Standardized testing Essay Example for Free

Standardized testing Essay Standardized testing has assumed a well-known role in recent efforts to advance the quality of education. Regardless of where they went to school or what curriculum they followed, students are tested on the same material, which can be loosely grouped into knowledge domains and skill sets that encompass; natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, reading, speaking, writing, and mathematics. National, state, and district tests, combined with minimum competency, special program, and special diploma evaluations, have resulted in a greatly expanded set of testing requirements for most schools. By definition, a standardized test is a test where the same test is given in the same manner to all test takers. It is administered and scored in a consistent or â€Å"standard† manner. It is designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures and interpretations are consistent, and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. 3 Using standardized tests to perform assessments is beneficial for several reasons. First, because standardized tests yield quantifiable information (scores, proficiency levels, and so forth), and results can be used in screening programs. Second, standardized test results provide information regarding an examinees areas of strength and weakness. Third, standardized test results allow a student to be compared to age- or grade-peers. And lastly, standardized tests can be used to assess students progress over time (e. g. , re-administering tests after the application of an intervention or following the institution of a remedial program the most significant benefit of results from a test given in a standardized fashion is that the results can be documented and empirically verified. This then allows for the results to be interpreted and ideas about an individuals skills generalized. Although standardized testing is beneficial in some situations, the validity and value of traditional standardized tests are subjects of increasing debate. Recent studies raise questions about whether improvements in test score performance actually signal improvement in learning. Student’s performance on one particular day and does not take into account external factors. There are many people who simply do not perform well on tests. Many of these students are smart and understand the content, but it doesn’t show on the test. Many students also develop test anxiety which hinders performance. Finally, there are so many external factors that play into test performance. If a student has an argument with their parents the morning of the test, chances are their focus isn’t going to be where it should be. In elementary schools less time is being spent on sciences, social studies and the arts to make way for  preparing the students  to take the tests in math, reading and writing. Teachers feel strong pressure, especially from district administrators and the media, to improve their students test scores. With the stakes getting higher and higher for teachers, this practice will only continue to increase. The sad reality is that it fosters an atmosphere that is boring and lacks creativeness. Teachers have such pressure to get their students ready for these exams that they neglect to teach students skills that go beyond the tests. But despite criticisms of standardized testing, the proficient teachers of today do not accept that their students have limitations, or are incapable of learning any given concept. Instead these teacher work hard every day to make material relevant for their children and develop lesson plans that speak to individual lesson plans. While both critiques and proponents of standardized testing could debate their sides all day, the need to assess students to determine both their progress and the progress of their teachers and schools is undeniable. Standardized testing evaluates students early in their education on their readiness both scholastically and behaviorally Students and their parents are able to measure at least generally their progress and areas in which they need. Standardized test shape people’s futures, so they need to be created fairly, so everyone has an equal opportunity to have a successful future. While the jury is still out on whether or not there is a better method of determining individual student progress. The need for a common measure to compare students to bring about change is still more present than ever.

Gender and Sexual Insensitivity Essay -- Gender Inequality Essays

Gender inequality refers to unfair or unequal treatment of people based on their femininity or masculinity. This is often in reference to roles that society has stipulated by default for each gender type. Sexual inequality refers to bias treatment of people based on their male or female sexual traits. Awareness and sensitivity to gender and sexual inequity are vital in the functioning of a society; every society member ought to have equal status, voice and opportunities irrespective of their gender. In every day-to-day activity, gender and sexual insensitivity exhibits in peoples’ speech, behavior and delegation of duties. Insensitivity is often unintentional, thus the need to create awareness among people on what is insensitive and be enthusiastic to begin the change that society needs to be able to give equal chances to all its members and give them a sense of belonging despite their gender (Jackson, 1998). Recently, I received an e-mail from my friend regarding his opinion on Valentine’s Day. In this email message, my friend, Rob presented women in a negative way by using derogatory language and casting aspersions. Rob claimed that women were the cause of men’s sorrow and global warming (Personal communication, February 13, 2014). Upon further reading, I realized Rob insinuated that Valentine’s Day was a creation of women and that the intention was to coerce men into buying presents. His assertion was that women were opportunistic, materialistic and always plotting to get something out of men. I found this demeaning as the generalizations and stereotyping presented in the email were offensive. He also used the word ladies, which he spelt in capital letters, which I felt offensive and unwarranted. A further an... ...ley: University of California Press Vance, C. M., Ensher, E. A., Hendricks, F. M., & Harris, C. (2004). Gender-based vicarious sensitivity to disempowering behavior in organizations: Exploring an expanded concept of hostile working environment. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 16(3), 135-147. Weisstein, N. (1993). Psychology constructs the female; or, The fantasy life of the male psychologist (with some attention to the fantasies of his friends, the male biologist and the male anthropologist). Feminism & Psychology, 3(2), 195-210. Withington, R. (1937). â€Å"Lady,† â€Å"woman,† and â€Å"person.† American Speech, 12(2), 117–121. Young, A. M., Vance, C. M., & Harris, C. (2007). Moving beyond gender to discover differences in sensitivity to disempowering acts: An examination of the role of social context. Group & Organization Management, 32(5), 598-620.

