Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Essay Example for Free

Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Essay Within the context of theory illustrates a demanding yet creative shaping of plans, structured requirements, and prediction of a provisional, determined, and systematic sight of phenomena (Chinn, 2011). Nursing theory is a crucial function within the nursing practice. Theories afford nurses with the distinctive facets that are in encompassed within patient care and the nursing profession. Clarification of practice governance, and expectations are also integrated within contextual framework of nursing theory. It bestows various manners to acquire data, examine and study, and foresee the practice of nursing and the outcomes of patient care (Parker, 2010). Kolcaba’s middle range theory of comfort captivated my interest because my impression of comfort curtails that of positive patient outcomes. Comfort is not solitary to just physical ailments, but emotional and psychological measures in addition. Throughout my experiences and years as bedside registered nurse, I can attest that patient requests stem largely from the factor of being made comfortable. As stated above, this not only embraces physical comfort, but something unassuming as a comforting touch or positive attitude to render the positive outcome and a content patient. Absorbing how theory influences practice has been an impediment that I have recently overcame. I was unmindful that certain situations and decision making were reinforced through the use of theory. Examination of the importance of nursing theories, more in depth review of Kolcaba’s theory of comfort, and theory of comfort in nursing practice, education, and research will be reviewed further. Importance of Nursing Theories Separately from the governance of practice and foundation for the practice of nursing, theories furthermore propounds opportunities for nurses in the sense of practical application. Measurable changes and enrichment of the profession occur when nursing theories are incorporated into practice. The benefits of having a defined frame of theory in nursing produces superior patient care, heightened professional repute for nurses, progressed interaction among nurses, and direction for exploration of the practice and education. Theories also illustrate the quality of the nursing profession, and serves as a reservoir of knowledge with the examination of the essential requirements of patients and necessary interventions. In addition, specialized rationales are provided. Succeeding medical doctors orders are not exclusively to the context of nursing care. Nursing care incorporates not only a compassionate attitude but passion for care of patients. The caring component of nursing cannot be measured, rather dissected through theory within the clarification of what nurses do. Systemically this is all supported through abundant theories and theorist. The nursing profession emphasizes on holistic care which is defined as treatment of the whole person. Within this skill is the admittance of problems that are biomedical but also opportune clarification of the well-being and health of a human that introduces added indicators of disease that are non-visualized (Powers, 2011). Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort The origination of Kolcaba’s theory of comfort stemmed was first established in the 1900’s. Founder, Katherine Kolcaba, concluded that for a positive patient outcome to accomplished, comfort is a crucial obligation. Katherine organized a representation for exploring, analyzing, and gauging the care of the patient. Historically, she believed that the product of the profession of nursing is comfort. According to Kolcaba (2010), comfort is achieved in a few diverse ways to include transcendence, relief, and ease. Transcendence represents the aptitude to overcome the lack of comfort sensed by patients through their awareness to cease. Patients are able to rise above their challenges. For example, a post-operative below the knee amputee patient may experience great physical pain from the surgery as well as psychological trauma from the intervention. Pushing forward to regain strength and independence would be an instance of transcendence. Relief constitutes any ordered analgesic medication that can be given to the patient or  non-pharmacologic interventions such as distraction or repositioning. This structure of comfort is experienced as relief. Anxiety reducing measures such as anxiolytics or inducing expression through conversation or other forms of communication can be facilitated. These actions can be constituted as placing the patient at ease. In my day to day professional practice experiences, I come across different situations where comfort may be the only measure to take in a particular patients care. Pharmacological therapy interventions are important for adequate relief, but non-pharmacological interventions are just as imperative. A simple caring touch and tone conditions the patient to an enhanced state. This particular theory affords nurses a better comprehension and obligation to comfort in the practice setting. Nurse are the forefront of healthcare. We have the ability to promptly identify the demands the needs of the patient. Kolcaba’s theory of comfort conforms into the nursing metaparadigm with relation to the three concepts presented: transcendence, relief, and ease. There is a clear consensus about the concepts which includes health, nursing, person, and environment of the metaparadigm. Kolcaba elaborated on the four various experience backgrounds that comfort is achieved. These include environmental, physical, social, and psychospiritual (Kolcaba, 2010). Theory of comfort in nursing practice, education, and research Kolcaba’s theory of comfort guides research in assorted ways. It challenges the nurse to examine the correlation among holistic interventions and different comfort measures. It also imposes a contention between comfort and â€Å"health seeking behaviors†. If the product is positive, than it enhances future endeavors and postulates additional motivators to provide comfort. Institutional outcomes are also examined (Koehn, 2000). References Chinn, P.L., Kramer, M.K. (2011). Integrated theory and knowledge of development in nursing (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier Koehn, M. (2000) Alternative and complementary therapies for labor and birth: an application of Kolcaba’s theory of holistic comfort. Holistic Nursing Practice. 15(1):66-77 Kolcaba, K. (1992). Holistic comfort: Operationalizing the constructs as a nurse-sensitiveOutcome. Advances in Nursing Science, 15(1), 1-10, p. 6. Kolcaba, K. (1994) A theory of holistic comfort for nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 19: 1178-1184 Kolcaba, K. DiMarco, M.A. (2005) Comfort theory and its application to pediatric nursing. Pediatric Nursing, 31(3), 187-194 Parker, M.E., Smith, M.C. (2010), Nursing theories and nursing practice (3rd ed.) Philadelphia, P.A.: F.A. Davis Company Powers, B.A., Knapp, T.R. (2011). Dictionary of nursing theory and research (4th ed.). York: Springer Publisher Company

