Strategies For Raising Test Scores - 792 Words

This article is shows different strategies that a principal can use to help raise test scores in schools. The strategies mentioned have been used by principals in the past and, therefore, have been successful for schools. The authors mention six different strategies that can be helpful and certainly fall along the lines of best practice. The strategies involved are analyzing test data, parents support score-raising efforts, constant monitoring of progress, looking at student work helps improve teaching, practice tests all year, and good teaching is good teaching. As I progress toward being a principal one day, I found myself with a need to figure out what to do with test scores and how do you fix low scores. To be honest, I have not had a lot of time or practice interpreting test scores and what those scores mean in the end. How to improve those scores was even farther away from my thoughts? What the article brings for me is less of specific strategies and more along the lines of good leadership for a school. I have been teaching for eighteen years and can count on one hand the number of times I have been asked to interpret test scores and figure out strategies to help. The last time I looked at Iowa Assessments was about six years ago and I noticed a large gap in what we were teaching versus items that were on the test. The result of that gap analysis was changing from a cultural approach to a much wider spread history course. On top of that, we as aShow MoreRelated No Child Left Behind Act Essay examples695 Words   |  3 Pages8, in reading and math to measure their progress. The test results will be made public in annual report cards on how schools and states are progressing toward their objectives. States will have until the 2005-06 school year to develop and apply their tests. Once the tests are in place, schools will be required to show adequate yearly progress toward their statewide objectives. This means that they must demonstrate through their test scores that they are on track to reach 100 percent proficiencyRead MoreHigh Stakes Testing Is An Educational Strategy976 Words   |  4 PagesHigh-stakes testing is an educational strategy that affects students, teachers, and society as a whole. The topic of high-stakes testing has been supported and discredited by many educators, politicians, and citizens. Nationally, schools are using high-stakes testing for a variety of reasons. The American Educational Research Association discussed high-stakes testing and issued a statement that read: Many states and school districts mandate testing programs to gather data about student achievementRead MoreNo Child Left Behind Act Essay710 Words   |  3 Pagesin reading and math to measure their progress. The test results will be made public in annual report cards on how schools and states are progressing toward their objectives. States will have until the 2005-06 school year to develop and apply their tests. Once the tests are in place, schools will be required to show adequate yearly progress toward their statewide objectives. This means that they must demonstrate through their test scores that they are on track to reach 100 percent proficiencyRead MoreSAT Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesHow to make a superior strategy for the ACT, SAT The school affirmations process is a long one, most vital parts are, the SAT or ACT state-sanctioned test, and one can profit by early arranging and choosing while amid secondary school you should take it and the particular test dates. Additionally consider conditions like individual schedule, confirmations due dates, the selection of subjects in school to take the SAT or ACT. The 4 Important Factors for SAT/ACT Early making arrangements for theRead MoreSAT Essay877 Words   |  4 Pages- How to make a superior strategy for the ACT, SAT The school affirmations process is a long one, most vital parts are, the SAT or ACT state-sanctioned test, and one can profit by early arranging and choosing while amid secondary school you should take it and the particular test dates. Additionally, consider conditions like individual schedule,r confirmations due dates, the selection of subjects in school to take the SAT or ACT. The 4 Important Factors for Your SAT/AC early making arrangementsRead MoreDr Bateson Criticizes British Educational System985 Words   |  4 Pagesschools’ testing process because using the highest scores gained does not determine how smart a person is. Use of this elimination method denies students who do not progress further from the tests from accessing quality education. Although the use of tests by teachers to determine how well a student comprehends what was taught is viewed to be effective, it imparts a mentality to students that they ought to learn just for the sake of passing the tests so as not to fall upon the wrath laid on failureRead More An Examination of Standardized Testing Essay1592 Words   |  7 PagesDo standardized tests really improve the quality of public education? For years they have been used to judge schools academic performance and assess the needs of students. No longer can illiterates be graduated from high school. No longer can teachers pass a student from one grade to another withou t having taught that student anything (Spellings). While these advances are beneficial, standardized exams often hurt already disadvantaged schools, promote states to lower their standards of educationRead MorePublic Education and Standard Testing882 Words   |  4 Pagesstudents to be able to do well on standardized test they rely on their teachers. Several teachers interviewed said they spent hours of extra planning time and hundreds of dollars to create more interesting lessons. They said they must be supremely organized and strict enforcers of classroom rules. (Watanabe). Some teachers are pressured to the point that they make education all about the test and up to the test. The pressure to improve students test performance in California and across the countryRead More Child Behavioral Case Study Essay501 Words   |  3 Pagesenjoys school. 4) Prereferral findings: The teacher has been using district reading series, cooperative grouping for reading activities, using card to follow while reading, cueing before asking questions as well as sticker chart for hand raising and working while in his seat, which has helped. 5) Assessment observations: Sensory Abilities: No problem noted Language: Flight of ideas Apprehension: No problem noted Behavior during testing: Impulsive Responses Distractibility: AttentionRead MoreEmotion Related Cultural Value With Regulation Strategies Essay1132 Words   |  5 Pagesreappraisal, or suppression as some typical tactics of managing emotions, but how these types of regulation strategies differ among individuals, and how cultural values can be related to the preference of use of different strategies? This study will provide a general idea beyond the basic understanding of ER by comparing individual difference on emotion-related cultural value with regulation strategies. This study focuses on emotion related values based on the Hofstede model of six dimensions of national

The World Is Plagued By Hosts Of Social And Political...

