Validity, Reliability, and Accuracy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Validity, Reliability, and Accuracy - Assignment Example This is essential not only to be fair to the student but also get an accurate representative of the class as a whole. In addition, writing such an assessment upfront will alleviate the potential for problems down the road. Students may, for example, become frustrated if an exam is perceived to be unfair. Much time may be spent after the exam with students questioning the very integrity of the assessment itself. In addition, if an exam does not properly test student comprehension about the given material, the teacher may reach a false assumption about the performance of the class, and thus their own teaching as well. With these aims in mind, the intent of this paper is to examine the validity and reliability of the hypothetical business management exam given in the preceding two pages. Validity When considering whether or not a teacher should be concerned over the poor performance shown by their students on a particular exam, one should first look at the assessment itself (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2013, p. 326). Exams need to be valid before their results can really be accepted. Simply because the class, on average, received a failing grade on an exam does not, in itself, indicate that they did not comprehend the material. Upon analyzing the exam, the teacher may discover certain problems with the test that make it invalid in the first place. It could well happen that the teacher re-writes a valid exam, gives it to the same set of students, and they all perform marvelously. For this reason, and others, the validity of any given assessment must be judged before any results on the part of the students are considered and recorded. One way to begin testing the validity of an exam is to consider the grade level of the material. If the exam is given to third... Validity, Reliability, and Accuracy When considering whether or not a teacher should be concerned over the poor performance shown by their students on a particular exam, one should first look at the assessment itself (Kubiszyn & Borich, 2013, p. 326). Exams need to be valid before their results can really be accepted. Simply because the class, on average, received a failing grade on an exam does not, in itself, indicate that they did not comprehend the material. According to Kubiszyn and Borich (2013), â€Å"The reliability of a test refers to the consistency with which it yields the same rank for individuals who take the test more than once† (p. 338). The indication here is that a student within a given class should rank in nearly the same place every time if the same exam is given to the same class. According to Kubiszyn and Borich (2013), â€Å"No test measures perfectly, and many tests fail to measure as well as we would like them to† (p. 348). The key is to realize that there will almost be some level of error in an exam, but the teacher must work hard to minimize that error to the greatest degree possible. Finally, there could be an error in scoring. This is particularly important to monitor if a human scores the exam. For this exam, the teacher can eliminate this error, to a great extent, by not scoring the exam when they are tired or in a rush. It is advisable to score an exam in batches, rather than all at once, to ensure that fatigue does no impact the marking of each response.

Police Officer Job Description Essay Example for Free

Police Officer Job Description Essay All police officers take on a basic range of tasks that are either preventive or proactive. Preventive tasks include the provision of protection to the person and property of individuals, preservation of peace and order through their presence and accessibility, and prevention of crime by patrolling the streets. Proactive tasks are searching and arresting criminal offenders and enforcing laws such as traffic and road safety regulations. (Criminal Justice USA, 2008; Los Angeles Police Department, 2008) These tasks require a number of qualifying criteria for police officers. One is physical fitness since the completion of police work becomes more efficient with physically fit police officers. This is the reason why police officers undergo physical training such as the physical agility test and medical examination before qualifying to work the job. Another is psychological fitness since police officers need to develop the values and attitude needed for them to use their authority within the bounds of the law as law enforcers such as social skills. Last is mental and other skills and experience, including driving skills for street patrol, keen eyesight and observation skills, and basic knowledge of the law and legal processes. (Police Oracle, 2008) At a minimum, a high school diploma or equivalent qualification is required for police officers (Criminal Justice USA, 2008). In addition, continued academic and field learning improves the ability of police officers to meet their job. As such, police officers need to develop commitment and dedication to their job since this not only enables them to perform their work effectively but also enhances continued efficiency. In the performance of this range of tasks, police officers take on line and staff jobs. Line jobs pertain to the direct accomplishment of the tasks of police officers especially field work while staff jobs pertain to support for line work such as administrative and other support tasks (Police Oracle, 2008). Police officers need to master not only line jobs but also staff jobs to support and maintain the sound organizational or functional structure of the law enforcement agency inn providing public service.

