 4.1% to 19.5% (Kennedy, 1999). When ever economic downtrend took place in US, the category of people who took most of the burden were the old aged people, other side effects of downtrend included loss of income due to impairments and death. These effects gained the attention of the policy makers and during the Great Depression these issues gained more strength as during this era the unemployment rate in non agricultural sectors elevated to 34%. Increase in the degree of these issues made the policy makers create the Social security program (Green, 2003). The early developed program of Social Security was not designed in a way to provide fast relief from the effects of the Great dep ression. The early program was somewhat like the Townsend plan according to which individuals aging 60 and above were provided with an old age pension of $200. This amount was only provided to those individuals who were not employed or could not work and they had to spend the entire amount in one particular months time period. This program never became a part of the US constitution but gained tremendous popularity because it focused on wiping of poverty and to obtain economic success. Body Several features of the Social Security Act of 1935 are still available in the current Social security system, over the years the system has experienced various changes. The changes made to the act during the era of 1939 have now become a part of debate. The Act in its true shape was created with the purpose of providing retirement funds to those who were no longer employed and were aging over 65 years. The formulation of the benefits that were to be offered to old aged people under this act was b ased on the income earned by these old aged people since 1937 and the benefits were offered to people coming from limited kinds of jobs. The first formulation of benefits offered very low benefits to the old aged people as compared to the wages earned by an average worker during that time period (Livingston, 2008). These benefits were never applied to the Social Security Act; the only features applied from this Social Security A

LA---The City that Might Have Been Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LA---The City that Might Have Been - Essay Example If the project was turned into reality, have it not been for failures in real estate negotiations, the builders would have faced the challenge of really making the building secure and able to stand the atrocious circumstances on the sea brought about by changing seasons. Maintenance would have been a real challenge because keeping such a building that should withstand strong rains, is quite expensive. In addition to the building, there was also a proposal of having a glass-enclosed bridge that connects the building to the shore. This is a really genius plan and the same challenge presented by the building is applicable to the bridge. With such a spectacular proposed building, finances for the maintenance might not be a problem after all because undoubtedly, this project would have attracted people not only around the area but from all over the world. The experience this project offers to highly adventurous customers might have brought good economic opportunities to local and foreign investors not only because of the architectural design but also because of the adventure that people often seek and gladly pay for. The real challenge that developers would have really faced if the project pushed through would be the assurance that the building is a safe place for people to go to. Although engineering and architectural projects showed that it is possible to build strong buildings in the sea as evidenced by several bridge structures which stood strong and destructive waters for decades, the thought of building a place which will constantly house numerous people is quite different to

Marketing Mix And Promotion Mix

Marketing Mix And Promotion Mix Ethics have been an important aspect of business activities across the world for a long time. Ethical considerations are always in inseparable elements of business activities, thus advertising cannot be ignored. So we can say that ethics play quite an important role in advertising. Some of the ethics in advertising are: There should be no offence to the generally accepted norms of decency. Claims and representations should be true and honest. There should not be careless use of advertising products which are harmful either to individuals or society. The principle of fair competition should be respected in case of comparative advertising. The dignity of the human person should be maintained. Manipulative techniques should not be used, that means those techniques that play on a customer emotions etc. Ethical considerations are different from legal considerations. Legal considerations are enforced by law, but in case of ethical considerations they can or cannot be enforced by law. Ethical consideration have more to do with responsibility of a person towards the society, while legal considerations are something that has been written, approved and then enforced by the Government. Different companies have different ethical considerations towards a particular product or services, but legal considerations will always remain same as the opposite will be against the law. If we take the case of cigarette advertisement, the writing which says that cigarette is injurious to health is legal consideration; they cannot sell it without that phrase. The non use of vulgarity or obscenity can be seen as an ethical consideration more than a legal consideration. Communication is quite important in business. Ineffective communication causes a huge amount of damage to the company. There are a lot of barriers to communication, which stops the message being transferred. So to ensure that the messages are not impeded barriers to communication should be taken to consideration. So barriers to marketing communication campaign are: Variation in tone or style: If the marketing communication being informal or friendly or if the letters written in the message is threatening, can be a barrier to marketing communication. Noise: Noise can be a barrier as it can cause disturbance and