Nicholas Wozniak Prof. John Kear ENGL 101 1 Sep 2016 False Attribution Our world is plagued by hosts of social and political problems, from tensions between the races to enmity against the government. Some ire is deserved while other hatreds may be woefully misplaced. It is misplacing the cause of a person or group of people’s woes on another group of people that has historically caused dreadful and disproportionate problems within society and human culture. Riots, racial tensions, coups, wars and all manner of other ills can all be correctly attributed to this. Some may argue that placing responsibility for problems on another person or group of people is a naturally occurring way to revitalize a society and champion one’s own beliefs†¦show more content†¦There are many historical examples of false attribution in both the past and present. A very relevant one we can draw from is the recent anti-police protests and riots currently taking place all over America. Certainly there are instances of police brutality th at take place, and certainly the law enforcement system could do with some helpful reform, but does this release citizens from the repercussions of their actions or justify combating perceived violence with actual violence? The slaying of a police officer at a black lives matter protest is a great example of false attribution. The woes of an ethnic group were laid out on the shoulders of a single individual, and the entire situation was worse off for it. Retaliation against the police could never have fixed the social dilemma, yet the actual act of retaliating (because of poor treatment falsely attributed to one police officer) only served to inflate tensions. Another notable example of false attribution American culture has experienced is the Red Scare. In the late 1940s, a distant and ever growing Russia left America in perpetual fear of communist attack. All manner of social ills were blamed on insidious and often non-existent communist sympathizers and spies. These citizens were punished with fines, jail time and even exile. While we do know that there were communist sympathizers and spies in the country at the time, the scope of

Cognitive Behavioral Theory and Humanistic Approach

Question: Discuss about theCognitive Behavioral Theory and Humanistic Approach. Answer: Introduction Janes case study has been analyzed based on two theories, namely, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and humanistic approach. CBT and the humanistic approach are usually used to treat people suffering from anxiety or depression (Graham Reynolds, 2013). Several other conditions, such as, panic attacks, phobias, anorexia, bulimia, insomnia, substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can be treated with CBT (Tarrier Johnson, 2015). Humanistic approach based therapy on the other hand has a subjective inclination of determining the mental health of a person (Schneider, Person Bugental, 2014). In this case study, Janes case has been described from the aspect of CBT and humanistic approach. The approach followed by the counselor to understand and treat Jane has also been analyzed. The main differences and similarities between the two approaches while handling the case of Jane has been analyzed. Stress has been laid on the the CBT based ap proach which has ultimately proved to be the most appropriate approach for working with Jane. Summary of Janes Case Two Theoretical Perspectives From the CBTs perspective, it can be stated that Jane is suffering from anxiety and depression. Jane has been on her own ever since her mother has died and her children have moved away. She was being treated for depression and she has been suffering from anxiety. She gets anxious in leaving her home for longer periods and she finds it difficult to meet with people. She would like to restart her career as a nurse but she is again feeling anxious in making the attempt as she feels she is too old to retrain. From the Humanistic approach, by following the Maslows hierarchy of needs, Janes case can be described on its basis (Cooper, 2013). Jane needs to have positive regard for her, which needs to be developed from the self-actualization as well as esteem based needs, which is the main reason of her anxiety in restarting her previous occupation as a nurse. Her mother has died, her children have also moved away and she is a divorcee, which has led her into developing the need of belonging, which makes her upset. She wants to fulfill the need by hoping to be in a relationship but her anxiety is preventing her from doing so. Her safety needs feel compromised, as she feels anxious is staying away from home for too long. Description of Counselors Approach Towards Jane The CBT counselor will be asking Jane questions related to her life with an objective approach