Charles Dickens :: essays research papers fc

INTRODUCTION This report will talk about the life of a famous author, Charles Dickens. It will tell you about his early, middle, and later years of his life. It will also talk about one of his great works of literature. In conclusion, this report will show a comparison of his work to his life. EARLY LIFE Charles Dickens was born at Landport, in Portsea, on February 7, 1812. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay-Office, and was temporarily on duty in the neighborhood when Charles was born. His name was John Dickens. He spent time in prison for debts. But, even when he was free he lacked the money to support his family. Then, when Charles was two they moved to London.1 Just before he started to toddle, he stepped into the glare of footlights. He never stepped out of it until he died. He was a good man, as men go in the bewildering world of ours, brave, transparent, tender-hearted, and honorable. Dickens was always a little too irritable because he was a little too happy. Like the over-wrought child in society, he was splendidly sociable, and in and yet sometimes quarrelsome. In all the practical relations of his life he was what the child is at a party, genuinely delighted, delightful, affectionate and happy, and in some strange way fundamentally sad and dangerously close to tears. 2 At the age of 12 Charles worked in a London factory pasting labels on bottles of shoe polish. He held the job only for a few months, but the misery of the experience remain with him all his life. 3 Dickens attended school off and on until he was 15, and then left for good. He enjoyed reading and was especially fond of adventure stories, fairy tales, and novels. He was influenced by such earlier English writers as William Shakespeare, Tobias Smollet, and Henry Fielding. However, most of the knowledge he later used as an author came from his environment around him. 4 MIDDLE LIFE Dickens became a newspaper writer and reporter in the late 1820's. He specialized in covering debates in Parliament, and also wrote feature articles. His work as a reporter sharpened his naturally keen ear for conversation and helped develop his skill in portraying his characters speach realistically. It also increased his ability to observe and to write swiftly and clearly. Dickens' first book, Sketches by Boz (1836) consisted of articles he wrote for the Monthly Magazine and the London Evening Chronicles.

Mid-Term Essay Essay

This essay will focus on the influence family background and childhood memories have on writers and the theme of their writings. In both the essays chosen for detailed study here, we see how the authors’ philosophy of life and things that they chose to explore and write about was set way back in their childhood as a result of the traumas they faced. This paper will present an analysis of how the families of Sanders and Maduro shaped the way these authors understand themselves and relate to others. Scott Russell Sanders was the winner of the Mark Twain Award in 2009 and his work A Private History of Awe was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, to a family of cotton farmers, Sanders taught Literature and worked as Professor of English at Indiana University. The main vision behind his writing is the shift in cultures from a consumerist to a care-giving society (Sanders). In his essay, â€Å"Under the Influence: Paying the Price for my Father’s Booze†, Sanders had chronicled the trauma he and his siblings had to endure because of his father’s alcoholism. In this memoir Sander’s recounts the feelings of guilt, shame and helpless that he felt as a child of ten when he saw his father’s unstable and ferocious outbursts after getting drunk. He blamed himself for it and that feeling of guilt hounded him throughout his life. â€Å"I tell myself he drinks to ease [†¦] an ache I must have caused by disappointing him somehow† (Sanders). To atone for his perceived inadequacies as a child Sanders tried to turn to working hard and trying to keep the family together and taking on his father’s responsibilities, â€Å"by vainly seeking to erase through my efforts whatever drove him to drink† (Sanders). Sanders observes that his own children wonder at what drives him to be a â€Å"workaholic† and tries to allay their fears and any sense of guilt or pressure they may feel by being candid about his own feelings of guilt, hurt and shame at his father’s alcoholism. On maturity he realized that he had castigated himself needlessly as a child and that his father’s alcoholism was a disease and he had no reason to feel responsible for it. However, his fear of drinks and bad conduct that he had witnessed as a child had left a deep scar in his soul. He is reticent about going to pubs with his friends and drinking as much as he is afraid of causing hurt or disappointment to anybody. He is constantly watchful of any adverse reactions from people around him and still carries the shame of his father’s â€Å"sins† deep down inside him and shies away from having that facet of his life exposed in public. The name E. S. Maduro is a pseudonym under which the author talks about her feminist beliefs and her convictions on freedom of choice and awareness for women. She records how her own youthful feelings of rebellion against the social norms of marriage and raising children altered upon maturity but how she clung to her belief that women should have the awareness to make decisions for themselves. They should be allowed to choose their career paths according to their wishes and not be forced into stereotypical roles due to societal pressures. In the essay â€Å"Excuse Me While I Explode: My Mother, Myself, My Anger† the writer describes her feelings of anger, guilt and frustrations when she narrates the story of