Timeline of Brown v. Board of Education

Timeline of Brown v. Board of Education In 1954, in a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state laws segregating public schools for African-American and white children was unconstitutional. The case, known as Brown v. Board of Education overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling, which was handed down 58 years earlier. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling was a landmark case that cemented the inspiration for the Civil Rights Movement.   The case was fought through the legal arm of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which had been fighting civil rights battles since the 1930s. 1866 The Civil Rights Act of 1866 is established to protect the civil rights of African-Americans. The act guaranteed the right to sue, own property, and contract for work. 1868 The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified. The amendment grants the privilege of citizenship to African-Americans. It also guarantees that a person cannot be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. It also makes it illegal to deny a person equal protection under the law. 1896 The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an 8 to 1 vote that the â€Å"separate but equal† argument presented in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. The Supreme Court rules that if â€Å"separate but equal† facilities were available for both African-American and white travelers there was no violation of the 14th Amendment. Justice Henry Billings Brown wrote the majority opinion, arguing The object of the [Fourteenth] amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to endorse social, as distinguished from political, equality[...] If one race be inferior to the other socially, the Constitution of the United States cannot put them upon the same plane. The sole dissenter, Justice John Marshal Harlan, interpreted the 14th Amendment in another way contending that â€Å"our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.† Harlan’s dissenting argument would support later arguments that segregation was unconstitutional.   This case becomes the basis for legal segregation in the United States. 1909 The NAACP is established by W.E.B. Du Bois and other civil rights activists. The purpose of the organization is to fight racial injustice through legal means. The organization lobbied to legislative bodies to create anti-lynching laws and eradicate injustice in its first 20 years. However, in the 1930s, the NAACP established a Legal Defense and Education Fund to fight legal battles in court. Headed by Charles Hamilton Houston, the fund created a strategy of dismantling segregation in education.   1948   Thurgood Marshall’s strategy of fighting segregation is endorsed by the NAACP Board of Directors.  Marshall’s strategy included tackling segregation in education. 1952 Several school segregation cases- which had been filed in states such as Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington DC- are combined under Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. By combining these cases under one umbrella shows the national significance. 1954 The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rules to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson. The ruling argued that the racial segregation of public school is a violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. 1955 Several states refuse to implement the decision. Many even consider it, â€Å"[N]ull, void, and no effect† and begin establishing laws arguing against the rule. As a result, the U.S. Supreme Court issues a second ruling, also known as Brown II. This ruling mandates that desegregation must occur â€Å"with all deliberate speed.† 1958 Arkansas’ governor, as well as lawmakers, refuse to desegregate schools. In the case, Cooper v. Aaron  the U.S. Supreme Court remain steadfast by arguing that states must obey its rulings as it is an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