Reports of Gods Death Are a Bit Premature Essays -- Philosophy essays

The Reports of God's Death Are a Bit Premature      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arguing the death of God is a debate that will last until eternity. Regardless of exploration or religious zeal there are far too many human viewpoints leaning towards the idea of and the strong need for faith. Believing in God for some is as natural as walking upright and it would seem that through such unquestionable faith God would somehow still be alive. But perhaps He is only surviving with the help of life support.    For example, it would be difficult to tell a passionate Fundamentalist Christian that God was not alive in his or her heart. Therefore, Nietzche's claim of God's demise would fall on deaf ears, for he or she would, in a sense, be keeping God alive with their faith. However, for the sake of Nietzche's favorite subject and perspectivists everywhere, suppose God has in fact died. According to the "madman" we are all responsible (Kaufman 126), but how did it happen and what do we do to solve the problem? Even more curious, is it a problem? So there they are, like some sort of bad movie, standing around with a body lying on the floor. It is nighttime and the classic storm is occurring outside complete with pouring rain, thunder and lightning. Those present stare at the figure in disbelief. Some, however, are not surprised. Others shake their heads at the inevitability of it all. A few cry, but what is on all of their minds is this: who is it?! His death has left him slightly disfigured, n ot in a morbid sense, but just enough to make him hard to identify, not only for who he is, but what place he held in all of their lives. There is no question that he once held a position of great power and esteem, and that he once had a profound effect on generatio... ... the first time ever, we as humans hold God's fate in the balance. Perhaps this is not only Nietzche'sperspective, perhaps this is truth. We are all, in fact, responsible for His survival. But like Mark Twain's famous quote about himself, the reports of God's death are a bit premature.    Works Cited Kaufman, Gordon D., God the Problem Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973. Nietzxche, Friedrich. The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs New York: Vintage Books, 1974. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Soloman, Robert C. and Kathleen M. Higgens. Reading Nietzsche . New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Spinoza, Baruch. The Collected Works of Spinoza   Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. Vol. 1, The Ethics   Princeton: The Princeton University Press, 1985. Reports of God's Death Are a Bit Premature Essays -- Philosophy essays The Reports of God's Death Are a Bit Premature      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arguing the death of God is a debate that will last until eternity. Regardless of exploration or religious zeal there are far too many human viewpoints leaning towards the idea of and the strong need for faith. Believing in God for some is as natural as walking upright and it would seem that through such unquestionable faith God would somehow still be alive. But perhaps He is only surviving with the help of life support.    For example, it would be difficult to tell a passionate Fundamentalist Christian that God was not alive in his or her heart. Therefore, Nietzche's claim of God's demise would fall on deaf ears, for he or she would, in a sense, be keeping God alive with their faith. However, for the sake of Nietzche's favorite subject and perspectivists everywhere, suppose God has in fact died. According to the "madman" we are all responsible (Kaufman 126), but how did it happen and what do we do to solve the problem? Even more curious, is it a problem? So there they are, like some sort of bad movie, standing around with a body lying on the floor. It is nighttime and the classic storm is occurring outside complete with pouring rain, thunder and lightning. Those present stare at the figure in disbelief. Some, however, are not surprised. Others shake their heads at the inevitability of it all. A few cry, but what is on all of their minds is this: who is it?! His death has left him slightly disfigured, n ot in a morbid sense, but just enough to make him hard to identify, not only for who he is, but what place he held in all of their lives. There is no question that he once held a position of great power and esteem, and that he once had a profound effect on generatio... ... the first time ever, we as humans hold God's fate in the balance. Perhaps this is not only Nietzche'sperspective, perhaps this is truth. We are all, in fact, responsible for His survival. But like Mark Twain's famous quote about himself, the reports of God's death are a bit premature.    Works Cited Kaufman, Gordon D., God the Problem Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973. Nietzxche, Friedrich. The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs New York: Vintage Books, 1974. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Soloman, Robert C. and Kathleen M. Higgens. Reading Nietzsche . New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Spinoza, Baruch. The Collected Works of Spinoza   Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. Vol. 1, The Ethics   Princeton: The Princeton University Press, 1985.

