Policy/Regulation Fact Sheet

Policy: Education and Professional Development

Policy description

• Health information technology is transforming the field of nursing. Informatics is a requirement in that nurses are required to employ technologies to health care to promote quality health care. In other words, nurses should apply computer science, information science, and nursing science to deliver quality health care (Darvish et al, 2014).
• To effectively implement the technology needed, educational programs should be developed.   The policy of education and professional development should be addressed to provide the nurses with the knowledge to support practice advancement.
• Since the pace of technology is increasing, it is important to provide the nurses and those who want to pursue nursing informatics with skills and knowledge on how to use information technology (Darvish et al, 2014).
• Today, nursing apply the information technology in all aspects of nursing and this means nurses require computer skills and informatics skills. These skills enable nurses to use computer technology safely and improve nursing care (Darvish et al, 2014). The skills also enable the nurses to use nursing data, interpret the flow of information, apply analytic techniques, and conduct basic science, among other roles.
• Generally, the role of nursing informatics is to integrate nurses in the field of IT and for this reason, nurses needed education and professional development on information technology so that they can successfully improve quality of care.

Impact of the policy on system implementation

• The policy of education and professional development will impact system implementation. First, it is important to understand that systems implementation involves effective implementation of the information system, ensure effective operations, ensure quality standards, and ensure that the new system is available, among other activities (Darvish et al, 2014).
• When nurses receive education and professional development on nursing informatics, they will familiarize themselves with the IT, they will develop their perception about the technology, and more importantly, they will effectively implement the system. Education and training will also enable the nurses and nurse managers to select the best system design,  improve the system, solve problems,  apply clinical evidenced, and reduce medical error and financial loss (Darvish et al, 2014). In general, education programs will enable nurses to implement information technology.

Impact of the policy on clinical care, patient/ provider interactions, and workflow

• The policy will impact clinical care. In the clinical setting, education and professional development will enable the clinicians to utilize electronic medical records, and they will collect clinical data using data collection devices (Darvish et al, 2014).
• Clinical will provide comprehensive care and evidence-based care. Note that the nursing informatics allows health care organizations to use data stored in the data systems. This means that there should professional with experience in informatics and medicine. 
• Thus, the healthcare organization needs to provide education and training to the nurses so that they can have the ability to collect and interpret the data and use the systems effectively (Darvish et al, 2014). As a result of an increase of the professional and education level, the healthcare organizations will analyze the data contained in the data systems.
• The education and professional development policy will impact patient/ provider interactions. Note that the nursing informatics allows the clinical to work in a technology-rich environment where they will collect clinical nursing information, conduct medical diagnosis, make medical decisions (Darvish et al, 2014).
• Users will improve patients' care and improve their management. As a result, the nurses will have effective communication with patients, they will use personal health records, and they will reduce medical errors, improve security and privacy, reduce the length of stay, and reduce administration costs.
• The policy will  impact the workflow  in that  the use of online portal systems allow the  flow of work  in the clinical setting,  the  nursing informatics, as well as the education and training, will bridge the gap that exists in the clinical setting  since  the nurses will have all the skills required to the main workflow such as  data collection skills.

Organization policies and procedures to support policy implementation 

• Policy to protect electronic health information
• Policy to promote an organizational culture
• Security policies
• Confidentiality policies
• Release of information policies

Reference

Darvish, A., Bahramnezhad, F., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics

on promoting quality of health care and the need for appropriate education. Global journal of

health science, 6(6), 11.

Reference groups

My 5 reference groups affect how I conduct self-evaluation. It is important to understand that self-appraisal is not based on the individual's level of construct but it is based on the state of the comparison group (Allen, 2001). From my personal experience, as a young black female, I am perceive as a person from racial and ethnic group that is culturally and biologically distinct from the dominant group. The Americans and many scholars do not appreciate my black color or in other words the African culture. Although for many years  I have  interacted with Americans, there a big gap in the culture systems and the gap is influenced by the concept of ‘self-knowledge' (Allen, 2001). Everyone has self-construal and the self-system is made up of independent and interdependent self-construal. Focusing on self-reflection, it is important to understand that American society is full of racism and as a result, I am viewed with a negative attitude. Racetalk operates among white Americans and I experience racist speech and sentiment.  Whites' everyday conversation is full of stereotypes and disparaging beliefs (Allen, 2001). Racetalk is a codified language that is also implanted in the institutions. For example, the  society believe that as a  black  female,  I am dirty, and wicked whereas young white females  are innocent and upright.  These beliefs have influenced today’s society to display a detrimental image of the women of color.  Even when scholars are talking about race and immigration, they refer to people of color as poor, criminal, economically disadvantaged, illegal aliens, undocumented worker, among other terms (Allen, 2001). The oppression and discrimination have made the African American community to develop self-hatred and abandon their heritage. 

In my case, I am a female aged 26 and a middle-class from the black community. As an African America living in the American community, I expect recognition and respect but what I get are nonrecognition and nonrespect. This affects my self-concepts as young black female in that rather than seeing myself using a positive insight, the social forces around affects my esteem.  My sense of self is affected by the way other people view me. For example, the whites label me using my ethnic background and physical diagnosis. In general, the society has labeling bias and I am affected by the negative labeling. I internalize the negative labels and this affects me as a young black female in that I develop negative self-concept. My sense of self is not only influenced by how other people view me but it is also influenced by the way I compare ourselves with others. I have a low self-esteem in that I believe that whites are better off. This comparison changes my actual characteristics in that I have an unfavorable comparison which makes me develop negative self-esteem. Due internalization and experience of the racist attitude, I perceive myself the same way the society perceive me (Schaefer, 2008). The prejudice and discrimination make me suffer from low self-esteem and I express hatred to other racial group. Another important point to note is that as a black young female, I have developed a ‘black norm' that ‘black young female are poor’.  However, despite the prejudice I come across as a middle-class female, I need better treatment and equality. The white society should recognize my social existence and integrate me into the larger society.