may lead to confusion. For example when talking to a customer faults in telephone line causing some noises could cause disturbances. Differing perceptions: We know that each person is different, so people can take things differently, so a message should always be loud and clear. For example let us consider the advertisement of green tea, if the message that it is green tea is not mentioned loud and clear people could think it as normal tea. Language: Most misunderstandings can happen due to the difference in spoken interpretation. As we know language is most important for communication. For example the usage of jargon can often distort a message, it is not necessary everyone understands it. Lengthy message: If the messages are long people may tend to not to read or hear it fully and the message may not be conveyed in the right way. For example the TV advertisements are mostly about 30 seconds to 45 seconds, if it is more than that most people tend to get annoyed and would not listen to carefully. Prejudices: Some people tend to hear what they tend to hear but not what is said, so it may create false assumptions. Overload: Too much information in the messages can cause problems and the targeted audience may get confused. For example the TV ads regarding toothpastes in which it says the ingredients of the toothpaste, if the names of all ingredients are said people would get confused. Inconsistency: If the messages received are conflicting or inconsistent people tends to ignore them. For example the ad regarding soap, in the ad the company claims some effects of the soap and if anyone who had used it before never got the result would tend to believe the message is false. Channel barrier: If the channel used to send the message is not proper the message may not be received. For example the advertisement have video scenes can only be communicated via TV or internet but not through newspaper. Physical distractions: For example if the message is communicated through E-mail and there are spelling or grammar mistakes, the person who receives it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be able to concentrate on the message. Electronic Medias have always played an important role in communication. The evolutions of technology have made communication far easier. The electronic media includes Television, Radio, Telephone, Computers, Internet, Fax, DVD, CD-ROMs etc. As we know there are advantages and disadvantages for everything. The advantages of electronic media in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s communication campaign are: Messages can be communicated quickly. For example an E-mail can be sent quickly to people. Messages can be communicated at a time to a large number of people. For example an ad on television is seen by a lot of people at the same time. Distance is no longer a problem. For example a message can be communicated to a person at a far distance through telephone, e-mail etc. Audio, video and text can be used in the same medium. For example take the case of advertisements on television, in an ad there is video, audio and also text. It can be recorded and can be stored for future use. For example a message can be stored DVDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and can be used for future use. Powerful impact on people. For example an advertisement on television can have a lasting and powerful impact on people. The disadvantages of electronic media in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s communication campaign are: They are less intimate. For example an e-mail message is not as close as communicating directly. The mechanism of feedback is slow. For example the response to a television advertisement cannot be known quickly. The medium is expensive. For example a computer is expensive to buy. To make programmes special trainings are required. For example trained people are required for the making of an advertisement which is aired on television. In rural areas the access is limited. For example in many rural areas in many countries the internet is not available so e-mails cannot be used as a medium of communication. They are not permanent. For example and advertisement cannot be aired permanently, they will be taken off air after a considerable time. 6. Marketing Communication objectives are derived from marketing objectives. The main objectives of marketing and marketing communication objectives are to increase brand awareness, increase sales, encourage action from the targeted audience, improve customer relations, establish themselves in the industry etc.

How to Succeed in College Essay -- College Education Organization Essa

How to Succeed in College College 101 has been a very informative class. It has taught me a lot about college and the changes you have to make while attending college. I learned a lot about certain programs that the school offers, I knew nothing about these programs before I took this class and I probably never would have known anything about them if I never would have taken this class. In this class I have learned about three important concepts that can be very useful throughout my college years to come. I think time management, determining values and balancing lifestyles are the three most important concepts you need to help you succeed in college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think planning a day to day schedule of the things you have to do is very important and that’s why time management is a very important factor while in college and even life after college. You can start out by making a chart and writing down everything that you have to do and write the time limit it should take you to do it. You have to work hard at disciplining yourself and try not to go over the time that you have designated for yourself. I think you should even set a time where you have free time to yourself. You should carry this schedule every where you go because if you forget it than you are more likely to do something else or spend more time while doing a certain task. You should also reward yourself when completing some tasks and that way if you do this you would want to keep going and complete the next one....