Comment on Shakespeare’s portrayal of Othello

In Shakespeare's time black people were classed as second-class citizens. They were often looked at as devil-like and evil. This was, however, a stereotypical view, often accepted by the people of Shakespeare's day. People looked at the Bible to show that black people were devil-like and evil. The Bible tells the story of Noah and the Ark. In the Ark it was forbidden to have children, as there would not be enough food. However, Ham, one of Noah's sons, decided to disobey these rules, as he wanted to have the son who would be ruler of the world. When Noah found out and they returned to land, Noah banished Ham to Africa. Ham had committed sin and was evil and devil-like because he had disobeyed his father for his own self-interest, risking the lives of others in the Ark. As black people were said to have originated form Africa, where Ham was banished, they could be descendants of Ham, who was evil, and therefore black people were evil and devil-like too. Black people were also said to be over-sexed, unstable, irrational, suffer from fits, and be devil-like. In the prejudiced mind, Shakespeare presents Othello to match all of these stereotypical categories that black people were said to be. People with an open mind, however, can simply see that Othello is a man in love. In Act 4, Scene 1, line 40, Othello has a fit. This matches with the stereotypical view that back people have fits. However, Othello has a fit because he was in a rage. The reason being that he had become so disturbed by the stories of his beloved wife having been unfaithful. It is possible for anyone, white or black, to have a fit if they were as distressed as Othello was. Othello may be seen as over-sexed. He talks in a very passionate manner. Shakespeare presents Othello to have a glorified situation of his and Desdemona's affection for each other. It is more likely; therefore, that Othello is infatuated in their love than over-sexed. The depth of his passionate language, in which you can see that his love is more than a hallucination, is shown throughout the beginning of the play. â€Å"Amen to that, sweet powers/ cannot speak enough of this content/ it stops me here: it is too much joy†(II i 188). Othello declares this after he and Desdemona are reunited after their journey to Cyprus. Othello is talking passionately to Desdemona, however, this does not immediately prove him of being over-sexed, it shows the love he is sharing with Desdemona. Othello could be seen as irrational when he kills Desdemona by smothering her, Act 5, Scene 2, and Line 85. Iago, however, is far more irrational then Othello ever could have be seen to be and Iago is white. Iago's irrationality can be seen in one of his soliloquies. † I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip, / Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb-/ For I fear Cassio with my night cap too-â€Å"(II i 286-288). Here Iago is saying how he believes his wife has been sleeping with Cassio, of which he has no verification. He says in effect that he wants Cassio dead. This shows Iago's irrationality because he has no reason to have Cassio dead, or to even contemplate that he has slept with his wife. Iago provokes many deaths, without remorse, which shows that he has extreme irrationality. Being devil-like was another typical view people had of blacks. Othello while he is in a rage could be seen as devil-like. † Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;/ For to deny each article with oath/ Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception/ That I do groan withal. Thou art to die† (V ii 54-56). Othello speaks these words to Desdemona before he murders her. Othello has no prove of her infidelity, except from what Iago has told him. Othello is in a huge rage as he is about to kill her and therefore could be seen as devil-like. Iago is also very devil-like, more than Othello and he is white. This contradicts the stereotypical view of black people in Shakespeare's' time. Act 5 Scene 2 Line 235 Iago kills his wife Emilia for speaking of Desdemona's faithfulness, therefore showing Iago's deceitfulness. Shakespeare cleverly presents Othello stereotypically, but also as a normal person. He could have done this to suit the different audiences, but he may have used these contradictions as a way of making people less prejudiced. Shakespeare thought carefully about the presentation of Othello's character as it shows two sides of a black man. Othello is a great general who has also won the affections of a white woman. Shakespeare was not the first to have presented a black man on stage. But he was the first to have not presented that black character as beastly and ferocious. He presents a warrior with great passion. Othello's language throughout the play is full of great passion. â€Å"All's well now, sweeting; come away to bed†(II i 234). This is one example of Othello's passion. At this point in Othello his passion is only towards Desdemona in a loving way. As Othello develops, Othello's passion changes as he becomes wrapped in a passion of jealousy. Othello then becomes an uncontrollable, violent man. Othello never stops his passionate loving for Desdemona but feels it his duty to kill her before she breaks more men's hearts. â€Å"Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men†(V ii 6). Othello says these words to himself while Desdemona is sleeping, before he is about to smother her. At the beginning of Othello you would never have thought that anything could ever come between a couple bearing so much love for each other. However, all that was needed to break this loving couple apart was Iago, gently introducing ideas, mentioning, just little things like Cassio's quick departures from Desdemona. â€Å"Cassio, my lord; No sure I cannot think it/ That he would steal away so guilty-like, / Seeing you coming.†(III iii 38-40). Iago keeps slipping in comments about Desdemona, until Othello becomes so caught up with jealousy that he is convinced of his wife's unfaithfulness. As Othello has so much passion, his anger is brewed into a huge mental tornado, which takes time to build up, but when at full strength can destroy even what seem like the strongest things, Othello and Desdemona's marriage, and resulting in the death of Desdemona.