As a young black female, I am totally overlooked, I am categorized, and seen as a nonfactor in society.  The gender and race-based bias affect my life mentally and physically since I am denied various opportunities, and I cannot even engage in romantic relationship with whites.  All these problems come as a result of my skin color, my hair texture (they describe me as ‘black woman wearing hair weave’), racial and gender identity, and my ethnic background.  As a young lady aged 26, I am  perceived as older than my actual age,  I am perceived as  less attractive,  I am stereotyped as hypersexual,  uneducated, gold digger,   I am judged to be aggressive  and I face struggles and constant fight every day.  I believe in myself but I always underrated in the society as a woman of color.  I have suffered from the anxiety of being a black middle-class woman especially when I feel unwell.  I experience inequalities in healthcare due to my middle-class level which is associated with poverty, lack of higher education, and lack of insurance.  Being black women, I face racial discrimination and I struggle for both upward mobility and freedom. I experience damaging societal stereotypes that hinder me from benefited from social protections.  The stereotype affect my reference group in that despite being a beautiful young female from the black community, I suffer from social anxiety.  In the workplace and school setting, I experience stigma and I am unable to cope with the psychological problems.  Despite the fact that I work hard to achieve freedom and have my own choices and accomplishments, stress and struggle hinder me from becoming the person I wanted to be.

 The society's negative views on my reference group have affected my thoughts and behaviors.  Note that the discrimination and prejudice act as social forces which allow me to construct negative worldviews. The social forces have deprived me social acceptance and a sense of belonging (Schaefer, 2008). However, my  reference group play a significant role in that when I look at myself,  I  develop a positive attitude about myself,  I develop better mental health,  and I love myself more. I have confidence that out of the stereotypes, I have befitting and valid strategies that guide my life (Schaefer, 2008). The social forces help me view the world positively and thus, I find it easier to solve certain problems. The negative views from society help me look forward to creating a sustainable environment practice that promote positive feelings and a sense of belonging.

References

Allen, R. L. (2001). The concept of self: A study of black identity and self-esteem. Detroit:

Wayne State University Press

Schaefer, R. T. (2008). Encyclopedia of race, ethnicity, and society. Los Angeles:

SAGEPublications.

Span of Control and Practical Reflection

A span of control is a traditional model of supervision which involves the selection of one supervisor to monitor a specific number of employees (Stojkovic et al, 2014). This happens when the employees are many and multiple supervisors are needed. Another thing that is required is specifying the number of employees that one supervisor should monitor. It is important to understand that supervisory tiers may cause collision and loss of control. Therefore, it is important to have a span of control to enhance supervisory capabilities and improve the effectiveness of management (Stojkovic et al, 2014).  However, there is a concern on the correct span of control or the maximum number of subordinates a supervisor should monitor.  In my opinion, the appropriate span of control is a narrow span of control. This is appropriate because the supervisor will monitor a small number of employees and this will create more time for interaction and as a result, there will be professional growth (Stojkovic et al, 2014). Also, supervising a small group of people will allow the supervisor to have close control and interaction with workers and there will be more coordination, effective communication, and efficient operations.

My position in the local municipality's employment management system is probation officers.  My role is to supervise the prisoners who are released from prison. It is my responsibility to ensure that the offenders reintegrate into society, abide with the law, and minimized the risk of re-offending (Kitaeff, 2011).  I normally provide advice, counseling, and support. Being a probation officer, I work in the criminal justice system or my position is under criminal justice. It is important to understand that my position (probation officer) exit in the form of another role in law enforcement (surveillance officer). Both the probation officer and police officer role relate and contrast.

            On salary information, probation officers earn between $35,000-68,000 annual salaries whereas the surveillance officers earn $23,000-$38,000 (Kitaeff, 2011).  On the scope of work, both probation officers and surveillance officers' conduct similar roles. For example, the probation officer is responsible for protecting the society, counseling probationers, visiting the probationers, ensuring that the probationers access community resources, among other roles. Also, the probation officer coordinates with the surveillance officer and other law enforcement agencies.  In specific, the surveillance officer offers systematic attention to the behaviors of probationers, assists the probation officer to enforce regulations, plans living arrangements, appears in the court, among other roles (Kitaeff, 2011).  However, the difference occurs in that the probation officer is under the criminal justice system and has a higher degree of professionalism and enjoys autonomy. On the other hand, the surveillance officer act as a law enforcement investigator to ensure that the probationers comply with imposed conditions.  On skill and education, the probationer officer needs a bachelor's degree and must possess psychological, counseling, and philosophical skills whereas a surveillance officer need an associate's degree (Kitaeff, 2011). On promotion potential, probation officers have a chance of being promoted in that their job functions are perceived as essential. They are perceived as court consultants and that they look forward to bring offender reform and also provides overwhelming support to them.

References

Stojkovic, S., Kalinich, D. B., & Klofas, J. (2014). Criminal justice organizations:

Administration and management.  Wadsworth

 Kitaeff Jack. (2011). Handbook of Police Psychology. Routledge

 Teachers’ Perceptions and Expectations of Principal’s Transformational Leadership from

                                                Transformational Leaders

Chapter One

Introduction

Chapter one presents the overview of the study. The areas that are addressed in the chapter include; conceptual framework, the research problem, justification and connected literature, significance of the research, description of the key terms and research questions at the end.

Background of the research

The roles of teachers are to ensure that the performance of students increase every year because they are the people in charge of the curriculum and the classroom (Alzoraiki et al., 2018). In order to ensure that the teachers are able to play this role effectively, they require support and motivation which is in most cases affected by the school principles. Teachers are only satisfied with their jobs if they have a good relationship with the principal of their schools, and are involved in the decision making practice at their school (Alzoraiki et al., 2018). Theorists and researchers have in recent years steadily quoted the significance of actual management in schools in regard to ensuring better-quality education results. These in most cases refer principally to the managerial staffs and disregard the existence of other ranks of headship. In the modern day, principals are no longer the solitary leaders in institutions. Leadership is disseminated through the school community with directorial leaders, teachers and policy makers taking on corresponding functions and duties. The accomplishment of a school is reliant on a collective style of leadership; one or even a few proprietors can no longer serve in managing an educational program for an entire school without considerable involvement of other educationalists (Alzoraiki et al., 2018).