Fallingwater Critque

I TLD understand the building when I first saw It's Image pop up, but with further Investigation, It grew on me. Maybe It Is because I am not an outdoorsy kind of person But the way the building Is designed, Is unique and quit intriguing. This building has many square edges, it seems basic along the outside of the building. But it is when you look at the materials used, the rocks along the exterior walls and the red paned windows and railings that seem to bring everything all together.I still am not sure if I like the way the building is put together, but it works for it's private and intimate location. It appears to have been always made for this location, the building seems almost natural. And the colors work very well together, again, all natural. Structure: The structure of the building varies with each area. There are 3 horizontal trays made up of reinforced concrete which form there three levels of the house. There are four piers, or bolsters anchored Into a boulder underneath the mall floor act as the fulcrum for the house.Counterbalancing weight to the back, or north side, of the house keep it from toppling into the stream. The cantilever, which is the long piece of concrete underneath the building is the basis for the entire structure. Materials: The materials which Frank Lloyd Wright has used to create the falling water building were very simple. He used sandstone, reinforced concrete, steel and glass. Which all the materials can be seen by loping right at the building. The building has many shapes and lines, but together it flows very peacefully.Some that re seen are pentagon, rectangle, semi-circle and squares pieces of the building. Talking about them separately, you wouldn't think they would flow as nicely. But they do work together In this setting. Context: The environment and the building all do flow nicely together. If this building was built in a rural area in a community of other rural homes, it would NEVER fit in. But this building creates t he environment and atmosphere as if it was always made to be there. It has become on with the river and surrounding landscape. It grows as the trees would grow that hover the river and building.

Free sample - Bill of Rights. translation missing

Bill of Rights. Bill of RightsIntroduction Criminal justice and security system happens to be one of the largest industries in the United States of America. The historical development of the various law enforcement agencies and their jurisdiction has changed over the years in the years since the establishment of the first courts in the country. The law enforcement revolves around and tries to apply true methods of searching, arresting and interrogation that give individual rights. This essay will examine the various aspects of the criminal justice system and security including the objectives and challenges of law enforcement agencies, the roles of the federal, state, and local court systems, the objectives of the juvenile justice system, the roles of private security organizations with respect to both corporate and public protection and various solutions to the challenges that faces criminal justice organizations and security organizations. Federal court system This is sometimes referred to as the guardians of the constitution and they exist to fairly and impartially interpret and apply the laws, resolve the disputes and, most importantly protect the rights and liberties that are guaranteed by the constitution. These courts do not make the laws. It is the constitution that delegates making, amending and repealing the federal laws to the US congress (Government Printing Office) State court system The role of the state judiciary system is important to the operation of state government in general. These state courts interpret and apply state laws. They assist in resolving conflicts such as business disagreements and grievances that the citizens may have against each other. In addition, the state courts punish crimes that violate the state law. State courts are important because state most of the laws that affect the citizen on a daily basis are state and local laws and it is the responsibility of the state courts to interpret those laws. Roles of the court systems with respect to public safety and civil rights The courts interpret and apply the law when different parties are in dispute. In that way, courts take law out of the law books, and make it part of people’s lives. The courts apply the law to specific controversies that are brought before them. They resolve disputes between the individuals, companies and government unities.   Often, the courts are called on to uphold some limitations on the government. They protect against abuses by all government branches. They protect the minorities of various kinds from the majority, and protect the rights of citizens who are not able to protect themselves. They also embody the important notions of equal and fair The employment relationship under the American law is highly regulated by a complex, system of statues, administrative regulations and the judicial precedent at the federal, state and also at local level. The federal and state laws affects all the aspects of employment such as payment of wages, hiring of workers, compensation of overtime, workplace and general employee safety and employee discipline.   