Barack Obama: Greatest Moral Failure

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, â€Å"That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind. â€Å"[20] He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. [21] Reflecting later on his formative years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: â€Å"The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear. [22] Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to â€Å"push questions of who I was out of my mind†. [23] At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama identified his high-school drug use as his â€Å"greatest moral failure. â€Å"[24] Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. [25] After two years he transferred in 1981 to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations[26] and graduated with a B. A. in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation,[27][28] then at the New York Public Interest Research Group. [29][30] Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988. 29][31] During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. [32] Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute. [33] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time. 34] He returned in August 2006 in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya. [35] In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,[36] and president of the journal in his second year. [37] During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. [38] After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J. D. magna cum laude[39] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago. [36] Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention[37] and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,[40] which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-199 5 as Dreams from My Father. [40] University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book. 41] He then served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years; as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004 teaching constitutional law. [42] From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of â€Å"40 under Forty† powers to be. 43] In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for t hree years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002. [44] From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and of the Joyce Foundation. 29] He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999. [29] Political career: 1996–2008 State Senator: 1997–2004 Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park – Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn. 45] Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws. [46] He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. [47] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures. [48] Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002. 49] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one. [50] In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority. [51] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drive rs they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations. [47][52] During his 2004 general election campaign for U. S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms. [53] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U. S. Senate. [54] 2004 U. S. Senate campaign See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004 In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U. S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002, and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003. 55] Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates. [56] In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started specu lation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father. [57] In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts,[58] and it was seen by 9. million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party. [59] Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004. [60] Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan. [61] In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70% of the vote. [62] U. S. Senator: 2005–2008 Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 4, 2005,[63] at which time he became the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. [64] CQ Weekly characterized him as a â€Å"loyal Democrat† based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. The National Journal ranked him among the â€Å"most liberal† senators during 2005 through 2007. [65] He enjoyed high popularity as senator with a 72% approval in Illinois. [66] Obama announced on November 13, 2008 that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency. [67]

Universal and Diagnostic Screening in Setting SLO Goals

Universal and Diagnostic Screening in Setting SLO Goals Teacher evaluation programs require that teachers set student learning objectives (SLOs) using data that can help target instruction for the academic school year. Teachers should use multiple sources of data in developing their SLOs in order to demonstrate student growth over an academic school year. One source of data for teachers can be found in the data that is collected from screening in Response to Intervention (RTI) programs. RTI is a multi-tier approach that allows educators to   identify and then support students with specific learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with the use of a universal screen   of all students.   A  universal screen  is an assessment which has already been determined to be a reliable assessment of a specific skill. Universal screens are designated as those assessments that are: Accessible to all studentsGiven to all studentsSkill and concept specific  Easy to administer and scoreQuick turn-around time (1-3 days) of aggregated and disaggregated data to classroom teachersRepeatableReliable (Note: A â€Å"teacher-made† assessment cannot be referred to as reliable if it has not been analyzed by a psychometrician) Source: State of CT, Department of Education, SERC Examples of universal screens used in education at the secondary level are:  Acuity,  AIMSweb, Classworks, FAST, IOWAs, and STAR; some states, such as NY, use the DRP as well. Once the data has been reviewed from universal screening, educators may want to use a  diagnostic screen  to measure students understanding of a subject area or skills base  after a universal screen has revealed specific areas of strength or weakness for a student.   The characteristics of diagnostic assessments are that they are: Given to selected students  Reliable   Valid  (Note: A â€Å"teacher-made† assessment cannot be referred to as reliable or valid if it has not been analyzed by a psychometrician) Source: State of CT, Department of Education, SERC Examples of diagnostic assessments include  Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC-2); Childrens Depression Inventory, Connors Rating Scales. NOTE: Some results may not be shared for the purposes of developing SLOs for the classroom teachers, but may be used for education specialists such as school social worker or psychologist. The data from universal screens and diagnostic screens are critical components of the RTI programs in schools, and this data, when available, can help in refining developing teacher SLOs. Of course, teachers may create their own benchmark assessments to act as a baseline. These benchmark assessments are used frequently, but because they are often teacher created they should be cross-referenced with universal and diagnostic screens if available. Teacher created materials are imperfect or may even be invalid if students underperform or if skills are incorrectly accessed. At the secondary level, teachers may look at quantitative  data  (expressed in numbers, measurable)  from prior years: Standardized test results (State, SAT, ACT, NAEP);Report card grades (letter value or percentage);Attendance records. There may be qualitative  data  (expressed in description, observable)  also in the form of recorded observations by teacher(s) and  support staff or in prior report card comments.This form of comparison through multiple measures that are qualitative and quantitative is called triangulation: Triangulation  is the process of using multiple data sources to address a particular question or problem and using evidence from each source to illuminate or temper evidence from the other sources. In triangulating data to develop a SLO, a teacher make an informed decision on the student learning objectives that to help improve either an individual student or group of students performance.     All of these forms of assessment including those from the prior year, which may include universal or diagnostic screens, can provide teachers with the data to begin to develop well-informed SLO goals at the beginning of the school year in order to target instruction for multi-tiered student improvement for the entire academic year.