Teachers are nowadays being requested to undertake leadership tasks at both the educational and structural levels. These are leaders who are allocated official positions in the already vastly specialized managerial organization of schools. It is important to have a partition of leadership tasks, where supervisors adopt major duty for strategic management, while the teachers take on major responsibilities for educational management (Balwant et al., 2014). All the same, the cumulative expectations that are connected to these innovative responsibilities can be confusing, challenging and devastating to educational leaders, their co-workers and their supervisors. This has led to the teacher leaders falsifying their responsibilities while working.

 New programs that help train educators in the field of educational leadership are emerging in the higher education institutions (Jensen, 2018). Such programs are helping prepare teachers to; foundation revolutionary learning settings, react to restructuring creativities, and transmute their instructive organization through co-operative attitudes. These are educators who are getting equipped for official instructional management functions within the school community. Nothing much has been identified about how they can efficiently guide their associates and the manner in which their style of management vary from their managerial colleagues.

Management style can be described as the method and style that is utilized in guiding, realizing, and inspiring people and plans. Management style has been described as the steady interactive patterns that are displayed by leaders, when they are trying to sway the actions of the other individuals whom they work along with, as they observe them.  Leadership can be described as a model whereby the management style falls into two extensive groupings of effect. One is transformational leadership which is established on the faith that leaders and their associates can elevate one another to advanced heights of enthusiasm as well as decency (Jensen, 2018). The other one is transactional leadership; it is established on the belief that leaders strive to inspire associates by engaging to their personal self-interests (Jensen, 2018). In the recent years, pressure has been increasing on the association between style of management and the values of an institution. This has led to an increased attentiveness in the analysis of how transformational management allows leaders to modify the environment within school societies.

Justification and connected literature

Leadership as discussed by Burn’s model is transfiguring and inspiring (Alzoraiki et al., 2018). Transformational school spearhead follows two central objectives; one is assisting staff to advance and preserve cooperative specialized school philosophy. The second is to nurture teacher growth and also to assist teachers resolve complications more commendably. When a teacher accepts leadership activities as fitting or vital, management will move to the transformational stage of connection, as associates and leaders agree on a mutual vision and commitment of improving educational performance.

Meyes & Gethers, (2018) argues that transformational leadership inspire associates that they work with by encouraging a progressive mutual climate. Transformational leaders do not just respond to environmental conditions; rather they struggle to profile and generate them. Transactional leaders inspire associates through discussions, interchange and predetermined magnitudes. In effective organizations, transformational leadership enhances the outcomes of transactional leadership. In order for school to effectively run, its leadership must include transformational conducts while at the same employing transactional conducts when it is suitable. Alzoraiki et al., (2018) illustrates that despite the fact that there are devastating managerial accountabilities that are overly transactional, principals are anticipated to behave like dreamers for their institutions and the society at large.

Explorative studies focusing on principals have shown that teachers support the school heads who exhibit a more transformational management style. Transformational management performances lead to enhanced educational outcomes (Meyes & Gethers, 2018); (Alzoraiki et al., 2018). Teachers relate to a more open educational setting where principals exhibit transformational traits. Such characters include; founding trusting associations, encouraging input when decisions are being made, offering customized contemplation as well as stimulating the rest of the people to work toward a mutual objective. There are those studies that suggest that the teachers who execute official management duties integrally hold and display much individuality that is related with transformational management (Seibert et al., 2011); (Toom, 2018).

Teachers recognize leader groups as significant in aiding to inspire associates through transformational behaviour. This behaviour includes; nurturing obligation to institutional objectives, offering personalized backing and logical inspiration to educators and having high projections for their peer’s conducts (Alzoraiki et al., 2018). Teachers and principal management groups have diverse functions in the implementation of transformational leadership and in influencing the climate of a school.

The climate of the school administration can be destructively affected when there is discrepancy amid the insight of the teachers in respect to style of management applied by the principal and his or her awareness (Balwant et al., 2014). All the above-mentioned research studies have involved the role of principals, it is however important to study the specific transformational conducts that teacher expects from the principals. It is also important to understand the expected leadership traits that principals should display in relation to their managerial colleagues.

Problem statement

There currently exist numerous research studies that deal with the leadership style employed by principals and the influence that they have on the school environment. Some of the literature describes the way that disparities between the teachers and the opinions of the principal on leadership styles affect the climate of the school (Toom, 2018; Seibert et al., 2011, Vrhovnik et al., 2018, Alzoraiki et al., 2018). There are however, inadequate research studies on management styles adopted by educational frontrunners. And how their style of management varies from those of the principals and how the variances in teacher and principal attitude influence the school climate. The current occurrence of formalized management functions for the teachers, demands exploration in this area to ensure that educational frontrunners define their position in the management arrangement of the institution. This will also help recognize how the functions that they play influence the climate of the institution.

This current study addresses all the above stated complications and aids to add on the present managerial headship literature by exploring educational influencers in association with school principals (Alzoraiki et al., 2018). This research explores how the insight of teachers on management style of the principals and educational leaders relate to their insight of the teacher and the principal behaviour features the school climate.  The research also observes the way that the views of the teachers on principal performance features of school climate, are influenced by the disparity or agreement of self-perception of the transformational style of management for the principals. This study chose to use transformational management as the motivation of this study because there is a very robust association between transformational management and school climate as defined by most of the literature.

Significance

It is very significant for educational leaders to understand how their associates vision them as leaders and how management style affects the climate of an educational institution. Having some knowledge on how educational leaders differ from principals because of the development of the new functions for teacher leaders is significant. This research study will help education management to recognize how teachers identify the management styles of both the principals and other educational leaders and how these insights recount to how they comprehend their collaboration with one another and with the principal. The findings of this study will help middle school leaders to better apprehend the management constructions within school communities and ways to advance them. This research will also help in offering valuable data to faculties at institutions of higher education so that they can advance the training of organizational and educational frontrunners.