10 of the fastest growing jobs right now

10 of the fastest growing jobs right now When you’re thinking about starting your career or switching careers to change things up, there are a number of important factors: skills and qualifications, the education you’ll need to get started (or move up), and- perhaps the biggest concern of all for many of us- the salary. But while you’re considering all of these very important elements, don’t forget about the future. A growth career is one that will work for you 5, 10, or 15 years down the line. If you choose a path that’s†¦shall we say†¦dwindling, then your options down the line may not be as great as if you pick a field that’s continuing to grow and evolve. Let’s look at some of the fastest growing fields and jobs, all which are anticipated to grow faster than average over the next decade.1. Interpreter/TranslatorBusiness is increasingly global these days, and as companies embrace this small-world trend, people who can help them navigate these international waters will be in hot demand. It’s also a career that has good flexibility- you may work in person directly translating what people are saying, but it could also include translating written documents.What you’ll need: Fluency in multiple languages, strong written and verbal communication skills, and a bachelor’s degree.What it pays: $46,120 per year median salary, or $22.17 per hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).Growth potential: 29% by 2024, per the BLS.2. Cost EstimatorIf you’re really good at those Price is Right games and have a mind for the big picture, then becoming a cost estimator might be a good option for your career. Cost estimators, well, estimate costs for goods or services in the most basic sense, but also use their skills to analyze data and determine the overall investment of time, money, and resources on a project. They serve an essential role in project planning. Cost estimators typically specialize in a particular industry, li ke manufacturing or construction.What you’ll need: Math/financial skills, research skills, analytical skills, and a bachelor’s degree in a field like math, management, or engineering.What it pays: $61,790 per year median salary, or $29.71 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 9% by 2024, per the BLS.3. AudiologistIf you’ve ever seen one of those amazing videos of people hearing sounds for the first time ever after receiving cochlear implants, you know that audiologists serve a crucial purpose in helping people with hearing issues. These allied health professionals work with patients to test hearing and develop treatment plans to overcome varying types and severities of hearing loss. That work can include diagnosing issues, fitting patients with hearing equipment, and developing communication and comprehension skills.What you’ll need: A doctoral degree in audiology, plus a state license (check your state for specific licensing requirements).What it pays: $75,980 per year median salary, or $36.53 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 29% by 2024, per the BLS.4. Pharmacy TechnicianOf all the growth fields over the next 10 years, perhaps none are moving as fast or exploding quite as much as healthcare. There are lots of reasons for this- aging Baby Boomers, more attention to health and wellness in general, a decline in overall health- but the upshot is that if you find a healthcare career path that works for you, it’s a safe bet for your future. Pharmacy technicians operate on the back end of healthcare, working with pharmacists to provide medication exactly as prescribed by doctors and with patients to ensure that they’re taking the medications correctly and safely.What you’ll need: Organizational skills, general science knowledge, extreme attention to detail, and a high school diploma or completion of a pharmacy technician program. Some states also require additional licensing or certification, so be sure to c heck your own state’s requirements.What it pays: $30,920 per year median salary, or $14.86 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 9% by 2024, per the BLS.5. RecruiterIf you were the person who could hype any party to get the right people in the door or have a knack for matchmaking (in general, not necessarily in love), then you might be a great recruiter. These human resources professionals are scouts for talent, working on behalf of companies looking to fill positions. They may work independently as a contractor, or as a full-time employee as part of a Human Resources department.What you’ll need: Organizational skills, people skills, communication skills, and a bachelor’s degree.What it pays: $59,180 per year median salary, or $28.45 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 5% by 2024, per the BLS.6. Dental HygienistDid we mention that healthcare jobs are hot? Don’t forget about the dental field, which is expected to grow alongside more traditional medic al fields. Dental hygienists are allied health professionals who work alongside dentists in dental offices or other medical facilities. They are the ones who can see right through your insistence that you’ve been flossing regularly, and are responsible for examining patients, evaluating for signs of disease, cleaning teeth, performing other dental health procedures, assisting with oral surgery, and educating patients on good dental health/follow-up care.What you’ll need: A good bedside manner, and an associate’s degree from an accredited dental hygiene program.What it pays: $72,910 per year median salary, or $35.05 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 19% by 2024, per the BLS.7. Market Research AnalystData is king. So people who can wrangle data and help turn it into sales or marketing strategies are definitely on the royal court. With companies looking to take the ever-increasing amounts of customer and market data and turn it into better products or more sa les leads, market research analysts are the professionals who can make that happen. They take information about a consumer base or sales and turn that into a snapshot of what people want, what people will buy, and how much it should cost.What you’ll need: Math/financial skills, strong analytical skills, and a bachelor’s degree (though advanced positions may require a master’s degree).What it pays: $62,560 per year median salary, or $30.08 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 19% by 2024, per the BLS.8. Biomedical EngineerBiomedical engineers actually combine two hot careers (tech and health) into one. These engineers design and create the tools, equipment, devices, computer systems, and software that are used in healthcare. They can work in academic research settings, the private sector, or government settings.What you’ll need: A strong background in both engineering and the biological sciences, tech skills, and a bachelor’s or master’s d egree in biomedical engineering or bioengineering.What it pays: $85,620 per year median salary, or $41.16 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 23% by 2024, per the BLS.9. SonographerWhen you think â€Å"sonogram,† you might think of parents-to-be wielding those black and white photos that make babies look like peanuts, aliens, or any number of open-to-interpretation shapes. In reality, sonographers (the person behind the ultrasound/sonogram) use that imaging equipment for a variety of medical diagnostic purposes. These medical professionals work with physicians and surgeons to diagnose and assess internal medical issues.What you’ll need: Medical science knowledge, plus a certification or associate’s degree from an accredited allied health program.What it pays: $64,280 per year median salary, or $30.90 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 24% by 2024, per the BLS.10. Event PlannerDo you have a passion for making sure every detail of a project is executed on time, with everyone in place who should be in place? Do you sleep better at night if your detailed spreadsheets and binders are nearby? If so, you might want to think about becoming an event planner. These professionals work for specific companies, like a hospitality company or a convention center, organizing and executing project plans for large gatherings like big meetings, conferences, social events, etc.What you’ll need: Extremely good organizational skills, communication skills, and a bachelor’s degree.What it pays: $47,350 per year median salary, or $22.76 per hour, per the BLS.Growth potential: 10% by 2024, per the BLS.So what do you think? Is one of these fast-growing careers the right choice for you?