6 Things to Consider Before Early Application Deadlines

It’s autumn again, and for high school seniors applying to college, that means early application deadlines are fast approaching. Many competitive colleges have Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) programs with deadlines of November 1st or November 15th. Hopefully, if you’re planning to apply early, you’ve already done your research, and you understand all the rules and requirements. However, it’s worth double-checking your application and thinking over your decision once more before you actually hit submit. Are you almost ready to turn in your ED or EA application? Take a moment to consider these tips from first. Before you submit any applications, make sure you know what type of early application program you’re entering and what the rules of that program are. Basically, ED programs are binding and single-choice. EA programs are non-binding, but they may or may not be single-choice or â€Å"restricted† ( SCEA or REA ) programs.   ED II programs have a later deadline, but as ED programs, they’re still binding. Depending upon which schools you apply to and under which plans, this can get confusing. It’s useful to think about what will happen under different combinations of circumstances and make sure you’re prepared — you don’t want to get stuck at a school you’d rather not attend. For instance, if you apply ED to a college and are deferred to the Regular Decision or RD round, you’re released from your binding ED obligation. Among other things, this means that if you then apply to another school in the ED II round and are accepted, you’re bound by your agreement to attend the ED II school, even if your original ED school accepts you in the RD round. ED and EA programs are the major options you’ll find among competitive colleges, but there are other possibilities in the realm of early college admissions, including rolling admissions, earlier consideration in athletic recruitment , and â€Å"likely letters† sent to certain students who will most likely be admitted. Check with your school for specifics, and read our posts ED vs EA vs REA and ED I vs. ED II: Frequently Asked Questions for a more detailed explanation of the process. If you’re depending upon financial aid to make college possible for you, this can make early applications a bit more complicated. Applying early gives you fewer opportunities to compare aid awards from different schools and potentially negotiate more aid from your preferred school. In particular, applying through a binding ED program can put you in a tough position if you’re accepted, but aren’t offered enough aid . If it’s truly financially impossible for you to attend your ED school, you may be able to convince the school to release you from your ED agreement without further consequences, but it’s better to avoid that situation if possible. Applying early based upon your hopes of getting enough aid comes with a certain amount of risk, and you should consider this risk before applying. If your financial situation is especially tricky, it may be a better idea to apply in the regular admission round and get a better look at all your options at once . Also, keep in mind that applying to college early often means applying for financial aid and scholarships early as well. Make sure you have your financial documents in order and are ready to take care of these requirements by the deadlines.   Even colleges that have been around for hundreds of years change all the time. New policies are adopted, campus facilities open or close or undergo renovations, and faculty members leave or arrive. Before you submit your application, do another quick round of research to check if anything major has changed since you decided to apply. Think about the ways in which changes at your college might affect your plans there. For example, if a faculty member you’d been particularly excited about working with has just announced that they’re leaving the school, you might no longer be so sure that this school is your first choice. On the other hand, if the college just received a generous donation to expand undergraduate internship opportunities, this new resource might reinforce your decision to apply early. Staying up to date regarding any changes or major events at your ED or EA college can also be helpful when it comes to your future