how her mother and women of that generation had to sacrifice their careers and all their life’s desires to accommodate their families and their duties as home makers and mothers. â€Å"Excuse Me While I Explode: My Mother, Myself, My Anger† first appeared in print as an article in a book entitled The Bitch in the House. In this article Maduro has written about her frustration at the inequality women face in society. It primarily deals with her angst at how she being a post-modern woman who was educated and liberated fell back and did the same things that she has found so loathsome in her mother. She had felt defiant at the way her mother and most women had to give-up their own dreams of a good and successful life to slave at household chores and raising children. â€Å"Years ago† a woman did not have a choice to voice her opinions and the role of housekeeper and dutiful mother was thrust upon her without so much as a thought about how she felt about it. Her toil was taken for granted and the spouse did not even think it inappropriate to allow his wife to do all the housework when he could very easily have offered to help. â€Å"I believed myself to be a feminist, and I vowed never to fall into the same trap of domestic boredom and servitude that I saw my mother as being fully entrenched in; never to settle for a life that was, as I saw it, lacking independence, authority, and respect† (Maduro 5). However, as she grew older and had her own experience of loving and living with her partner she was amazed that she followed the same pattern almost unconsciously and managed both house and work despite her partner wanting to help her with the chores. She puzzles over why this is so because she believed herself to be aware of her rights unlike her mother and in full command over her vocation and what she wanted out of life, yet she slaved at household chores: â€Å"I feel an odd mixture of frustration and love. Together we have a wonderful, open, trusting relationship, but sometimes I wonder if the hostility already in me, and my need to be angry at someone or something, could eventually destroy our bond† (Maduro 12). The article is an introspection of why she chose to do this. She comes up with the hypothesis that women chose to take on domestic responsibilities even if it meant forgoing some of their own desires because it made a woman proud to be an accomplished home maker and mother. She identified this need in a woman to excel in housekeeping as a source of pleasure and fulfillment. She reflects on the dichotomy between love and frustration, career and home, raising children and vocation and finally finds comfort in the fact that unlike her mother she was not forced into servitude. She did what she did because she wanted to do it, she had the option of turning away and that made a big difference. She is able to resolve her conflict and also that of many other women by reiterating that choosing to be a good housekeeper and mother was an option and you could choose to be one even if you felt strongly for the cause of feminism. Works Cited Maduro, E. S. â€Å"Excuse Me While I Explode: My Mother, Myself, My Anger†. The Bitch in the House. Cathy Hanauer. New York: Harper Collins, 2002. Print. Sanders, Russell Scott. â€Å"Under the Influence: Paying the Price for my Father’s Booze† Harpers Magazine Nov 1989: n. pag. Web. 2 Jun 2010.

Assertive Discipline

â€Å"Miss Collin was a nasty teacher that I had when I was 6 or 7 years old and, as a result of the psychotherapy I underwent in later years, I am now able to say that this teacher is responsible for most of the psychological damage I suffered with resulting suicidal tendencies. She used terror and humiliation to keep order in the classroom and did not hesitate to use the strap as her method of control† (Warnes 1). School children shouldn†t be afraid to attend their school because the teachers humiliate students, are mean and have strict rules. The overall purpose of public schools is to provide a simple learning environment so a student can obtain a good education. All students should be treated equally no matter where they are and should have the same rights as adults so they can reach their goal of graduating. Discipline is more than keeping a group of children or young people quiet while being talked to. Preserving good behavior is certainly one aspect to discipline, for learning it in an atmosphere of confusion is difficult. Children have to learn to conform to the rules of behavior needed in a classroom. Teachers have the right to ask for a quiet class, keep the students in their seats, and have the right to discipline them if they do not cooperate. When a teacher expresses his or her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in direct, honest, and appropriate ways that do not violate the right of others, and when the message does not humiliate, degrade, or dominate the one being talked to, he or she is using Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to maintain control of his or her class they must use Assertive Discipline. In order for a teacher to have his or her needs met, they can influence the behavior of the children. Without influence a teacher is â€Å"powerless† and will become â€Å"burned out. † (Canter, 2) There is no simple answer to why this happens. A number of complex factors have combined to create an environment in which teachers are having trouble in getting personal and professional needs met. Until the past decade, the teacher was looked at as the main person in the classroom by students and parents. The teacher, simply because of their role status, had respect and authority. Thus, the teacher was a â€Å"powerful† figure in the eyes of the students and could easily influence the student's behavior, often with just a look, smile, or a