The court systems also interpret the in regard to employment based on gender, race, age, color and physical handicap (Government Printing Office). The roles of private security organizations   Few years ago, the term private security called to mind the image of the security guards with marginal qualifications for other functions who ended up accepting low wages. The private activities and policing have become complex and more important. The private security encompasses the occupations that range from the traditional security guards to the computer security experts and to the high ranking corporate vice presidents who are responsible for the planning and overseeing the safety and security at companies, industries and office complexes in the entire world. The olice image by Zeno from Fotolia.com private security in the United States has a reputation for being lax compared to the public security. Many areas need additional security to protect property as well as individuals. Private security companies provide services ranging from armed and the unarmed security to uniformed and the plainclothes security, from electronic surveillance to inspection of vehicles and bomb dete ction, and from personal protection to preparation for low and high security threat scenarios. Due to the attacks of September 2001, the law enforcement private security has been seen as critical to preventing terrorism and terrorism acts. Since the private sector owns and protects about 80 percent of the world’s infrastructure, while the local law enforcement often has threat information regarding the infrastructure, law enforcement-private security can put vital information into the hands of the people who are in need of it. Thus, to effectively protect the nation’s infrastructure, law enforcement and private security must work collaboratively because neither possesses the necessary resources to do so alone (Green G and Fischer J. 2004). The objectives of the juvenile justice system The juvenile courts have jurisdiction over the individuals under the age of 18 who engage in unlawful conduct, with certain exceptions. Unlike the adult courts, the juvenile proceeding is not a criminal proceeding designed to determine the criminal responsibility and punishment but it is a civil proceeding designed to protect the young people from the consequences of their own conduct, develop responsibility for the unlawful behavior, rehabilitate them and promotes public safety. Other objectives of juvenile courts include addressing the offending behavior, minimizing the penetration of young people into the Criminal Justice System, promoting the uniqueness of adolescents, providing more effective community based responses, delivering culturally appropriate responses and assisting in the development of the young person's self identity. The challenges facing criminal justice and security organizations and solutions Most law enforcement agencies and officers in the united state do not have access to the new technologies that are used to fight crimes hence they are hindered in their intelligence gathering operations. The criminal justice and security systems should make use of some organizations that provides the required criminal intelligence and the investigative support services. For instance they should work in hand with Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) which always serves as the invaluable tool to the Federal State and the Local law enforcement agencies. RISS may give the agencies the required resources that they need to discover and apprehend the potential crimes before they happen (Congressional Record). The criminal justice and security systems should possess basic understanding of the justice system, including policing, structure of the court system, the role of the prosecutor and judge and the system of law, identify and read any previous similar assessments, request, in advan ce the statistical and management reports. Some of these reports are found on the internet. The policymakers at government federal, state and local agencies should respond to United States country’s crime and safety concerns. They should however put in mind that it is more important to remember that the criminal issues in United States are multi-faceted, and that their respective responses towards the issues should be as well multi-faceted. The improvement of safety in the day-to-day lives of the residents of United States should be the responsibility of a wide range of justice agencies which are within the US country and not just law enforcement officials because the safety improvements facilitates the involvement of social service and public service providers, the federal and state officials, the youth workers, the residents of the tribal communities and tribal and non-American politicians. Also, they should meet with institutions, individuals, and professional and human rights organizations which are concerned with the issues that they may encounter on the mission of assessment, as well as the donors including embassies that provide bilateral assistance. These sources may provide some valuable background information for conducting thorough assessments as well as the invaluable in-country contacts. Finally, the systems should consider the use of research tools used in the assessment mission such as document study, interviews and focus groups (Siegel, 2009). Conclusion The society expects the courts to decide if people are guilty or not, sentence the guilty to punishment, interpret the laws made by the legislative, set the legal precedents, and to uphold the constitutional protections. References Government Printing Office. Congressional Record. Green G and Fischer J. (2004). Introduction to security. Butterworth-Heinemann. Siegel, l. J. (2009). Introduction to Criminal Justice. Cengage Learning.