Pride and Prejudice Response Paper

Our honorable instructor, Professor Tang assigned us to read three novels in our National Day Vacation: Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Woman On a Roof by Doris Lessing. Of these three, I favored Pride and Prejudice most, as apparently, neither the simple story of the sun-bathing woman in A Woman On a Roof was easier enough for me to understand its â€Å"representative of modern women figures†, nor the ugly face of the man who persuaded his girlfriend to take a â€Å"perfectly simple† abortion in Hills Like White Elephant interested enough for me.So though I was actually a fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice, with a more than five times novel reading experiences, and a more than ten times movie audience experiences ( Pride and Prejudice starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen), I picked up this novel and read it in my vacation. I presume that Pride and Prejudice was a most comical one of Jane Austen†™s novels. People around me regarded this novel as a love story, yet to me, the novel is an illusion of the environment, the society at those years. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the heroine and Mr.Darcy, the haughty hero, a literary idol of girls like me, are the exceptions of the gender relationships at that time. In my humble opinion, the relationship between Jane, the second heroine in this novel and Mr. Bingley was a real picture that showed the characteristics of the relationship in that federal era. They loved each other and were deeply enchanted with each other from the bottom of their heart. Yet Mr. Bingley was too shy and too worrying, he set too many obstacles for himself, while Jane was a typically conservative lady, she was bounded by the old manner and so-called â€Å"courtesy†.They hardly missed the chance to marry each other. When it comes to my favourite character—Lizzie, I must confess that she was the bravest heroine in all books I have read. At first she refused Mr. Darcy’s propose, but at last she changed her mind and was totally fell in love with him. This change represents her iron inner self and her unique personality, and that’s why she was so charming. Many writers these days like to use Lizzie as an example to stress the feminism, for she dared to chase what she care.I think she was also a successful example for all of our girls, as now we are so young, and we have the chance to chase our dream. Chaucer once said that we soon believe what we desire. That is also the unique way of Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice. All in all, Pride and Prejudice represent the climax of Jane Austen’s writing career. Also, the clues and the characters in this novel was filled with vividness, so that they are so real to our reality. That’s why I regard this novel as a real classic. Pride and Prejudice Response Paper Our honorable instructor, Professor Tang assigned us to read three novels in our National Day Vacation: Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Woman On a Roof by Doris Lessing. Of these three, I favored Pride and Prejudice most, as apparently, neither the simple story of the sun-bathing woman in A Woman On a Roof was easier enough for me to understand its â€Å"representative of modern women figures†, nor the ugly face of the man who persuaded his girlfriend to take a â€Å"perfectly simple† abortion in Hills Like White Elephant interested enough for me.So though I was actually a fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice, with a more than five times novel reading experiences, and a more than ten times movie audience experiences ( Pride and Prejudice starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen), I picked up this novel and read it in my vacation. I presume that Pride and Prejudice was a most comical one of Jane Austen†™s novels. People around me regarded this novel as a love story, yet to me, the novel is an illusion of the environment, the society at those years. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the heroine and Mr.Darcy, the haughty hero, a literary idol of girls like me, are the exceptions of the gender relationships at that time. In my humble opinion, the relationship between Jane, the second heroine in this novel and Mr. Bingley was a real picture that showed the characteristics of the relationship in that federal era. They loved each other and were deeply enchanted with each other from the bottom of their heart. Yet Mr. Bingley was too shy and too worrying, he set too many obstacles for himself, while Jane was a typically conservative lady, she was bounded by the old manner and so-called â€Å"courtesy†.They hardly missed the chance to marry each other. When it comes to my favourite character—Lizzie, I must confess that she was the bravest heroine in all books I have read. At first she refused Mr. Darcy’s propose, but at last she changed her mind and was totally fell in love with him. This change represents her iron inner self and her unique personality, and that’s why she was so charming. Many writers these days like to use Lizzie as an example to stress the feminism, for she dared to chase what she care.I think she was also a successful example for all of our girls, as now we are so young, and we have the chance to chase our dream. Chaucer once said that we soon believe what we desire. That is also the unique way of Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice. All in all, Pride and Prejudice represent the climax of Jane Austen’s writing career. Also, the clues and the characters in this novel was filled with vividness, so that they are so real to our reality. That’s why I regard this novel as a real classic.