to gain introspection into her present situation (Eysenck, 2014). The counselor will ask her questions, which will be based on her thoughts, feelings, sensations and related actions, presuming that all these, are interconnected. The counselor will change the negative trend in Janes line of thoughts and make her concentrate on the present and inspire her to deal with it in a practical way (Wells, 2013). The humanistic approach based counselor will follow a subjective approach and try to comprehend Janes situation based on her needs which can be physiological, safety based, belonging, esteem and self actualization needs (Rowan, 2015). The counselor will try to understand the situations based on her past, which has led her into developing her present conditions. The counselor will try to inspire Jane to find her own true potential and a remedy to her situation rather than suggesting some maneuver to deal with it. Summary of Understanding Jane from the Perspectives of the Respective Modalities CBT is based on the principle that is focused on the thoughts and moods by targeting the behaviors and actions. It identifies the specific patterns of behavioral patterns and negative thought that causes depression due to the stressful or challenging situations. It believes that the negative feelings or actions are a result of the current thoughts or beliefs that are distorted and not due to the unconscious forces related to the past (Hofmann et al., 2012). Since Jane is living alone and is finding it difficult to get on with her life due to her increased age, this is the cause of her depression, which is not related to her disturbed adulthood, according to the principles of CBT. Her thoughts of getting into a relationship or restart her career as a nurse needs counseling and motivation to get over her depression and move on with life. On the contrary, the humanistic approach is based on the theory that explores the substantial capacity of the individuals for their self-determination. Although it is focused on the present of the patient, it addresses their histories to promote their understanding of how their experiences of past have shaped their present as it encourages them to explore their feelings, emotions and thoughts (Chen et al., 2014). Since Jane had a disturbed adulthood, it has a deep impact in making her apprehensive of moving on with her life and getting over her loneliness and depression. She is also hesitant to meet people owing to her nervousness to lose people, as it was the case for her parents. Effective counseling can help her to explore her inner thoughts that can help her to get on with her life. Differences in Approaches in Respect to Jane CBT allows an objective approach towards Janes condition, whereas, humanistic approach concentrates on the subjective aspect of Jane (Kendall Hollon, 2013). CBT takes into consideration only the present and the help is provided to the patient based on that. The approach is entirely practical and realistic. Humanistic approach however, considers the past of the patient because the theory works on the idea that a person can be defined based on both his past as well as the present (Pascual-Leone, Pavio Harrington, 2016). It will allow Jane to get a perspective of her own situation rather than assessing it from the counselors viewpoint. CBT would allow Jane to make a practical move and rescue her from having negative thoughts. Humanistic approach would make Jane lead a life where she will be able to identify her full potential and live a contented life (Waterman, 2013). It is more like a self-help approach. Similarities in Approaches in respect to Jane Although both the approaches of CBT and humanistic theories have their own set of principles for psychotherapy, however, there are certain similarities in their goals that can be implemented while working with Jane. Both the therapies need the willingness and participation of the patient and they are focused on self-awareness (Hayes et al., 2013). Both these approaches prevent the patient from the formation of negative self-judgments valuing their mistakes and failures as a part of the continuous process of coping and exploring (Fava et al., 2014). Based on these parameters, it can be stated that these principles can be utilized for working with Jane. She has to be encouraged to focus on her capacities and capabilities that will reinforce her self-confidence to meet new people and explore new career opportunities, despite her increased age. Elimination of her negative self-judgments can help her get over her loneliness and depression, which will eventually help her to leave her home for long periods and get on with her life. Restarting her career as a nurse will require exceptional diligence and getting stuck with her failed adulthood will be of no good help