These Are the 5 Worst Problems with College Boards AP Program

These Are the 5 Worst Problems with College Board's AP Program SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We’ve talked a lot about the AP Program in the past – why you would take AP classes, how many you should take, and how AP compares to the IB program. But what are some of the major problems with the AP program?In this guide, we'll go over the top five worst problems that the College Board and the AP program are dealing with. We will also explain how you can avoid these problems and get the most out of your AP courses. The Top 5 Problems With Advanced Placement As a brief disclaimer, we don't expect the Advanced Placement program to be perfect, and there are many benefits to taking AP classes, as we've covered in the past. That said, by covering some of the weaknesses of the AP program, we hope to help students make more informed decisions about their schedules, especially in the midst of today's intense college admissions environment. Problem 1: More Tests Taken = More Failed Tests The AP Program is growing too fast for all the new programs to be supported, especially at low-income schools, leading to more failed tests than anything else. As we’ve discussed in the past, the ultimate goal of taking an AP class is to pass the AP test at the end of the year – if you don’t, you’ve basically wasted the $92 you spent on the exam. So it’s a problem if most of the AP growth in recent years comes from failed exams. College Board often celebrates the results of the fast-growing AP Program – nearly 5 million tests were taken in 2017, for example. However, the flip side to this is that with new AP classes and programs come growing pains, especially in schools that don’t have a lot of funding for new AP programs. It takes a few years for a class to really settle in at a high school, and for a teacher to get used to the AP curriculum. It can take a few years for a teacher to master a curriculum. This takes even longer in low-income schools – explaining why a lot of the growth has come in the form of failed AP tests (you can see how the average test score has fallen over time here). A report from Inside Higher Ed looks at this phenomenon: â€Å"The data also show, however, a more than doubling in the number of AP examinees who only achieve test scores of less than 3 on the exam. (Typically a score of three is the minimum required for college credit, and critics of the program have said that increases in the number of sub-3 scores suggest many students may not be gaining from the courses, a contention disputed by the College Board.) These figures grew from 182,429 to 395,925 during the last decade. Likewise, the number of AP exams with scores of less than 3 also more than doubled, from 521,620 to 1,345,988. The data also show significant gaps in participation rates and success rates (scores of 3 and higher) on the AP exams, by racial and ethnic group. White and Asian students are more likely to participate and to get good scores. Black students are much less likely to do so.† In other words, people are questioning how good the expansion of the AP program actually is if it just means more students are failing AP exams every year. There have been concerns for years among teachers about the program growing too fast, and schools being too lax about which students get to take AP. A 2009 survey of 1,000 AP teachers found that "more than half are concerned that the program’s effectiveness is being threatened as districts loosen restrictions on who can take such rigorous courses and as students flock to them to polish their rà ©sumà ©s." In short, there are thousands of students winding up with failed AP tests each year – which is no good for them or their schools. You could argue that the experience of taking an AP class helps students prepare for college, but the fact remains that rapid expansion is not leading to the best outcomes for many students. Problem 2: Too Much Material, Too Little Time Even though many courses have been revamped, AP still tends to be seen as a shallow, memorization-based program, in comparison to IB and home-grown curriculums at other schools. In one blistering critique of AP classes in The Atlantic, a former teacher writes: "the AP program leads to rigid stultification." He complains that by requiring so much material, AP classes lose depth and the opportunity for meaningful learning. Another study, reported in KQED, finds that â€Å"AP courses don’t always teach critical thinking skills or allow students to explore topics more deeply. Instead, they often turn into a race to cover a wide expanse of information, some say.