Has the level of protection for victims of domestic violence being Essay

Has the level of protection for victims of domestic violence being improved by the law - Essay Example This left the victim with the only solution of going back through the courts to request a power of arrest be attached to the injunction3. The 2004 Act has been extended to cover non married partners as well as married couples. The Act repealed s62(3) of the Family Law Act 1996 which laid down a requisite that the courts should take into account the non married status of cohabitants when making decisions regarding domestic violence incidents4. The new legislation also covers anyone who has lived in the same residence as part of a family. This encompasses same sex couples as well as parent and child relationships where either the parents are being attacked by their children or vice versa. Traditionally very few cases of domestic violence ever get prosecuted at court and there seems to be a consensus of opinion within society that most couples will be reunited before the case gets before the courts5. In an attempt to address this problem the criminal justice system has created a new fast track system for domestic violence cases. It has become a countrywide policy for most police forces to adopt the new fast track system with the effect that most cases are heard at court within 14 days of the incident occurring. It was felt by doing this that the courts could help support the victims better and to prevent the abuser from being able to convince their partner to discontinue the case against them. A further approach that has been adopted by the police is to proceed with prosecutions even when the victim has contacted the police to try to discontinue the case. When victims have retracted their original complaint the courts have declared them as a hostile witness and where necessary have subpoenaed them to attend court. It has been suggested that domestic violence victims often change their minds because of dissatisfaction with the way in which the police and the courts treat them as victims. There is a tendency within the police and the court system to

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Euthanasia - Essay Example The American Medical Association embraces the belief that active euthanasia is not acceptable due to the involvement of the intentional ending of a patient’s life by another human being. Many current thinkers have argued for and against this view discussing the moral acceptability of such an action, and some of the most notable arguments come from James Rachels. Rachels states that a strong case can be made against the American Medical Association’s doctrine. His main point is that passive euthanasia is not always preferable to active euthanasia: he states that, in some cases, there is simply no moral disparity linking active euthanasia and passive euthanasia. This is because they both are morally equivalent concerning the ultimate goal; however, it is factual that active euthanasia may be fair compared to passive euthanasia. He says that once the choice has been made not to prolong the patient’s agony, active euthanasia would be preferable because the latter wou ld lead to an unnecessary period of suffering (Dixon 25). His most brilliant example is the instance of the babies with a severe Down’s syndrome who were given birth with obstructions in the intestines. He states that sometimes in such cases the babies are allowed to die even if these matters were considered deeply; thus, we would find compelling moral grounds for preferring active euthanasia to passive euthanasia in the vastly greater degree of suffering involved in letting the baby die. Rachels challenge the doctrine that passive euthanasia is preferable to active euthanasia; he declares that it leads to decisions concerning life and death based on irrelevant grounds as to whether a person’s life should continue or not. He argues that ordinarily an intestinal obstruction can be fixed and is not a life or death matter; but in the case of a baby with Down’s syndrome with an intestinal obstruction, he or she should be allowed to die because of Down syndrome and n ot the intestinal obstruction. The presence of the intestinal obstruction in the baby becomes irrelevant due to its having Down’s syndrome, and this is the argument which justifies allowing the prolonged suffering of the baby before it dies instead of fixing the intestinal obstruction which would relieve it of the pain. This justifies Rachels’ argument against the American Medical Association’s doctrine that this doctrine rests on a distinction between killing and letting die that itself has no moral importance because they both lead to the same end and the means of getting there is inconsequential (Javier 262). Jake objects to Rachels’ argument and justifies his stance stating that active euthanasia is based on a person’s decision of killing a patient intentionally, and this is meant to bring to the end the patient’s suffering. This is hugely different from passive euthanasia, as in this case a patient is left to die in his or her own time and not given any substance that will make them die. According to Jake, therefore, it would be true to say that there is a clear difference between active and passive euthanasia, and that this difference is based on the morality of the two actions. While passive euthanasia can be considered morally right, active euthanasia

