Pros and Cons of the Common Core State Standards

The full implementation of the Common Core State Standards has come and gone, but its true impact on schools and education as a whole may still not be known for several years. Certainly, the shift to a national set of standards has been revolutionary and highly controversial. They have been debated and well discussed, and a handful of states once committed to the standards have recanted to go in a different direction. As the media continues to evaluate the significance of the Common Core and data from Common Core states begin to pour in, you can bet the debate will rage on. In the meantime, lets examine several of the pros and cons of the Common Core Standards that will continue to lead the debate. PROS International Benchmark. The Common Core State Standards are internationally benchmarked. This means that our standards will compare favorably to standards of other countries. This is positive in that the United States has dropped considerably in educational rankings over the last few decades. Standards that are internationally benchmarked can help improve that ranking.States Performance Can Be Compared Accurately. The Common Core State Standards allow states to compare standardized test scores accurately. Up until the Common Core Standards, each state had its own set of standards and assessments. This has made it exceedingly difficult to compare one states results accurately with another state’s results. This is no longer the case with like standards and assessments for Common Core states who share the same assessments.Lower Costs for Test Development. The Common Core State Standards decrease the costs states pay for test development, scoring, and reporting, as individual sta tes will no longer have to pay to have their unique tools developed. Each of the states that share the same standards can develop a like test to meet their needs and split costs. Currently, there are two major Common Core-related testing consortia. Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium is made up of 15 states and PARCC consists of nine states.College Readiness. The Common Core Standards increase the rigor in some classrooms and may better prepare students for college and global work success. This is probably the single biggest reason that the Common Core Standards were created. Higher education has long complained that more and more students need remediation at the beginning of college. The increased rigor should lead students to be better prepared for life after high school.Higher Thinking Skills. The Common Core State Standards—arguably—lead to the development of higher level thinking skills in our students. Students today often are tested on one skill at a time. Th e Common Core assessment will cover several skills within each question. This will ultimately lead to better problem-solving skills and increased reasoning.Progress Monitoring Tools. The Common Core State Standards assessments give teachers a tool to monitor students’ progress throughout the year. The assessments will have optional pre-test and progress monitoring tools that teachers can use to find out what a student knows, where they are going, and to figure out a plan to get them where they need to be. This gives teachers an avenue to compare an individual student’s progress instead of one student against another.Multi-Assessment Model. The Common Core State Standards assessments are more authentic to a child’s learning experience. We will be able to see what a student has learned across all curricula through the multi-assessment model. Students will no longer simply be allowed to come up with the right answer. Often times they must give an answer, state how they arrived at that conclusion, and defend it.Same Standards Across States. The Common Core State Standards can benefit students with high mobility when they transfer from one Common Core state into another. States will now share the same set of standards. Students in Arkansas should be learning the same thing as a student in New York. This will benefit students whose families move constantly.Stability. The Common Core State Standards give students stability, thus allowing them to understand what is expected of them. This is important in that if a student understands what, and why they are learning something, there becomes a greater sense of purpose behind learning it.Teacher Collaboration. In many ways, the Common Core State Standards enhance teacher collaboration and professional development. Teachers across the nation have been teaching the same curriculum. This allows teachers in opposite corners of the nation to share their best practices with each other and apply it. It also provides the opportunity for meaningful professional development as the education community is all on the same page. Finally, the standards have sparked a meaningful, nationwide conversation about the state of education in general. CONS Difficult Transition. The Common Core State Standards have been a tremendously difficult adjustment for students and teachers. It was not the way many teachers were used to teaching and not the way that many students were used to learning. There have not been instant results but instead, has been a slow process with many almost refusing to get on board.Educator Attrition. The Common Core State Standards have caused many outstanding teachers and administrators to pursue other career options. Many veteran teachers have retired rather than adjust the way they teach. The stress of getting their students to perform will likely continue to cause more teacher and administrator burnout.Too Vague. The Common Core State Standards are vague and broad. The standards are not particularly specific, but many states have been able to deconstruct or unwrap the standards making them more teacher friendly.Increased Rigor for Some States. The Common Core State Standards have forced younger students to l earn more at a quicker pace than they ever have before. With the increased rigor and higher level thinking skills, early childhood programs have become more rigid. Pre-Kindergarten has become more important, and skills students used to learn in second grade are being taught in Kindergarten.Lack of Modifications for Students With Special Needs. The Common Core State Standards assessment does not have an equivalency test for students with special needs. Many states provide students with special needs a modified version of a test, but there is no such tool for the Common Core Standards. The entire school’s population have their results reported for accountability purposes.Less Rigorous Than Some Previous Standards. The Common Core State Standards could be watered down when compared to a few states who had previously developed and adopted rigorous standards. The Common Core Standards were designed as a middle ground of the current state standards, meaning that while many statesâ €™ standards were raised, there were some whose rigor decreased.Costly Material. The Common Core State Standards caused many textbooks to become obsolete. This was a pricey fix as many schools had to develop or purchase new curricula and materials that were aligned to the Common Core.Technology Costs. The Common Core State Standards costs schools a lot of money to update the technology needed for the assessments, as most of them are online. This created many issues for districts who had to purchase enough computers for all students to be assessed in a timely manner.Focus on Standardized Testing. The Common Core State Standards have led to an increased value on standardized test performance. High stakes testing is already a trending issue, and now that states are able to compare their performance against other states accurately, the stakes have only become higher.Limited Subject Scope. The Common Core State Standards currently only include skills associated with English-Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. There is currently no science, social studies, or art/music Common Core Standards. This leaves it up to individual states to develop their own set of standards and assessments for these topics.