† Okay, this is a slight exaggeration, but you would be surprised at the size of some AP textbooks. This is especially true in contrast to IB, which explicitly focuses on developing critical thinking and writing skills. By requiring students seeking an IB diploma to write an extended research essay, take a class about theories of knowledge, and including more writing on the exams, the IB program emphasizes critical thinking, research, and writing in the way AP classes simply don’t have time for. Even in places where the AP program has revamped classes, like biology, concerns remain. A Washington Post article notes: â€Å"The new curriculum will encourage more work in science labs and less parroting back of formulas, more work on historical thinking and less memorization of historical minutiae. That all sounds pretty good. But it will do little to improve teaching and learning, especially at schools with low-levels of instructional and administrative capacity.Merely asking teachers to spend less time drilling and more time promoting inquiry, in other words, does not make them able to do so, nor does it prepare their students to succeed in such classes.† A New York Times article further explains why it can be hard for teachers to switch over from drilling to experiments and critical inquiry: â€Å"While Ms. Vangos believes the program could inspire students who â€Å"like to think outside the box,† she worries that the new math requirements will discourage others. And with so many cutbacks these days in education budgets, she says, the need to improve lab facilities at many public schools 'is absolutely going to pose a big problem.' Labs in resource-strapped urban schools often don’t have enough of even basic tools, like dissecting microscopes, for their students.† In short, it’s hard to balance the fact that AP courses tend to pack in tons of material with a desire to emphasize critical thinking and accessibility. Especially in schools without many resources. At the end of the day, if you’re in an AP course, you’ll likely find yourself spending more time drilling definitions with flashcards than, say, conducting experiments or reading novels. The new AP Capstone program does attempt to rectify some of these issues. Read more about it here. Problem 3: You Won't Always Get the College Credit You're Expecting The AP Program might not lead to the college credit you want for two reasons. First, AP classes often aren’t always as rigorous as their actual college equivalents, and some colleges are getting stingy about granting AP credit. Again in The Atlantic, the former teacher argues AP classes aren’t actually equivalent to college-level courses: â€Å"Before teaching in a high school, I taught for almost 25 years at the college level, and almost every one of those years my responsibilities included some equivalent of an introductory American government course. The high-school AP course didn't begin to hold a candle to any of my college courses. My colleagues said the same was true in their subjects.† Additionally, in college, your AP course doesn’t always grant you credit. Sometimes it just gets you out of your department's intro courses – which you might want to take anyway to get a more solid understanding of the material. It can be hard to replicate the college experience in a high school classroom. It’s important to note that many schools – particularly large public universities – will give you credit for AP, especially for gen-ed courses. To look at an example of a public university, at the University of Utah (my local state school) you can get tons of AP credit, enough to knock out your general education requirements in high school. However, many private colleges, especially top-tier ones, are shying away from granting AP credit. For some schools, credit policies are drawn on departmental lines. Math and science AP courses get credit more often than History or English. To look at one example of a top-tier school, Princeton, you can get into harder history courses with excellent AP US or World History scores, but you won’t get credit for your high scores. Meanwhile, at Dartmouth, AP courses will no longer be used to grant any credit at all, though they will get students into higher-level classes. I can also speak to AP credit not panning out. Even though I took nine AP classes, and got seven 5’s and two 4’s, none of them got me class credit at Stanford, since Stanford mostly accepts AP credit from math, science, and language classes. However, those AP classes did a lot to help me prepare for Stanford classes – in fact most of my college study skills came from AP classes. In short, if you’re taking AP classes, you should get used to the fact that even though the classes will help prepare you for college, they might not get you credit once you get there. Problem 4: Students Are Overloading Another problem with AP isn’t so much due to the program itself, but how students (and parents!) react to it. Across the country, students are overloading themselves, thinking that taking ten AP classes is the ticket to a selective school. This leads to stressed-out, burned-out students. Plus, taking AP classes doesn’t even guarantee admission into schools like Harvard and Stanford. Some educators describe AP courses as kind of an â€Å"arms race,† where as certain students take more AP classes, others feel pressured to load up with more to compete. Local newspapers have run lots of articles over the last five years about students feeling the need to overload on AP classes. When students overload, they’re much more likely to get overwhelmed by the work and get lower scores on the exams. It also adds to the enormous amounts of stress associated with today’s college admission process. Problem 5: It Can Exacerbate Education Inequality