The New Frontier for Fresh Foods Supermarkets Essay Example for Free

The New Frontier for Fresh Foods Supermarkets Essay They are highly dealing on cleanliness, healthy and safety. They are meeting the highly customer quality demands. Fresh Direct collaborated with Automation Associates, Inc. (AAI), a leading provider of simulation solutions for the global supply chain, to help build and improve operations efficiency in, Long Island City, New York. AAIs current project enables Fresh Direct to determine ultimate capacity of its current facility and establish metrics that will signal need for a second location. With its simulation software, AAI will assist Fresh Direct with detailed performance analysis for the facility design, including all internal product movement, packing and shipping equipment, and activities. According to Randall Gibson, president and founder of AAI, by continuously working with a client, AAI can create a fluid model and adjust it for the clients operational changes and growth. Fresh Direct clearly appreciates this value and relies on simulation modeling and analysis as a strategic operations planning tool. With our latest modeling efforts, Fresh Direct will be able to determine specific facility upgrades that can double the total daily order volume. The strengths and weaknesses in reference to the company’s diversity initiatives are †¢Political Factors-Fresh Directs performance is influence by political and legislative conditions in those countries, including the European Union (EU). For labor law, the government encourages retailers to offer a combination of employment opportunities for flexible jobs, lower wages and local basis a highly skilled, better paid and central. Fresh Direct believes that retail trade has a large impact on employment and the factors of people, being an inherently local industry and labor intensive. †¢Economical Factors-The international business continues to grow, the company remains highly dependent on the U. S. A market. However, Fresh Direct would be seriously affected by a slowdown in the market for U. S. A †¢Social Factors-Current trends indicate that U. S customers have moved to the single and bulk purchases, which is due to social changes. Demographic changes such as aging factor, the increase of women employees and a decrease in preparing meals at home means that U. S. A retailers focuses on value-added products amp; services. Consumers are increasingly aware of health problems, and attitudes toward food constantly changing. †¢Technological Feature- New technologies benefit both customers and company increases customer satisfaction as the assets are available, services can be more personalized and more convenient. The commercial launch of the Efficient Consumer Response, the initiative provided that change as this company is dealing, with online services, it is necessary for the company to focus on latest technology. The steps Vivian Noble should take to recruit and develop a new work force are to find strong applicants who fit in with the company’s culture and goals. She will need to make sure that human resources pay attention to laws and civil rights when hiring new employees. She should research and learn about Phoenix, and what people are in needs of jobs. She may want to reach out to college career fairs, Internet sites, newspapers, community centers, and minority organizations. She needs to find people who match the company’s personality and goals to create a positive relationship within the store. She should make sure she keeps the senior managers involved in planning the recruitment activities. She should set up a training program that is mandatory for the recruiters. The training program should include information on hiring procedures, interview techniques, affirmative employment goals, and appropriate questions and behavior (Building and Maintaining a Diverse and High Quality Workforce).

Essay --

Honor is very prominent throughout Shakespeare, but not everyone is trustworthy and honorable. There are some that keep their word and there are others that can’t be trusted at all. Prince Harry is a prime example of a honorable young prince because he has to make difficult personal choices that an aspiring king needs to make in order to rule a nation. Then there is Falstaff and King Henry IV who weren’t as honorable. They are all on different notions of honor with Prince Harry being at the top of the three. Falstaff has no chance at being the most honorable because he is lazy, selfish, dishonest, and manipulative. These characteristics are not in any way shape or form honorable and he wouldn’t be trustworthy enough to be noble and honorable. Falstaff thinks that he is honorable but he is nowhere near honorable. Then King Henry IV lacks the moral legitimacy that he needs to truly be a leader and honorable. He is very capable of arranging things and he is very energetic so that makes him able to obtain the throne and be qualified as â€Å"honorable.† Prince Harry is an honorable man but he has to win back his honor from King Henry IV. Harry shows his honor through his â€Å"noble behavior† by sneakly giving up his own honor to fool the people of the town to achieve their trust and Campbell 2 friendship, so when he does take the throne the people will like him better. He is a very complicated character in this play and he wastes a lot of his time with Falstaff earning the pleasure of both his father and England. He comes out of no where and surprises England by declaring that his dissolute lifestyle is all an act, and that he is just trying to lower the people around him expectations so that he can unfold his true heroic knowledge and t... ...the whole play. The characters all have their own different values and goals and this is why Falstaff can be lazy and dishonest, but he can still be considered honorable in his own way. This also goes along with King Henry IV and also his son Prince Harry. King Henry arranges a murder for Richard II just so that he can seize the throne for himself, yet he still is considered honorable and people view him as a great leader and look up to him. Then there is Prince Harry, he has to earn back his honor from the King and through out the whole play he shows how he is transforming himself form a low-life bum, that he pretends to be to become a honorable and noble leader. Each character shows their honor in different ways in the paly. Shakespeare does this purposely to get the reader to further engage with the characters in his story and understand them all a little better.