threat. All of that is now changed. Today, a teacher has to earn the respect of both the students and their parents. A teacher's basic techniques of influence, or discipline, is no longer as effective as getting the desired results. The discipline approaches of the 1950's and 1960's do not work with the students of the 1990's. In addition, the teacher cannot rely on the strong support of the parents anymore. Many parents are openly questioning, the education that their children are receiving, and do not feel they want to support the needs of their child's teachers. Teachers cannot get their needs met in a classroom unless they have an effective method of discipline in which they thoroughly understand and comfortable utilize. An assertive teacher is: â€Å"One who clearly and firmly communicates his or her wants and needs to his or her students, and is prepared to reinforce their words with appropriate actions. † (Canter,9) When a teacher is assertive, and clearly and firmly communicates their wants and feelings to a child, they send a clear message. This message simply states: â€Å"I mean what I say and say what I mean. (Collins, 155) Lee Canter, a child guidance specialist, has found that while most teachers make lesson plans as a routine matter, very few make discipline plans. Planning is essential to teaching well. Lesson planning is second nature to teachers. Lesson plans are part of a professional routine, and are done almost automatically when the need arises. However, planning for discipline is an entirely different story. The vast majority of teachers have learned or have been exposed to the steps involved in planning discipline programs, especially those to be used specifically with disruptive students. Because of teachers' frustrations, all we often hear is their complaining about how difficult the students really are. Such complaining may help to relieve the strain of dealing with difficult students, but it in no way helps to solve the problem. Planning your discipline efforts, and utilizing assertive principles, are as essential to teaching as a lesson plan. (Charles,128) Discipline planning will structure and guide classroom management efforts the same as lesson planning for academic efforts. Discipline plans are important and helpful to all teachers. Charles, urges to make discipline plans according to the following steps: Identify any existing or potential discipline problems, specify the behaviors you want the students to eliminate or engage in, decide on negative and positive consequences appropriate to the student and situation, and decide how to execute the negative and positive consequences. (Charles, 129) Discipline planning is the systematic applications of the assertive principles the teacher exhibits. It involves focusing your attention on any existing or potential discipline problems you may have. These discipline problems may involve an individual student, or a group of students, or an entire class. Having good discipline enables the teacher to deal assertively with their students. He or she will know how to maximize their potential influence to get their needs met, with more difficult situations it may be useful for the teacher to engage in problem-solving and discipline planning with peers, school psychologist, principle or anyone who may be familiar with the students or have successfully managed similar problems. One final area needed for discipline planning are special activities. Special activities are those activities the students do not consistently engage in, for example, field trips or assemblies. A day or so before such an activity, the teacher must have some basic discipline planning. Once again, the teacher must determine the behavior wanted and not wanted, the limit – setting and positive consequences, and how the program will be started. The assertive teacher recognizes the fact that he or she has wants and needs and has the right to get them met in the classroom. The teacher is also aware of the limitations and realizes that they have the right to ask for assistance, whether it is from the principle, parents, or peers. (Charles,37) The assertive teacher should be aware of the child's need for warmth and support. An assertive teacher is aware that a limit setting response must be delivered in as effective a manner as possible. Eye contact is very important when trying to get a point made. Whenever necessary, the teacher plans how to back up their limit setting statement with appropriate consequences. This is done in order to maximize the influence that his or her response can have on the behavior of the child. (Canter, 28) Whenever required, teachers should be prepared to back up their words with consequences in order to motivate the behavior of more difficult children. He or she is aware some children need more support than others and is prepared to give that child as much as they can. (Canter, 32). The children learn to trust and respect an assertive teacher. The children clearly know the parameters of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. This gives them an opportunity to choose how they want to behave while knowing fully what the consequences will be for their behaviors. This does not mean that every child will like an assertive teacher, and does not mean that every child will behave. Some children may still decide not behave for any reason. All that an assertive teacher can do by his or her behavior is try to establish an atmosphere where he or she maximizes the potential for a positive teacher – child relationship. The major area where being an assertive teacher helps a child is when the student has special needs or problems. This when a teacher needs to step things up a notch and become more assertive. Some teachers may lose track of their assertive potential, but