While AP has often been touted as an equalizing force in education, it tends to just perpetuate unequal outcomes. Well-prepared and well-funded students do well on AP tests, and students from less wealthy schools do worse, so the AP program often reinforces education inequality. College Board often touts AP’s expansion into various public and low-income schools as a victory for education. The truth is that low-income schools often struggle to successfully implement AP programs and get students to pass the exams. So what ends up happening is that, similar to the SAT/ACT, the tests simply reinforce the status quo: students at well-funded schools do well, students at less well-funded schools struggle. Plus, the bigger the program gets, the less power it has to set students apart. Inside Higher Edexplores this phenomenon: â€Å"Consequently, their efforts, while well-intended, never address the underlying problems that affect school quality and educational equity †¦.the expansion of the AP Program failed to promote real parity between the educational haves and have-nots. Because once the AP Program reached a critical mass, it lost its functionality as a mark of distinction. Soon, scores of colleges and universities (Dartmouth being the latest) revised their policies around awarding credit for AP coursework or favoring it in admissions reviews. And ultimately, elite suburban and private schools began to drop the program, calling it outdated, overly-restrictive, and too oriented toward multiple choice tests. Thus, while students at Garfield High in East Los Angeles were for a short time doing the same work as students at Andover, the aim of equity proved a noble and elusive dream.† In short, the AP program isn’t living up to its promise of leveling the education playing field in the US. It’s even having the strange effect of causing certain private schools to drop AP and create their own advanced courses – making AP seem less special in the college admissions process. I’m not saying it’s the AP program’s responsibility to fix educational inequality in the US – education inequality is an enormous problem. It will take much more than just one program to fix it. That said, I think it’s important to evaluate how successful programs actually are in trying to fix the problem – especially if they claim to be part of the solution. So Should You Take AP Classes? Given these problems, should you totally give up on AP? After reading through all of those issues you may be having second thoughts. Not necessarily. I still think the AP program can be a great fit for many students. These are the steps you should take to make sure you get the most out of the program, despite its flaws. #1: Take the Hardest Classes at Your School We’ve looked at problems the AP has nationally, but the reality is you still need to take the hardest classes at your school if you’re looking to get into top colleges. That means you should still take AP classes if your school offers them and you're hoping for a top school but do not overload on them. Meet with your guidance counselor to talk about putting together a challenging mix of your school’s classes that doesn’t overload on AP – especially if your school’s AP program isn’t stellar. (Ask your guidance counselor about the pass rates your AP teachers achieve on the exams, and how often they notice students switching out of AP classes, to get a sense of how good the program is at your school.) If you’re aiming for top schools, your goal is to have a transcript that your counselor will report as â€Å"most rigorous† on the Common App guidance counselor report. If your school has AP, this means that, in most cases, you’ll need to take AP classes. But it doesn't mean you have to take every single AP course your school offers. If you overload, you risk stretching yourself too thin. It’s better to pass two AP tests than to fail four! Also make sure that for any AP class you take, you have solid pre-requisite courses under your belt. (For example, don't take AP Biology without having taken an introductory biology class first.) #2: Match Your AP Courses to Your Goals Do you want to get into a top-tier school? Or are you more interested in skipping general ed requirements at your state school and graduating college early? Your answers to these questions can help you decide which AP classes are worth your effort, and which ones aren’t. If you know what your goals are, you can create a smart AP program for you. For example, if you’re trying to avoid general education classes at your local state school, look up which AP courses fulfill these requirements at your state school, and focus on doing well in those. To take just one example, this may mean choosing to take AP Calculus over AP Art History if you’re looking to complete your college math credit in high school – even if you love art! If you’re aiming for a top school, look at AP courses that allow you to explore your interests and show your academic strengths. To continue our example, this may mean taking AP Art History instead of AP Calculus to demonstrate your interest in the fine arts and humanities. #3: Avoid Common Pitfalls First of all, don’t load up on APs just to have AP classes all over your