Description of terms

Educational leader

            This is a teacher leader who is in a formal position within the school community. The formal management roles that are assumed by the educational leaders are both administration and academic (Seibert et al., 2011). This is a leader who is a significant foundation of educational knowledge as he or she effects syllabus, instruction and general learning. For the purpose of this study, educational leader is that individual who is elected by the principal to execute the following roles; training and mentoring of teachers, building and influencing syllabus knowledge, leading in service training and staff growth accomplishments, providing syllabus and educational resources and engaging the other teachers in cooperative planning, reflection and study.

Administrative leader

This is the individual that directs or manages the school community. The functions of an administrative leader are diverse and they may comprise; vision and scheduling, syllabus, discipline, communication, public relations, professional advancement, budget and capitals and employees matters (Vrhovnik et al., 2018). In this study, the principle is the administrative leader

• The principal is the educationalist in an educational society whose function is to recognize the total edification procedure in the school construction and he or she is accountable for all that transpires in the school (Vrhovnik et al., 2018).

Transformational leader

This is a leader who is able to motivate through a collective vision, classical preferred behaviours, offers personalized support and is able to nurture academic motivation (Vrhovnik et al., 2018).

Transactional leader

This is a leader that inspires other individuals through liable rewards, attentions on enthusiastically setting values and observers for the existence of errors (Vrhovnik et al., 2018).

Passive leaders

This is a leader who eludes accepting responsibilities, is always preoccupied when required and repels uttering his or her opinions on significant subjects. (Vrhovnik et al., 2018)

Type of agreement

This is categorized into four groups; the first one is high-high, this is where the opinion of transformational management style is high, and the opinion of the teacher’s opinion of the leader’s transformational management style is high. The second one is high-low; this is where the leader’s opinion of transformational management style is high, while the teacher’s perception of leader’s transformational management style is low. The third one is low-high, this is where the leader’s opinion of transformational management style is low, and the teacher’s opinion of the leader’s transformational management style is high. The fourth one is low-low, this is where the opinion of transformational management style is low, and the teacher’s opinion of the leader’s transformational management style is low.

School climate

This is the opinions of the teachers in regard to the work place or the set of core features that differentiates one educational institution from another and inspirations the actions of its members ((Toom, 2018). Climate of an educational institutions falls within a scale extending from closed to open and it is evaluated through two over-all scopes on the organizational climate description questionnaire (OCDQ). This includes; teacher performance and principal performance ((Toom, 2018).

• Teacher performance; this is the mean score of the collegial, committed and disengaged sub-scale behaviour from OCDQ. These three characteristics of teacher behaviour, define the teacher openness behaviour that is characterized by low disengagement, high commitment and high collegial relations ((Toom, 2018).
• Principal performance; this is the mean score of the supportive, directive and restrictive subscale behaviours from the OCDQ. These three characteristics of principal behaviour define the principal openness behaviour, which is characterized by high supportiveness, low directiveness and low restrictiveness ((Toom, 2018).

Perception or opinion

This defines the acquaintance, understanding or perception extended through indulgence.

School improvement

Defines the methodical, constant determination intended at altering learning situations in schools with the eventual resolution of realizing educational objectives more efficiently ((Toom, 2018).

    Research Questions

There are several research questions that were formulated to help guide this research study. They include;

RQ1: How do middle school teachers identify with the transformation leadership behaviours of the principal and how do they meet the teachers’ expectations of a transformational leader?

RQ2: How do middle school teachers identify with the principal’s competence and how does it meet the teachers’ expectations of a transformational leader?

RQ3: How do middle school teachers identify with the principal’s self-determination and how does it meet the teachers’ expectations of a transformational leader?

RQ4: How do middle school teachers identify with the principal’s meaning of values and standards and how do they meet teachers’ expectations of a transformational leader?

RQ5: How do middle school teachers identify with the principal’s impact on making a difference in the managerial process and how do they meet the teachers’ expectations of a transformational leader?

References

Alzoraiki, M., Ab. Rahman, O. B., &Mutalib, M. A. (2018). The Effect of the Dimensions of Transformational Leadership on the Teachers' Performance in the Yemeni Public Schools.European Scientific Journal, 14(25). doi:10.19044/esj.2018.v14n25p322

Balwant, P. T., Birdi, K., & Stephan, U. (2014). Practice What You Preach: Instructors as Transformational Leaders in Higher Education Classrooms. Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2014(1), 1685–1690. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2014.57

Jensen, U. T. (2018). Does Perceived Societal Impact Moderate the Effect of Transformational Leadership on Value Congruence? Evidence from a Field Experiment. Public Administration Review, 78(1), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12852

Meyes E., & Gethers K. (2018). Transformational Leadership: Creating a Culture of Learning Age of Accountability. Journal of Scholarship &Practice (Fall 2018), 15.3.

Seibert, S., Wang, G., & Courtright, S. (2011). Antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment in organizations: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(5), 981-1003.

Toom, A. (2018). School culture, leadership and relationships matter. Teachers and Teaching, 24(7), 745-748. doi:10.1080/13540602.2018.1503855

Vrhovnik, T., Marič, M., Žnidaršič, J., & Jordan, G. (2018). The Influence of Teachers’ Perceptions of School Leaders’ Empowering Behaviours on the Dimensions of Psychological Empowerment. Organizacija, 51(2), 112-120. doi:10.2478/orga-2018-0009

Question 1: Interpret the sitting and supine shunt values.

            In the supine position, the value of the blood pressure obtained was 666mmHg while in the sitting position the value of the blood pressure obtained was 670mmHg. From this data, it can be deduced that when the patient is in the supine position, there is the increase in the intraocular pressure (IOP) as compared to the value obtained when she is in the upright position. Therefore, in the sitting position, there is the obstruction of air in airways as compared when she is in the supine position. Moreover, the obstruction of airflow is the one that resulted to the fall in FEV (1.23 L).

            Question 2: What is the cause of the patient’s symptoms?

            From the historical data collected, smoking is one of the main causes of the patient’s symptoms.

            Question 3: What other tests might be indicated?

In order to ascertain whether the main cause of the patient’s symptoms was smoking, it is important to carry out other tests associated with dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease.

            Question 4: On the basis of these findings, what treatment might be recommended?