Emotional Intelligence Of Leaders By Daniel Goleman

In Daniel Goleman’s article, â€Å"The emotional intelligence of leaders,† he asserts that emotional intelligence not rational intelligence is what distinguishes exceptional leaders from average leaders. Biologically speaking, feelings and emotions developed in the limbic system before the development of rational thought in the cerebral cortex. Emotional intelligence involves the balance and synergy between the emotional and rational centers of the human brain. Goleman, a psychologist who has written articles for the New York Times and has authored books and on behavioral science, establishes five emotional intelligence competencies required for successful leaders: self-awareness, emotion management, motivation of others, empathy, and staying connected. Self-awareness is an understanding of how you feel and who you are; it involves the ability to listen to your deepest instincts and influences your decision making. Self-aware leaders are confident, decisive, and know who they are what their strengths and weaknesses are. Emotion management is exhibiting good self-control and limiting impulsive reactions. Leaders who allow themselves to be governed by anger, fear, anxiety, and sadness cannot provide effective, confident, authoritative leadership. Goleman references a Stanford University study which showed that children with better impulse control, in this case delaying gratification, outperformed their impulsive counterparts years later on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).Show MoreRelatedIs Emotional Intelligence Beneficial for Effective Leadership?1509 Words   |  7 Pagesare many different definitions of what emotional intelligence is and exactly which components should be included to comprise it. The most basic model of emotion al intelligence is the four branch model described by John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1997. The key concepts included in the four branch model are: emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional meanings, and to reflectively regulateRead MoreHow Leadership Styles Influence On An Organization s Climate Essay1019 Words   |  5 Pagesstyles are consisted of the emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skill. Therefore, these three concepts, such as the six leadership styles, the elements of emotional intelligence, and an organization’s climate, will influence each other because the research found that individuals with different emotional intelligence competencies will have distinct leadership styles. Subsequently, with the distinct leadership styles, leaders will utilize their own leadershipRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : A n Effective Leader Needs Essay741 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to Dictionary.com, emotional intelligence is defined as â€Å"skill in perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions and feelings† (dictionary.com). The definition developed by Peter Salovey and John Mayer indicate â€Å"Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth† (Mayer Salovey, 1997)Read MoreEmotional Intelligence and Leadership1065 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Introduction What is Daniel Golemans Theory of Emotional Intelligence? How does Golemans theory relate to leadership in the workplace or in the political milieu? Why is image management important for leadership? Answers to these and other issues will be presented in this paper. Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Daniel Goleman uses an analogy to present his theory on emotional intelligence; he notes that it was Super Bowl Sunday, and the game wasRead MoreAnalysis Of Emotional Intelligence By Daniel Goleman1418 Words   |  6 Pages Synopsis Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, discusses the idea of intelligence being more than a matter of cognitive ability. In part one and two of the book, Goleman discusses how the brain processes emotions. In these chapters the author describes the cortex and the limbic system. Rationality is job of the cortex while the limbic system processes your emotions. He suggests that the emotional intelligence can be a learned skill. In the next chapter Daniel Goleman uses studiesRead MoreEmotional Intelligence, By John Mayer And Peter Salovey1445 Words   |  6 Pagesare many different definitions of what emotional intelligence is and exactly which components should be included to comprise it. The most basic model of emotional intelligence is the four branch model described by John Mayer and Peter Salovey in 1997. The key concepts included in the four branch model are: emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional meanings, and to reflectively regulateRead MoreEssay about Emotionally Intelligent Leadership1226 Words   |  5 Pages More recently, is the work of Daniel Goleman. Goleman defines emotional intelligence as a blend of Gardner’s interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. Goleman suggests â€Å"softer skills such as empathy, intuition, self and social awareness are what distinguish great leaders and successful companies†. These soft skills are found deep within ourselves and our minds. â€Å"The most primitive part of the brain, shared with all species that have more than a minimal nervous system, is the brainstream surroundingRead MoreOrganizational and Professional Development1519 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Social intelligence has been defined as the ability to understand and manage other people, and to engage in adaptive social interactions like making them to get along with you. Social intelligence entails a persons awareness to a situation and the social