interview . Your research will suggest natural topics for that conversation, and your knowledge of the school will reflect your genuine interest in attending . If you haven’t visited your early-application school yet, now’s the time to do it. A visit can give you a much better idea of what everyday life is like on campus and whether that environment suits you. If you’re applying through a binding ED program, it’s even more important for you to feel sure about your choice. Of course, it’s not always possible to visit a college, particularly with deadlines coming up so soon. If you can’t visit, check out the college’s admissions website for alternative ways to get to know the campus better . Some colleges even offer virtual tours. For ’s advice on planning an effective visit to your college of choice, check out our post How to Make the Most of a Campus Visit . If you’re not able to visit, we go over some alternatives in our post How Can I Figure Out a School’s Culture Without Visiting the Campus? Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. A college’s website and advertising materials can tell you a great deal about that school, but talking to a student, whether current or former, is the best way to get a personal, unfiltered perspective on what attending that school is really like. Many important factors in your college decision can’t be adequately expressed by numbers and statistics, but should still be considered before you commit to an early application. Use your connections to find a student who can talk to you. Your family, friends, or guidance counselors may have a useful connection, or the college’s admissions office may be able to match you up with a student. Near-peer advising programs like the Mentorship Program can also help you connect with current students at the school where you’d like to apply early. If you get to talk to a student, ask them about their likes and dislikes, the things they enjoy most about their school, and the things they find most challenging about attending. Encourage the student to talk about all the pros and cons, including the factors that aren’t flattering to the school, and to be open and honest about their opinions. Deciding to apply to a binding ED program is a serious commitment. If you’re accepted, you’re required to attend, even if you’ve changed your mind. You can only be released from this commitment under extraordinary circumstances, such as in the case of a family emergency or if you’re absolutely unable to afford it. Similarly, in both ED and SCEA or REA programs, you’re only allowed to apply to one college in that early round, regardless of other schools’ policies.   Colleges reserve the right to reject your application if you violate the terms of your early application agreement. Since college admissions offices often do communicate with each other, the news may spread to the other colleges where you’ve applied. It’s possible that those colleges will choose to reject you as well; even if other colleges aren’t directly involved, they may worry about your commitment and dependability.   Stick to your agreements as they’re written. If you’re not sure whether your early application plans comply with these agreements, talk to your guidance counselor and/or the college’s admissions office. It would be a shame for you to be rejected from a school you love because you’ve made a mistake — or because you’ve tried to game the system. Here’s a quick guide to early application types and deadlines for the top colleges in the United States, based on the newly released 2018 U.S. News and World Report rankings . As always, check with your college’s admissions office directly for the most up-to-date application details. Early college applications can be especially stressful — the early deadlines give you less time to perfect your application materials, and since you’ll generally apply early to your first-choice school, the outcome will be all the more important to you. It can help tremendously to get feedback from people who are knowledgeable about this process and can guide you through all its details. ’s experienced near-peer mentors aren’t just trained to help with the college application process; they’re also backed up by the power of ’s database of admissions trends, and best of all, they have personal experience getting accepted to prestigious colleges.