            Other than liver transplant, there are various methods which can be used to enhance normal blood pressure in the patient. One the main treatment that can be recommended will entail engaging the patient in daily physical activities which will aid in ensuring that there is the reduction of the obstruction of airflow in airways. Another reason for that is because it has the ability of increasing the circulation of blood in the body.                                    

Reflection paper

            The lessons and experiences that I have had in this class have taught me a great deal and the knowledge gained will be a great boost to both my professional and personal life. To begin with, this class has taught me the importance of appreciating what I have now despite the promise of having something better tomorrow. When learning the time value for money concept, I got to understand how something that seems worth more in future could actually be a misguided concept formed by the minds desire to have something better. The time value of money concept also taught me to make the most of what I have instead of waiting for things to get better in future and this is something I try to implement on a daily basis.

            I also learnt that not everyone who tries to help you has your bet interest at heart and this is something I picked up when learning about the APR. While most banks and lenders present their loans as ways to help their customers improve their financial situation, the hidden charges that most of these lenders keep from the customers often end up making borrowers pay for more than they signed up for. The information was of great help as it made me more cautious when applying for loans. Although I still hold the trust I have always had for financial institutions, I have learnt to be more vigil and often look out for hidden charges and the approach will be of great help especially in my professional career as I will be able to help my clients get the most out the financial institutions they transact with.

            Other than being vigil, the lessons also taught me the importance of knowing my rights especially in the financial industry. An example of such rights is the requirement for banks and lenders to disclose the APR rate to their customers. Since such rates tend to hike the amount of money to be repaid, lenders may find it difficult to disclose such information to their customers. While the banks are obliged to disclose the information, there could be other hidden charges that lenders choose to withhold from customers in order to make higher profits. As such, I have an obligation to ensure that I understand all there is to know about a financial transaction before going along with it.

            The experience also taught me that most people tend to perform better when there is the promise of a reward compared to when extra effort is not likely to warrant any special treatment. Take the case of a company CEO for instance. If the CEO has a fixed salary, there is a high tendency that the individual will seek ways to improve the company performance. However, if the salary is based on the company performance, the CEO is likely to invest in ways to improve performance in order to get a higher salary. Motivation therefore plays a big role in improving performance and in my professional work, I will try as much as possible to motivate others so as to achieve the best possible results.

Lastly, I learnt that temporary failure does not always warrant doom. A good example is the case of a company that records a negative cash flow. The negative reports aren’t always an indication of failure but rather because the company has made more investments that exceeds the cash flow but is likely to have huge benefits in future. This lesson taught me the importance of not just learning from my mistakes but also how to see the good even in bad situations. The information I have gained will greatly help me communicate better with my clients as it will give me the knowledge needed to offer helpful advice that is aimed at protecting their interests above anything else.

                                     Introduction and brief overview of the policy

            According to the law, any student who is entitled for special education ultimately has the federal right to have an access to it. The reason for that is because any child living with disability needs to have an easy access to not only special education but also to other associated services which will enable him or her meet their unique requirements. Regardless of the means the government of Texas has been utilizing to limit the number of students indentified for special education, the is the need of coming up with other better plans or policies that can aid in rectifying the continued violation of the federal special education laws and regulations (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1).

            On the other hand, one of the policies that are used by the government of Texas to foster special education for disabled students is the individual with disabilities education act (IDEA). As much as easy access to education is concerned, all public schools in Texas are mandated to be in the position of offering quality edification to all students (Nowicki 6). Basically, IDEA is regarded as being a collection of state rules and regulations that are used by the government for the purpose of ensuring free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all disabled learners who will be enrolled in Texas’s public schools. According to this act, each public school should be in the position providing equitable academic opportunities to all disabled learners in the least restrictive environment (LRE) as well as in accord with the individualized education program (IEP) of each student (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1).

                        Major issues facing each level of government

            One of the reasons as to why the law recommends special education to be provided in public schools is because the federal funding these institutions receives are aimed at developing better education programs that can benefit students with disabilities. Despite, each level of government has the authority of imposing their own rules and regulations because each one of them has its own requirements (Ennis 302). This is to imply that each government has autonomy of creating rules they require as much as they do not end up contradicting the fundamental nature of the federal laws. Nonetheless, although it is stipulated by the law that students with special needs be enrolled in conventional classes together with non-special learners, such requirements have been found to be deduced differently throughout the country (Willis 193).

            Nonetheless, each level of government in Texas is not mandated to utilize federal funding to finance special education programs as a way of developing scholarship programs for students from low-income earning families. The reason for that is because it violates the federal law. In the process of providing special education in Texas, TAC (Texas Administrative Code) and TEC (Texas Education Act) are typically the responsibility of both the commissioner and state board of education. Similarly, in order to be in the position of ensuring that both laws are effectively administered, Texas Education Agency takes the responsibility of monitoring the general progress of the provision of special education services (Estes 453). This is done through the use of the PBMAS (performance-based monitoring analysis system).
                                    Reasons for initiating changes to the policy

            Although the responsibility of the IDEA is to ensure that all disabled student have had an easy access to special education, TEA (Texas Education Agency) had failed to effectively implement those rule and regulations. One of the reasons for initiating changes to this policy is because TEA had extensively failed to indentify, locate, and evaluate all disabled students who resides within the state and who are requires special education as well as other related services. Such a survey was also to be conducted despite of the severity of the student’s disability (Hodges 325).  This was also in line with the failure of implementing proper strategies to conduct such an exercise.

            Another issue that initiated changes to the IDEA is the failure of TEA in facilitating the availability of FAPE (free and appropriate public education) to any disabled child who resides in Texas. The third reason is the failure of the management authority of TEA to accomplish their supervisory and monitoring duties as demanded by individual with disabilities education act (IDEA). This in return resulted to the failure of ensuring that IDEA’s child requirements in all independent school districts. Have been met Likewise, regardless of the implementation of the special edification representation indicator as a means of measuring the number of students with special needs enrolled, it was found out that the percentages still continued to decline (U.S. Department Of Education Issues Findings In Texas Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Monitoring | U.S. Department Of Education 1).