transcript. Take the right number for you. If this means taking fewer AP classes than your friends, so be it! Remember to pick out classes with your own goals in mind. Also, don’t underestimate the exam – you have to study to pass the AP test, even if you think the class is easy! Getting an A in an AP class but getting a 1 on 2 on the exam looks bad. Make sure to take at least two full practice exams before the real thing. Finally, continue to develop your other interests in high school. Don’t take 10 AP classes but sacrifice a key extracurricular or studying for the SAT/ACT. Remember AP classes are just one factor of an advanced high school experience. #4: Focus on the Positive Although we’ve talked a lot about problems with the AP program, I still think it’s a great way to prepare for college. You can get a lot out of AP – by learning to study on your own, developing self-discipline, and mastering challenging material. At the end of the day, how much you get out of AP classes will depend on how much effort you put in. Despite the numerous problems with AP on a national level, and uneven courses at my local high school, I’m really glad I took nine AP classes in high school. By developing my own study schedules before the tests, I honed my self-discipline and study skills. The writing fluency skills I gained from numerous AP history and English courses were also super helpful in college when I found myself with several essays to write at the end of every quarter. In short, even if the AP program leaves something to be desired at your school, you can still use it to develop your skills. Keep in mind that could mean doing extra studying outside of class and taking studying matters into your own hands. What’s Next? Thinking you should take IB classes instead? Get a comparison of the IB and AP programs. While you might think AP is the key to college, think again. Read about how a high ACT/SAT score is the single most important key to improving your admissions chances. Need some help with your ACT/SAT studying? Check out 21 SAT tricks you should be using, and find out the hidden hints in the ACT instructions. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Technology and Productivity in the Workplace Essay

Technology and Productivity in the Workplace - Essay Example At this particular stage in the IT revolution, many organizations This reverse effect of technology is attributed to two problems that have cropped up on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools: segmentation and loss of context. The reason why segmentation and loss of context complicate rather than facilitate problem solving in the workplace is that information made readily available by technology is segmented into pieces such that its recipients are forced to locate the place of each piece in the puzzle. When these segments or units of information reached the recipient, they are often stripped of their meaningful context or original situation of use (Risku & Picher online). The result is occasional stress and frustration in the workplace, which are effective deterrents to productivity. This paper delves into the reasons why technology falls short of its high expectations in the workplace, how the man may have been relegated to a backseat in favor of the machine, and what can be done for the workplace to exact the promised benefits from technology. The central issu Case against Technology The central issue boils down to a conflict between creativity and control on one hand and economic viability on the other. In the words of Storck (2001), the issue of whether computers are a help or hindrance can be reduced to the question: Does it prevent or promote higher productivity Technology is a great help if it lifted the per capita productivity of workers, but it is a hindrance if ICT systems in fact contributed to a decline in productivity at the workplace. Technology through revolutionary transportation and communication systems toppled down international borders and gave way to the Global Village, a business and economic phenomenon. But this is the bigger picture. In the actual workplace, technology users are expending time and energy grappling with newfangled tools that had minds of their own. IT tools were devised to make performance of tasks easier and faster, bridging any distances so that all participants access the same knowledge. But this technology works best for business organizations if it can be integrated into accepted ways of organizational behavior and it does not interfere with man's desire for belonging and professional stability (Risku & Picher online). The Embedded Cognition Theory set by Suchman (1997) suggests that knowledge provided by IT systems fails to raise productivity and promote intelligent problem solving in the workplace because it prevents man's cognitive urges to tackle new challenges and to interact with fellow humans. Based on the collective intelligence and organizational knowledge theories (Levy, 1997 and Spender, 1996, respectively, as cited in Risku & Pricher), a worker is smarter and more intelligent if his mind, body and environment interact in a dynamic manner. The closer this interaction is,

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