Lord Of The Flies By William Golding - 1724 Words

In society, they are behaviors that the commonality accepts as the norm. Maintaining order through governance, rules and morals are a fundamental facet of a sustainable civilization and suppress the brutality and violence that is primal in humankind. However uncommon, these savage instincts may resurface in those who choose to defy social codes of conduct. Whether it be criminals, commons or nobles, savagery can affect each member of humankind when the situation arises. William Golding chooses to highlight this in his novel Lord of The Flies where he places innocent school boys in a chaotic environment void of this security and governance. This illustrates the overarching theme that savagery is an innate component of the human spirit, but†¦show more content†¦He is practicing the societal norm of shelter, to protect from the elements such as precipitation and to protect the boys from the â€Å"beast.† In such case, he develops an environment on the island that breeds semblance to the one that the boys lived in beforehand. Likewise, when he recognizes the intrinsic value of the conch and synthesizes it with his platform he creates structure and governance in the island society, â€Å"We can t have everybody talking at once. We ll have to have Hands up like at school†¦ â€Å"That’s what this shell’s called. I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.† ( Golding 31). Ralph knows that to maintain order on the island, the boys must conform to the same rules that existed in the civilization they originated from. Consequently, he compares the conch to the societal norm of raising hands when wishing to speak and draws a parallel between propriety expected at school and the behavior the boys should maintain on the island. Another key point displaying Ralph’s connection to civilization emanates from his creation of the signal fire. The fire is the most important th ing on the island. How can we ever be rescued except by luck, if we don t keep a fire going? Is a fire too much for us to make? Look at us! How many are we? And yet we can t keep a fire going to make smoke. Don t you understand? Can t you see we ought to-- ought to die before we let the fire out? This Lord Of The Flies By William Golding - 1724 Words Lord of the â€Å"Guys†: A Feminist Reading of Lord of the Flies CRASH! A plane crashes full of people near an island. The plane is full of grown-ups and children ¾young boys to be exact. Surprisingly, all the grown-ups die and only the young boys survive and discover themselves on an island, in a jungle. Their survival lies only in their young, inexperienced hands. The boys form a society, an all male society. No need for girls right? WRONG! Many might think that a feminist critic would have little if any type of opinion in regards to Golding’s Lord of the Flies. However, this is exactly the opposite of what is true. Because there are no girls, this is even more of an area in which feminist criticism should venture and can venture. By examining the text Lord of the Flies, one is able to see through a feminist’s interpretation how patriarchy not only disadvantages women but also men as well. The common misconception regarding feminism is that people believe it to be solely about women. According to Lois Tyson, â€Å"feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women† (81). While a major part of feminist criticism focuses on the various ways women are oppressed, the theory is not limited to only women. The theory also examines the ways men are oppressed. Feminist criticism investigates the traditional gender roles that are ascribed by society on bothShow MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies By William Golding869 Words   |  4 PagesLord of the Flies Psychology Sometimes people wear fake personas like a cloak over their shoulders, used to hide what is really underneath. This harsh reality is witnessed in William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies, a novel that is famous for not only its sickening plot, but also for the emotional breakdowns all of its characters experience. These issues are akin to those shown in certain real-world psychological experiments. A summary of Golding’s Lord of the Flies, combined with the evidenceRead MoreThe Lord Of The Flies By William Golding1347 Words   |  6 Pages The theme of The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, is the reason society is flawed is because people are flawed. Although Piggy is knowledgeable, he has many flaws including his laziness and physical inabilities. Ralph is an authority seeker. He sets rules and laws, yet does little to enforce them. Ralph wants to be the ruler, without doing the work to enforce his laws. Jack is persistent. He