                                                Options to be considered

            Despite the need of OSEP (office of special education program) working together with TEA, it was important to come up with other means that can increase the identification and enrollment of disabled children to public schools. One of the option that had been considered by TEA as a means of addressing the concerns of OSEP entail issuing letters to independent district schools in the state that could have reiterate their children to seek responsibilities under individual with disabilities education act (IDEA) (Willis 196). Another option entailed the need of supporting the strategies used by TEA in seeking required information from their various departments through coordinating listening sessions in the state.

             Additionally, there was the implementation of new law that was aimed at prohibiting the continued use of the performance indicator within the public schools. The reason for restricting the use of this performance indicator is because it was only geared towards measuring the percentage or the total number of students obtaining special edification and other associated services under individual with disabilities education act (IDEA). Similarly, the use of the 8.5 percent cap had been realized to have the ability of denying students with special need the chance of accessing special education (Nowicki 22).

                        Pros and cons of each potential reform (costs v. benefits)

Advantages

            The provision of free and appropriate public education (FAPE) ensures that each child have received his or her education needs regardless of his or her learning disabilities at public expense. When it comes to evaluation, the law stipulates that evaluations for students with special needs are conducted in a logical manner. Ideally, what the law demands is the use of multiple tests that can validate that such a child actually demands special edification services. In return, this has the potential of eliminating discrimination (Ennis 309).

            Additionally, with the use of the IEP (individualized education program) it becomes possible to set up objectives, modifications, and accommodations to the existing curriculum. This also enables public schools to have specialized professionals who can facilitate the learning of a child with special needs and other related services, for instance while playing with those without disabilities (Willis 201).  This is achieved through the use of the LRE (least restrictive environment).

Disadvantages

            As much as IDEA is concerned, it has been realized that the evaluations for students with disabilities can only be valuable if only there is the use of qualified administers as well as other educators who can have the potential of recognizing the problem in the first place. But this has not been the scenario due to the lack of strategies included in what the IDEA stipulates (Willis 196)Moreover, due to the fact that there is the existence of various legal documents, at times it has been realized that they are not audited as required on a quarterly basis. This in return makes educators to end up having high self-preservation incentives to ensure that the student meets his or her academic goals. Equally, due to the high chances of meeting with savvy parents, it becomes tricky to ensure that all that is stipulated in by the IDEA have been implemented effectively (Estes 463).                                  

                                                Best option moving forward

            Such a strategy ought to take into account the need of ensuring that even disabled children have been given support when accessing special education using effective programs that enables them to realize their education potentials. Another collective action that can be taken by the federal authorities of Texas will entail including a plan that can facilitate the identification, location, as well as evaluation of children with special needs by public schools (U.S. Department Of Education Issues Findings In Texas Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Monitoring | U.S. Department Of Education 1).

            Conversely, it is important for the government to ensure that they have stopped the use of intervention methods in district schools. The reason for that is because they have been realized to have the potential of delaying or denying the provision of specialized education services to any child having learning disabilities. To better continue implementing the IDEA requirements, it is vital to ensure that each individual public district school has in place what is called an admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee. The goal for this committee is to aid in evaluating the needs of any eligible student having a disability as well as for any student whom individual and full evaluation could have been conducted initially (Nowicki 24)

                                                            Summary and conclusion

            Team work and good communication between the parent, public schools, and associated stakeholders is one of the means of ensuring that the child has received quality education regardless of his or her learning disabilities. The importance of this is that it enables the parent and the school personnel to ensure that the child is safe while learning or playing at school. To be in the position of facilitating equitable access to education, it is vital for all concerned authorities to come up with the means of implementing what is documented by the IDEA policy in academic setting.

            Due to the fact that the main focus of IDEA is on the needs of the child and not his or her disability, it becomes possible to integrate other procedural safeguard standards that ascertain that the student is achieving his or her academic needs. The use of this policy is also important throughout Texas because it aid in providing protocols to be followed once the child is enrolled in any public school. It is the precautions that are highlighted in the IDEA that have been noted to have the potential of enhancing not only child but also parent participation as one of the members of the school team who provides specialized edification services to the learners.

                                                            Work cited

"U.S. Department Of Education Issues Findings In Texas Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Monitoring | U.S. Department Of Education." Ed.gov. N.p., 2019. Web. 1 July 2019.

"Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)." Texas Classroom Teachers Association. N.p., 2019. Web. 1 July 2019.

Nowicki, Jacqueline M. “SPECIAL EDUCATION: Varied State Criteria May Contribute to Differences in Percentages of Children Served.” GAO Reports, Apr. 2019, p. i-37. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=136080598&site=eds-live.

Hodges, Jaret. “Assessing the Influence of No Child Left Behind on Gifted Education Funding in Texas: A Descriptive Study.” Journal of Advanced Academics, vol. 29, no. 4, Nov. 2018, pp. 321–342. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1193184&site=eds-live.

Ennis, Robin Parks, et al. “Child Find Activities Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act: Recent Case Law.” Teaching Exceptional Children, vol. 49, no. 5, May 2017, pp. 301–308. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0040059916685063.

Estes, Mary Bailey. “Charting the Course of Special Education in Texas’ Charter Schools.” Education & Treatment of Children, vol. 26, no. 4, Nov. 2003, pp. 452–466. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=11597730&site=eds-live.

Willis, Mary. “Utilizing Prosecutorial Discretion to Reduce the Number of Juveniles with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System.” Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal, vol. 2016, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 191–215. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=114681484&site=eds-live.

A Place On The Corner

            In reading chapter one, I think Anderson gives a descriptive analysis of the ‘place' so that the reader can understand the natural social world, its richness, and details (Anderson, 2003). The analysis of the place helps one understand how people live, what they do, and other cultural dynamics.  In other words,  in order to capture the readers' attention and more importantly help them apprehend the whole story,  it is important to give a description not only of ‘who' and ‘when', but also of ‘where' (Anderson, 2003).  In this case, Anderson gives a description of the place and its social environment which is the South Side of Chicago. The author goes ahead to include the physical details and non-physical details such as working class, nonworking class,  black people, children, business, and more (Anderson, 2003). In general, the description of the place is important as the reader is able to reflect on the characters and the social life.