dynamics that accompany the situation and the knowledge of the strategies and interaction style, that, he/she can use to achieve the desired objective while dealing with others (Bob, 2008). Social intelligence has gained popularityRead MoreEmotional Intelligence : An Essential Quality For All Managers1371 Words   |  6 PagesDaniel Goleman born in Stockton, California, is an internationally known author, psychiatrist and science journalist. He has received several awards and published 15 books, mostly written about leadership. During this essay, we will focus on his writings about emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to recognize your own, as well as other people’s emotions, to differentiate between feelings, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior (Goleman, In WikipediaRead MoreSocial Communication Skills With Diverse Work Populations1452 Words   |  6 Pageswhen interacting with diverse work populations. It is also salient for these employees during times when personal, emotional, topics are being addressed. It has been my experience that having successful communication skills is a quality that is devel oped amongst leaders and not necessarily an inherent trait. My goal is to help a team of Human Resources low to mid level leaders to develop their social communication skills so that they may build deeper rapport with their subordinates. To successfully

Economic Impact of Outsourcing Free Essays

The concept of outsourcing has erupted in popularity in the 21st century. Many corporations and small businesses reap the advantages of outsourcing their manufacturing or production needs to maintain their competitive edge. As employment in many countries contracts, there are people who look at the benefits of outsourcing as damaging to an economy. We will write a custom essay sample on Economic Impact of Outsourcing or any similar topic only for you Order Now The main argument is reducing the labor costs involved in producing goods or services. On the surface, American employees view outsourcing as a threat to their own jobs. However, this argument is easily overshadowed by the many benefits of outsourcing in today’s economy. . Increased Manufacturing To be competitive, many tend to utilize their workforce to the maximum levels.This stream of constant manufacturing leaves little area for expansion and injects fatigue over the workforce. In an effort to increase manufacturing, a company can outsource portions of the needed work or tasks to a smaller more focused group of individuals who can provide an accurate and easier outcome. By outsourcing, companies can achieve improved levels of efficiency. Even an extremely conservative estimate places the savings by outsourcing at a healthy 9 percent. 5] Lower production costs lead to a decreased price for the consumer in a competitive market. This frees up more of the consumer’s income to purchase other goods and services. An increase in demand, in turn spurrs the need for the delivery of goods and services, thereby stimulating the economy.Continued Innovation Many businesses focus too much on the task at hand rather than updating their information or procedures. Technology constantly expands and is perfected in other areas of the world. Companies can become more innovative and learn new techniques for improving their tasks and output from new specialists acquired by outsourcing. . Lower Consumer Cost Consumers will benefit from this method of manufacturing and production. Typically, when a company can lower it’s cost to produce goods or services the cost savings are passed directly to the consumer. This provides an increase in sales for the company and a lower cost for consumers in and out of an economic downturn. With lower prices, consumers are able to purchase more goods which creates additional demand in the economy. Thus, jobs elsewhere will be created. 8. Employment Boost Another major benefit that outsourcing has for economies is the boost in employment. This is usually evident in any country with large multinational corporations. The infrastructure will need to be built, which means more work for the local construction industry. Once the building for outsource operations is complete, not only will it need to be staffed with workers specifically for what the company wants, but it will also need support teams. These teams take care of back office functions, building maintenance, and security. All of these positions will need to be filled, and the increased percentage of the population with employment means a boost in the local economy. . 1 Increase in Trained Personnel IT outsourcing and indeed outsourcing in general also lead to a possible increase in trained personnel in the country. As the demand for certain skills rises due to outsource jobs requiring them, the number of people studying to acquire those skills can also see an increase. Some of these skills can be self-taught, but others cannot be. This opens up possibilities both for academic institutions and businesses to offer courses for training people. Depending on the demand for these skills, these can potentially get hundreds of students enrolling.The increase in the talent pool then serves to encourage more investment from companies that require such skills. In terms of economics, outsourcing advantages manifest for both the company that needs it and the country that provides it. The decision to outsource may lead to a number of political conflicts, but the economic benefits are beyond argument. The company saves money and can focus on its core competencies, while the outsourcing provider experiences a boost in its economy and foreign investment. It is a win-win investment for both parties. In conclusion, outsourcing is a fantastic way for any business to compete in the global future. How to cite Economic Impact of Outsourcing, Papers