and push her into depression. Rather, with the application of these approaches, her self-awareness and self-esteem will visualize her failure as an opportunity for coping and exploring that will help her to return to her normal Cognitive Behavioral Theory is the Best Approach CBT approach has been selected as the most appropriate approach, which can be used to treat Jane. CBT would help Jane to work on her issue of anxiety and depression in a short period as CBT only gives an evaluation, which is based on the immediate present, asking the patient not to delve into the past (Wiles et al., 2013). CBT has a structured nature of evaluation, which necessarily need not be handed out by counseling sessions. Books, group visits as well as computer-based programs can provide Jane with the necessary help that she needs to handle her situation. CBT therapy involves practical approach to a situation, which can be continued post the treatment session too (Wagner, Horn Maercker, 2014). Jane needs this kind of treatment to help her get the confidence back to restart her career as a nurse. Conclusion Both the approaches of cognitive behavioral therapy and humanistic approach are the first-line of treatment for depression and have their own principles of psychotherapy that can be utilized for treating Jane. Since the past life of Jane has been quite disturbing considering the ill health and death of her parents, humanistic approach will be effective to evoke her sense of belonging and evaluate her efficiencies. Since her present is surrounded with loneliness, CBT can be effective in modifying her negative thoughts and transform them into ones that are more positive. With both similarities and differences in their fundamentals, CBT and humanistic approach, counselors will be benefited by their application while carrying out the psychotherapy of Jane. In addition, both these approaches will also be effective in appropriate understanding Jane and her thought process that will guide the counselors in setting their course of psychological therapy. References: Chen, P., Furukawa, T. A., Shinohara, K., Honyashiki, M., Imai, H., Ichikawa, K., ... Churchill, R. (2014). Quantity and quality of psychotherapy trials for depression in the past five decades.Journal of affective disorders,165, 190-195. Cooper, M. (2013). The Intrinsic Foundations of Extrinsic Motivations and Goals Toward a Unified Humanistic Theory of Well-Being and Change.Journal of Humanistic Psychology,53(2), 153-171. Eysenck, M. (2014).Anxiety and cognition: A unified theory. Psychology Press. Fava, G. A., Ruini, C., Rafanelli, C., Finos, L., Conti, S., Grandi, S. (2014). Six-year outcome of cognitive behavior therapy for prevention of recurrent depression.American Journal of Psychiatry. Graham, P., Reynolds, S. (2013).Cognitive behaviour therapy for children and families. Cambridge University Press. Hayes, S. C., Levin, M. E., Plumb-Vilardaga, J., Villatte, J. L., Pistorello, J. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy and contextual behavioral science: Examining the progress of a distinctive model of behavioral and cognitive therapy.Behavior therapy,44(2), 180-198. Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses.Cognitive therapy and research,36(5), 427-440. Kendall, P. C., Hollon, S. D. (Eds.). (2013).Cognitive-behavioral interventions: Theory, research, and procedures(Vol. 21). Academic Press. Pascual-Leone, A., Paivio, S., Harrington, S. (2016). Emotion in psychotherapy: An experiential-humanistic perspective.Humanistic psychotherapies: Handbook of research and practice,. Rowan, J. (2015).Ordinary ecstasy: The dialectics of humanistic psychology. Routledge. Schneider, K. J., Pierson, J. F., Bugental, J. F. (Eds.). (2014).The handbook of humanistic psychology: Theory, research, and practice. Sage Publications. Tarrier, N., Johnson, J. (Eds.). (2015).Case formulation in cognitive behaviour therapy: The treatment of challenging and complex cases. Routledge. Wagner, B., Horn, A. B., Maercker, A. (2014). Internet-based versus face-to-face cognitive-behavioral intervention for depression: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.Journal of affective disorders,152, 113-121. Waterman, A. S. (2013). The humanistic psychologypositive psychology divide: Contrasts in philosophical foundations.American Psychologist,68(3), 124. Wells, A. (2013).Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: A practice manual and conceptual guide. John Wiley Sons. Wiles, N., Thomas, L., Abel, A., Ridgway, N., Turner, N., Campbell, J., ... Kuyken, W. (2013). Cognitive behavioural therapy as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy for primary care based patients with treatment resistant depression: results of the CoBalT randomised controlled trial.The Lancet,381(9864), 375-384.