 Anderson focus on the group by giving a description of social life. He studies the street-corner life, the stratification system, the social groups (primary groups and secondary group), how the groups form their social identity, and social relations (Anderson, 2003). These elements help the author understand the different groups and how they interact to form a social identity.  For instance, people create different social classes, gather to socialize, spend leisure time, and find a companion (Anderson, 2003). Mingling helps the social groups develop a sense of belonging and self-esteem. They also engage in various practices to create identity and status.

What I am learning concerning group life is that people create social groups and members of the groups tend to develop positive attitudes about themselves. The group members interact and form their own identity. I am also learning that the groups are not equal but rather, there is a primary group- a small social group where members are concerned with the life of the other and comfort each other psychologically (Anderson, 2003). Second, there is a secondary group where members have weak emotional ties and focus on performing functions.

Reference

Anderson, E. (2003). A place on the corner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press

 Chapter two of a place on the corner

             Andersons major concern is describing the status system that exist among the men on the corner. These men in the corner are in a competition for status that would give them a personal identity or something to identify with. The corner provides them with a visible means of support and something to be primarily tied to.  This corner gives then the social status of regulars. It is true Anderson is trying to elaborate how people on the corner are trying to create ties with each other and ties they can be identified with.

 What Anderson is doing can be termed as both common sense and a basis for scientific evidence as a way to understand the social of what takes place at Jelly.  It is common sense because to understand a certain group of people and the reason why they do what they do it will be advisable to play their role in order to know what they seek. On the other hand, it can be termed as a basis for scientific evidence since Anderson was carrying out an Ethnographic study that needed a scientific approach and identifying himself with the groups was a good mean of studying them.  Associating himself with the group was an important aspect in order to learn and understand their social life and the rules that came with it. an example is the fact that when outsiders came in to buy liquor, the clerks encouraged them to live immediately, this rule was unwritten and everyone understood it, Anderson would not have found out if he had failed to identify himself with this group.

From this it is understood that work and how one makes money are not factors that contribute to how groups are identified. The status of these men in the corner are determined by the identity that the other group members are willing to give to them. One is identified with a group according to who one involves himself with and the kind of behavior the person involves himself with. Ones means of making money did not matter since Anderson was a student, however, he was still accepted by the group.

Reference

Anderson, E. (2003). A place on the corner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Semi-Supervised Learning to Do Multimedia Data Analysis

Archeologists and other scientific fields usually make use of statistical mechanisms for concluding the sequential and categories scientific locations, artifacts and other types of principles (Zeng et.al, 2016). The need for semi-supervised learning is crucial when it comes to collection of data and then examination of the correlation of the data tabled before any application.

 Over the past couples of years, scholars came up with innovative outlines for multimedia material examination and recovery, which comprises two autonomous algorithms. First and foremost, experts proposed fresh semi supervised systems known as ranking with indigenous reversion and worldwide alignment for the purpose of learning vigorous laplacian matrix for information placing (Jing et.al, 2015). For each of the statistics points, indigenous linear regressions systems utilized for predicting ranking scores of the opposite points. A united objective functionality may then seem relevant for global alignment of the local replicas or systems from the data points so as to take advantage of ranking scores for individually one of the information points.

 Secondly, experts push forward a semi-supervised longstanding response system algorithm in order to improve the multimedia information depiction. The projected long lasting algorithms make use of both multimedia information delivery within multimedia trait spaces and the history information given by the users (Gao et.al, 2017). A suggestion ratio optimal challenge then expressed and solved via an effective algorithm. The algorithm practical to numerous content related software recovery applications, inclusive cross media recovery, picture recovery and 3D motions information recovery. Complete trials on more than four information groups display its benefits in terms of accuracy, heftiness, scalability, and computational effectiveness.

            When it comes to various methods developed for changing human activities acknowledgement for computer vision, human joint positioning information is usually the most effective form of the human managed tasks (Barradas et.al, 2018). Quality of the content of the algorithms may then determine the existence of a perfected system for both the people and the computing system. Depth camera utilizing fringe projection methodologies and regarding algorithm gives users the ability to produce huge amounts of human joint positions for the sake of giving an identity to the ranks. Nevertheless, this particular information cannot apply to application information for managed learning before activities labels placing and physically cataloging all of the information consumes most of the time hence not reliable. Most of the innovators suggested that novel algorithms known as semi supervise examination or analytics with constraints is better and well-built for estimating the information dissemination within inadequate branding information and adequate unlabeled info. Experts make use of public mocap datasets derive from marker reliant motion internment systems, and usually recommend essential datasets derived from depth cameras for more examination. Experimental outcomes display the efficiency of algorithms.

In multimedia remarks, classification of huge quantities of drilling information from human beings, as specified earlier is tiresome and consumes time (Wlodarczak et.al, 2015). Hence, the need for automation of the entire procedure, various methods within the entire systems, which will in turn, enable smoothen the process while at the same time increasing efficiency.

 With the ever-increasing social networks for example twitter and Instagram, there is an evident advancement in multimedia information such as images, posts, and video streaming generated by social media users. Subsequently, the cumulative petition for organizing and availing these resources (Nasraoui et.al, 2018). At the end of the day, feature trajectories relevant for representing the necessary resources are normally huge. Nevertheless, some scientists point out the need for subsection of features carrying most of the discrimination data. Hence, the need for isolating algorithms structured in different manners. Inn differentiating the roles, one gets a chance of creating other distinct roles for the systems to perfect and carry out perfectly.

The current feature isolation algorithms have a specific manner in which they achieve their functionalities. Traditional traits such as fisher score calculate the weights of other aspects, ranking them based on the selection and the oddest features hence separating them one by one. While handling multiple label challenges, the traditional algorithms normally translate the predicament into some sort of binary classification challenges for one on of the factual methodological aspects. Therefore, feature and labelling relation normally appear last o most cases which later decline into annotation performance.