they have to teach the child how to behave in the appropriate manner. (Canter, 46) One problem area where a child needs assertive discipline is when he or she is confronted with peer pressure. This is when the student's fellow peers force him or her to do something, like throw spit balls or make funny noises to win the approval of others. This problem can be solved by confronting the child and telling him what he or she is doing wrong. This problem can also be solved by giving out a punishment like, writing on the chalkboard or may be standing in the corner with his or her back turned to the rest of the class. If all else fails, the teacher may want to call the child's home and plan a conference with the student's parents. Though most teachers feel threatened and overwhelmed by parents, especially if they are pushy or manipulative, they need to take a stand and thoroughly explain the situation going on with their child. (Rich, 145) The teacher has to be assertive with the parents and the child. The teacher should not down grade the problems they are having with their child. Instead they should tell the parents the way things are. For instance a teacher should not call the child's parents and say, â€Å"we have a little problem with your son,† when in actuality, the child had a violent tantrum. The teacher should let the parents know that they need their cooperation to discipline the child at home for his tantrum. If the teacher does not tell the parents what they truly feel then the child's tantrum will be even worse the next time. The corner stone of assertive discipline is the potential positive influence teachers can have on the behavior of their students. † Hand in hand with influence goes responsibility. † (Canter, 57) When teachers accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the consequences of their potential influence they accept the responsibility to choose, or not to choose, to utilize this potential for the best interest of both themselves and the students. Assertive teachers recognize the responsibilities they have for the children. They know they cannot assert themselves and get their needs and the children needs met. They know they can have the impact on their classrooms if they choose to do so. Other teachers choose not to accept the reality of their potential influence. Thus, they are confronted with the following situations: they place themselves in a powerless position. They view themselves as a helpless victim at the mercy of the students, their parents, the principle, and the school system. Such teachers become the complainers. They complain about everyone and everything that â€Å"victimize† them. Charles, 120) They end up blaming all of their problems on others, and never on themselves. Mandatory uniforms is an answer that some give to stop the recent and alarming rise in violence and drop out rates in our public schools. Those that support uniforms argue that uniforms disguise economic and ethnic backgrounds, so students are no longer jealous of others. The financial burden on parents is lifted. But do uniforms really give all of these benefits? Can just one change in public schools make them so much better? The wearing of uniforms in more of the nation's public schools has been a much-talked about issue recently, with President Clinton and several members of Congress voicing their support. Supporters of school uniforms say social and economic classes would no longer be revealed by students' clothing, schools will have more of a sense of community, and students' self-esteem will improve. Some gang members have hurt or murdered innocent people because of a colored item of clothing they chose to wear. Proponents assert that uniforms will reduce this type of violence in schools and, therefore, make classes safe and orderly. Uniforms have been shown to reduce absentee rates as well. In situations where there are several different financial backgrounds attending the same school students may be under pressure, and possibly ridiculed because of failure to conform to the latest fashion trends. Everybody wearing the same styles of clothes might eliminate that. In response to growing levels of violence in our schools, many parents, teachers, and school officials have come to see school uniforms as one positive and creative way to reduce discipline problems and increase school safety. They observed that the adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. As a result, many local communities are deciding to adopt school uniform policies as part of an overall program to improve school safety and discipline. California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia have enacted school uniform regulations. Even though social and economic barriers can be torn down, some schools have not had as much success. In fact, implementing mandatory school uniforms can be dangerous because it provides the community with a false sense of security. It is like putting a small bandage on an enormous wound, instead of attempting to find ways to truly deal with the bleeding. Although this can happen, uniforms prove to continue to be a success. In a recent study of uniforms in Georgia Schools, eighty percent of students stated that they did not feel that the uniforms reduced fights and 68. % felt that uniforms did not help to make them feel a part of school. I myself would not feel at any way individually squashed if I were made to wear a uniform. Everyone must look at the main issue pertaining to this topic. Our lives, without our individuality is meaningless. I would be more than willing to wear a uniform to school and be safe and let my personality express my individualism, and be judged for what I am than to be judged and be put into a life threatening situation for what color I was wearing.