Poverty and Economic Devastation in Jamaica Essay

Poverty and Economic Devastation in Jamaica - Essay Example This essay analyzes not only positive changes that independence gave to Jamaican people, but also the negative role of multinational corporations, that was foreseen as early as 1776 by the father of Economics, Adam Smith. In his ground-breaking book, â€Å"Wealth of Nations† that was discussed in the essay and set the foundation for the field of modern Economics, Smith wrote that corporations would eventually work to cleverly escape the laws that govern the market, they would narrow the competition, raise their profits and try to meddle with setting of prices and control of trade. Such negative role of the corporation in the country's history happened in Jamaica as well. amaica’s problems began in 1962 when it secured independence from England. This essay focuses on effects of struggling economy that is characterized by chronic debts, illiteracy, and an ancient medical system. The researcher describes that the country badly needed finance to address its problems and app roached private banks, but only got the cold shoulder treatment. The researcher also describes Jamaican government policies on social topics and refers to cultural features of modern Jamaica and it's citizens through examples such as movies, books on the topic of economic devastation and poverty in the country. The Rastafari movement, that emerged as a platform to fight local poverty and disenchantment also is mentioned in the essay. In conclusion, the researcher hopes that proper boost in tourism can generate much needed revenue to Jamaica and its beleaguered citizens.