 Method of Systematizing the Procedure of the Deepest Features

One of the most unusual places and the main subject matter should be attaining a system that handles vast amounts of video, images, and text types of data hence giving a perfect correlation that the user comes into contact with without breaching any aspects of security. Nobody can ignore extraordinary strides taken in image identification, chiefly due to accessibility of significant datasets and profound convolutional neural networks. CNN facilitates learning information enforced, extremely illustrative, graded imagery structures derived from sufficient training information. Nevertheless, procuring datasets as lengthily marked as ImageNet in the medicinal imaging area is still a huge predicament. Currently, there are numerous systems for handling CNN quality images cataloguing; preparing the CNN preliminary from the bottom, utilization of the shelf reskilled CNN features and carrying out unverified CNN retraining with oversaw refining. Another alternative way of transferring learning via CNN acceptable modification models pre exercise from natural images datasets to remedial images responsibilities. Some of the understudied elements applied for traditional neural systems in order to assist detect challenges needs exploration and careful studies of CNN frameworks. One of the assessed models has an estimated five thousand to a million limitations and differs in numerous ways in terms of layers. Then, examining of the underlying reasons for operating, transfer learning from pre exercised ImageNet is relevant and utilizable.

The conclusive determining matrix created during the training stage utilized in the trial stage for the sake of attaining final placing scores for trial occurrences and chances. The ranking scores have the duty of demonstrating the complex notions (Barradas et.al, 2018). The classification procedures commences when an additional features encumbrances, t and computed as a regular constant value. The main objective of data input into well-trained neural systems, the entire ranking scores for a test become normal and range from a negative to a positive. In addition, the placing of the representatives values because of highlighting the similarities of the output of tanh functionalities. Even though some of the required variables scores for training data computed via isolating altered low-level systematic features into the constructive classifications for the initiation of other weights.

 The well-structured networks immediately utilize the feedbacks for trial and testing predictor values (Zeng et.al, 2016). More so, the weight improvement occurs on fixated training stage in order to take advantage of the elemental drive of the positive chances from the negatives. The testing stage is simply an operating fixated system for computing output. These same aspects take place for conceptual delivery of training stages.

References

Barradas, D., Santos, N., & Rodrigues, L. (2018). Effective detection of multimedia protocol tunneling using machine learning. In 27th {USENIX} Security Symposium ({USENIX} Security 18) (pp. 169-185).

Gao, L., Song, J., Liu, X., Shao, J., Liu, J., & Shao, J. (2017). Learning in high-dimensional multimedia data: the state of the art. Multimedia Systems, 23(3), 303-313.

Jing, L., Yang, L., Yu, J., & Ng, M. K. (2015). Semi-supervised low-rank mapping learning for multi-label classification. In Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (pp. 1483-1491).

Nasraoui, O., & N'Cir, C. E. B. (Eds.). (2018). Clustering Methods for Big Data Analytics: Techniques, Toolboxes and Applications. Springer.

Wlodarczak, P., Soar, J., & Ally, M. (2015, October). Multimedia data mining using deep learning. In 2015 Fifth International Conference on Digital Information Processing and Communications (ICDIPC) (pp. 190-196). IEEE.

Zeng, Z., Wang, X., Zhang, J., & Wu, Q. (2016). Semi-supervised feature selection based on local discriminative information. Neurocomputing, 173, 102-109.

Analysing study method used for the study

The traditional method used for this study is the grounded theory approach combined with interviewing as the method of data collection. The researcher even before the study involved himself in the daily lives of the Taiwanese community and he was hence familiar to most of the participants when the study began. This made it easy for them to trust him which made them open up freely about their Lower Urinary Track symptoms (LUTS) and they even brought in more participants willing to talk about their experiences (Wang et al., 2011).

The researcher through interacting with the Taiwanese community was able to conduct one on one interviews with the women with LUTS, and came to learn that women that suffered from LUTS were always stigmatized which affected their daily activities and hence the choice to keep the problem to themselves (Wang et al., 2011). For credibility of data, the interviews were open ended and in-depth which allowed the participants to explain their experiences in-depth. Records were constantly compared during the analysis process to help establish dependability and to ensure that the information offered by the participants was correct (Wang et al., 2011).

This grounded theory approach was effective and it worked well with the other research methods like interviews because it was easy for the researcher to easily communicate with the participants. By first immersing himself in the society, the researcher was able to interact with all types of people in the society and this included the physicians and nurses as well as the overall population of women suffering from LUTS thus gaining more data for the study (Wang et al., 2011). The interviews were easy to conduct since the participants already trusted the researcher and were hence ready to offer all the information that he needed to understand the extent to which lower urinary track problem affects Taiwanese women.

Reference

Wang, Y., Chen, S., Jou, H., & Tsao, L. (2011). Doing the best to control: The experiences of

Taiwanese women with lower urinary tract symptoms. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21160367

School Shooting in Columbine

                There had been several incidences of gunshots in Santa Fe secondary school for reasons not well known. A teenager had shot teachers and fellow students with the same gun used by two men to murder a teacher and 12 students in Columbine secondary school. He had been using explosives that had been used by gunmen who shot people in Columbine. There had been several incidences involving young men trying to test themselves aiming to get the ideas of 20 year old attacker.  Research has shown that mass shooting has been increasing at a high rate in high schools especially by the depressed men. Ms Klebold had outlined a fact that the young had been lead to mass shooting as a way of escape, which a bad an untrue believe. There had been a man who said that people had been known by their shooting activities and went on attacking a school where nine people went dead. There had been an email written to the principal of Columbine but it had been too late for actions to be taken as the man had already made an attack. The suspects of shooting had been sharing the same activities. Regardless of the attacks done by the son to Ms Klebold, many people still referred to him as a great person.

            The school shooting has been increasing at a high rate. Interviewers with researchers, educators, mother of the gunman and officials of law, writings and studies reveals this evidence. This could be done by tracing the secondary school students who have been successfully doing the attacks.  There had been a success of revealing a video that had been produced b an attacked who had been organizing to make an attack in school of Parkland. He had been outlining on how the event would have succeeded. This activity had contributed towards many more attacks by the gunmen.

Work cited

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/us/school-shootings-columbine.html