is rude, harsh and violent in or der to get what he wants. He wants to be supreme. Piggy’s flaws areRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1123 Words   |  5 PagesIn the novel Lord of The Flies by William Golding, the characters Ralph, Piggy, and Jack represent important World War II leaders Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, and Winston Churchill. Golding, who had served in World War II, was well aware of the savagery created, and used it to base his book on. Ralph represents Franklin Roosevelt , Jack represents Adolf Hitler, and Piggy represents Winston Churchill. Ralph being of the novel’s main protagonist is important in the outcome of the story becauseRead MoreThe Lord Of The Flies By William Golding1065 Words   |  5 PagesThe Lord of the Flies Essay The Lord of the Flies written by William Golding and published on September 17, 1954 is a story told about a group of stranded boys and their fight for survival against the wilderness and themselves. In this story many signs of symbolism are used by Golding to point out certain aspects of society that Golding thought strongly of. This story on first read may just seem to be a survival- esque piece of literature but, on a deeper look one can find Golding’s true motiveRead MoreLord of The Flies by William Golding619 Words   |  2 PagesGovernments are no different; they fight for power just like the rest of us do. They just do it on a much bigger scale. Qualities from Oligarchy, Totalitarianism, Democracy, Dictatorship, and Anarchy governments are used in several parts of Lord of The Flies that represent different characters and different situations. An Oligarchy is a small group of people having control of a country or organization. A Totalitarianism government is a form of government that permits no individual freedom and thatRead MoreThe Lord of the Flies by William Golding1306 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Lord of the Flies, William Golding creates a microcosm that appears to be a utopia after he discharged from the British Royal Navy following World War II. After an emergency landing, Golding places a diverse group of boys on the island that soon turns out to be anything but utopia. The island the boys are on turns out to be an allegorical dystopia with inadequate conditions (Bryfonski 22). The boys reject all lessons they learned from their prior British society, and they turn towards theirRead MoreLord of the Flies by William Golding932 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussing two particular themes from a novel called Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Lord of the Flies was written in 1954 after World War II. Ruler of the Flies is a purposeful anecdote about something that many readers can’t really describe. Individuals cant choose precisely what. Its either about the inalienable underhanded of man, or mental battle, or religion, or personal inclination, or the creators emotions on war; however William Golding was in the Navy throughout World War II, or perhapsRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1383 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Lord of the Flies is still a Blueprint for Savagery by Eleanor Learmonth and Jenny Tabakoff, the words â€Å"I’m afraid. Of us† first appeared in Golding’s novel 60 years ago. Lord of the Flies by William Golding follows a group of schoolboys trapped on an island after a plane crash during a world war. At the beginning, they celebrate as the y have total autonomy as there are no adults around. They attempt to establish a civilization but when order collapses, they go on a journey from civilizationRead MoreLord of the Flies, by William Golding1055 Words   |  5 Pages In William Goldings Lord of the Flies a group of English school boys crash land onto an uninhabited island somewhere in the Mid Atlantic ocean. Ralph, the protagonist and also the elected leader, tries to maintain peace and avoid any calamity on the island. However, Jack is neither willing to contribute nor listen because he is jealous of Ralph and has a sickening obsession with killing boars. Ralph has some good traits that help him maintain peace and balance for a period of time. He is charismaticRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding Essay1475 Words   |  6 Pages Outline Introduction Short intro for Lord of the Flies Short intro on Gangs The bullying and group mentality demonstrated in gangs has resemblances to the characters in Lord of the Flies. II. Bullying/Group mentality Gangs Drugs/Loyalty B. Lord of the flies Jack kills the pig/Jack and Ralph fight III. Effects B. Lord of the flies Jack killing the pig aftermath Violence IV. Conclusion Gangs are considered a group of people that have a common link together