Undertaking Marketing Activities

Question: Discuss about the Undertaking Marketing Activities. Answer: Introduction The main aim of the report is to develop a marketing plan for a baby product and a website known as BabyRun.ie. The report emphasizes on situational analysis that is the external factors that affect the business and also discusses the opportunities and threats of the business. The company targets to sell the products to parents aged 25-35 in Ireland only and aim at earning a profit of 600,000 sales by December 2017. The e-Marketing plan follows the SOSTAC framework. The author develops an e marketing plan for the product so that it can capture the major share of the online market through promotions and social media. Pest analysis, marketing mix and Swot analysis is used in the report to develop an e marketing plan or the baby product (Armstrong et al. 2012). Situation Analysis The current trend shows that the demand for the baby products is on rise. The demand for baby buggies is also high as because of the emphasis of parents on care, safety and health. Conducting situation analysis that is the factors that is likely to affect the business is necessary before starting any business (Hollensen 2015). Pest Analysis: Political factors- before launching its website and product it is essential for the company to comply with the laws and regulations set by the government of Ireland. Government policies have a great impact on the business. Since Ireland is a democratic country the government is likely to have less influence on the business especially in case of an online transaction (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick 2012). Economic factors- the economic factors such as interest rate, economic growth, price and inflation also have an impact on the business. So it is essential for the business to conduct an analysis of an economy before entering the market. Social factors- analysis of social factors affecting business is essential. The social factors that are likely to affect the business are demography, lifestyle, age, population, and consumer behavior and consumer choice (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick 2012). Technological factors- since the company is planning to start an online business technology are one of the greatest factors that will affect the business. It is essential for the company to use the technologies that is updates so that it can compete with its competitors in the global market (Hollensen 2015). SwotAnalysis Strengths- the major strength for baby carriages is that it has a high demand in Ireland. The BabyRun.ie has an online store that is planning to deliver the product at door step with the facility of both cash and credit payment. The company is also planning to provide a wide range of products and varieties in baby buggies (Van Noort et al. 2015). Weaknesses- the main weakness is that from the competitors. The cost of providing the product is high. The market for the baby buggies is not well established. The website is not clearly understandable by the consumers. Opportunities- the company has an opportunity to capture the market as the product is not much popular in Ireland. The company can establish a competitive advantage by providing the product at lesser price that will give the company an opportunity to grow (Van Noort et al. 2015). Threats- the main threat is from its competitors. There are various other stores that provide the same baby products. Online business also has threats from fake business that can be dangerous for the business. Customer Analysis The main target market is the parents of Ireland aged twenty five to thirty five. The company specially targets at the women of Ireland that has an urge to stay active. The company should target at the audience that is technology friendly. The product is mainly for the women who are working and active and wants to stay fit (Wilson et al. 2012). As they do not want to spend the money by giving their child to baby sitter they prefer using baby carriages to carry the baby. Competitor Analysis The main competitors of BabyRun.ie are first cry, Amazon, flip kart, Baby zone, and premier stores in Ireland. It is essential to analyze the strategies adopted by the competitors of the product so that it can act accordingly (Krush et al. 2015). The price that the company charges should not be high when compared to its competitors price as this will discourage the sale of the product. The quality of the product that it provides should also be good and better than the products provided by the competitors in order to attract the customers. Objectives Marketing objectives are goals or the aims of the company to promote its products. The main objective of the BabyRun.ie is to sell the product online to women of Ireland. The company aims at selling the product through social media and promotions. Internet and social media is a new tool that the company uses to promote its products (Stokes 2015). The SMART objectives of the company should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed. The main aim is to use digital marketing to sell its product. The main aim of the BabyRun.ie is to achieve 600,000 sales by December 2017. Marketing objectives of online internet marketing is defined by Chaffeys five S models. The original 5 S model of internet marketing includes Sell, Serve, Speak, Save and Sizzle. The 5 S has now changed to 6 S where the social media has been incorporated in the marketing objectives of online marketing (Chaffey and Smith 2013). E-Strategy Strategy defines the ways that helps the company achieve its objectives. Marketing mix approach is used to explain the strategies that should be used by the company for online marketing of the baby product. Marketing Mix The four Ps of marketing mix are price, promotion, place and product. Price- it is essential for the company to charge lower price initially during the launch to attract as many customers it can. The company charges a price such that it covers the cost of providing the good plus the profit margin that it wants (Kotler et al. 2015). Place- the place is the distribution channel that the company uses to provide the products to its customers. The place of distribution of the baby product is Ireland. The company aims at delivering the baby buggies to its customers at door step. Promotion- there are various ways that the company can use to promote the products. These include internet, social media, digital marketing, emails, word of mouth and direct sale. It is very essential to make the advertisements of the product attractive to attract the customers. Product- the product that the company is planning to sell is the baby buggies or baby carriers. The product comes in a wide range of colours, specifications and features (Kotler et al. 2015). It is essential for the company to not only sell the product online but also should have an offline store. To fulfil the marketing objective it is essential to conduct a proper market survey. Tactics Tactics are the ways that helps the firm implement its strategies to achieve the goals and objectives. The strategies and objectives by the company can be fulfilled by properly formulating the plan and using the marketing strategy tactics. The first step is to survey the market before laying the plan. The next step is to build a website that contains all the information. It is also essential for the company to create a facebook page to convey the information about its product. The next step is introducing e-commerce and a mobile application that is user friendly (Breznitz and Palermo 2013). A proper technician should be hired that have the knowledge of integrating the online activity with online store. The app created should be attractive and user friendly. The website should contain all the information. Actions The company plans to promote its products through advertisements that will be aired on televisions. To make the advertisement attractive the company hires stars that is loved by all. The other promotional activities is posting advertisement through banners and spreading information through email. The budget set for promotion activities is high as without promotion the company will not be able to sell the product (Gambetti and Giovanardi 2014). Risk analysis and management is necessary before the launch of the product. The manager of the company should analyze the risks that are attached with the launch of the product. The cost of providing the product is $ 200 per carrier and the seller plans to sell the product at $300 initially to attract customers. The price is chosen to juts to cover up the initially cost. Table: Time frame Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Creation of website Production of goods Packaging transportation Distribution Retailing Control A good plan is the one that demonstrates that the control systems in place determine the work efficiently. Laying financial plan before starting the project is essential. The budget should include cost of production. Sales, profit turnover, number of visitors, frequency of visitors, and number of goods produced and amount of product sold. A company should have control over its cost and price (De Mooij 2013). Conclusion A good marketing plan helps the company achieve success. The marketing activities include analysis of the factors that affect the business. This includes competitor analysis, pest analysis, and swot analysis. There are various strategies that the company uses to promote its product. The market for baby buggies is growing and so is the online marketing. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., 2012.Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Breznitz, D. and Palermo, V., 2013. A strategic advantage with behavioral targeting? How can (and what) firms benefit from personal data-based online marketing strategies. InProceedings of the 35th DRUID Celebration Conference. Chaffey, D and Smith, P, (2013 E-Business and E-Commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice (5th Edition) Prentice Hall Available as eBook also De Mooij, M., 2013.Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications. Gambetti, R. and Giovanardi, M., 2014. Ambient marketing (guerrilla/street).Wiley Encyclopedia of Management. Hollensen, S., 2015.Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Jobber, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., 2012.Principles and practice of marketing(No. 7th). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kotler, P., Burton, S., Deans, K., Brown, L. and Armstrong, G., 2015.Marketing. Pearson Higher Education AU. Krush, M.T., Pennington, J.R., Fowler, A.R. and Mittelstaedt, J.D., 2015. Positive marketing: A new theoretical prototype of sharing in an online community.Journal of Business Research,68(12), pp.2503-2512. Stokes, R., 2015. eMarketing: The Essential Guide to Online Marketing, v. 1.0. Van Noort, G., Willemsen, L.M., Kerkhof, P. and Verhoeven, J.W., 2015. Webcare as an integrative tool for customer care, reputation management, and online marketing: a literature review. InIntegrated Communications in the Postmodern Era(pp. 77-99). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V.A., Bitner, M.J. and Gremler, D.D., 2012.Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. McGraw Hill.