Modern Slavery Essay

The Secret World of 27 Million People is an analysis of modern slavery, going back to the history of slavery and the economic and political context of the present time. Other than the fact that it really places slavery into a much larger context, the book also seems exhausting , with lots of statistical references and a broad analysis. Kevin Bales is a researcher who has devoted years to finding solutions to modern slavery. I feel that the audience of this book is the general public and those that want to learn more about slavery in the world today. The purpose of this text is to make readers more aware of what is going on and to give more information to people who are making an effort to put a stop to slavery. In order to put everything into context, the book starts with a chapter on the history of slavery, then moves into chapters that describe the different forms of modern slavery (including trafficking of women and children and child soldiers), as well as the of modern slavery on the economy, on the environment or the global health.It also contains important recommendations, in the last chapter, as to what potential solutions governments and non-governmental organizations can implement in order to combat modern-day slavery. It is a thoroughly researched book, and is something I would use to get as many details on this subject as possible. Bickerstaff, Linda. Modern-Day Slavery. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group Inc, 2010. Print. Modern-Day Slavery by Linda Bickerstaff does an great job in providing a basic introduction to modern slavery. The book uses simple terms to bring the reader in front of the terrible tragedy that millions of individuals go to. It references several central books on this topic, including several by Kevin Bales, which provides the opportunity to go through some of the ideas that these writers present in a compilation of facts. Modern-Day slavery is a book full of simple research, but it also provides several sources that someone who wants more in depth information can use. Bickerstaffs’ book is good initial research, for someone that may be unfamiliar with all the details to start the entire process of gathering information, structuring their work and providing the basis of the rest of the paper. It also provides a good number of other resources that can be used, including some of Kevin Bales’ books that have been mentioned. Kara, Siddharth. Sex trafficking: inside the business of modern slavery. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. Print. Kielburger, Craig, and Marc Kielburger. â€Å"Obama challenges Americans to fight modern slavery.† Vancouver Sun 1 Oct. 2012: n. pag. http://Vancouversun.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. This news article refers to President Obama’s speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. It is an impressive news article because it clearly shows where the highest authority in the United States stands on the issue: President Obama clearly calls things by their true name, emphasizing and focusing in his speech on human trafficking and modern slavery. Kristof, Nicholas D.. â€Å"The Face of Modern Slavery.† New York Times 16 Nov. 2011: A3. nytimes.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. This article is about another form of modern slavery, sex trafficking. The article is important for this research because the story it tells is so vividly expressed that the reader really understands the horror of sex trafficking. The article tells the story of a young girl sold into a brothel in Cambodia when she was only six years old. The article also highlights one of the key causes of sex trafficking- demand. The only reason that sex trafficking exists and that situations like the one described in the article occur is that there are people buying these services. Combating demand is a key instrument in fighting sex trafficking. The article also talks about the importance of nongovernmental organizations that offer shelters and assistance to victims after they escape slavery. â€Å"Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery.† Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. . The website of the Polaris Project is focused on trafficking in the United States. It is important because many of the other existing websites are much more focused on fighting global slavery and trafficking while this one focuses on our own country. Although there is not one specific author, the organization as a whole has relevant information of modern slavery. Poorer and developing countries seem more subjected to such phenomena and the idea that this actually exists even in the US shows that modern slavery is not necessarily particular only to a certain category of countries. The website has several informative resources, including an interactive map that allows access to local information and resources. â€Å"antislavery.com: The Leading Anti Slavery Site on the Net.† antislavery.com: The Leading Anti Slavery Site on the Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. . This website is the site of Anti-Slavery International, a non-governmental Organization (NGO), that fights modern slavery at an international level. The website is useful from two perspectives. On one hand, it is a great informational resource for everybody interested in the subject. It does not limit itself to a particular category, it looks at everything from bondage labor to child labor, to forced labor and trafficking. On the other hand, by showing what the organization does, it also looks at some of the instruments that are employed in fighting modern slavery. Public outreach, for example, and partnerships, including with the business community, are excellent tools.

Behaviour Research and Therapy Essay

Abstract Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for Social Phobia is effective in both group and individual formats. However, the impact of group processes on treatment efï ¬ cacy remains relatively unexplored. In this study we examined group cohesion ratings made by individuals at the midpoint and endpoint of CBT groups for social phobia. Symptom measures were also completed at the beginning and end of treatment. We found that cohesion ratings signiï ¬ cantly increased over the course of the group and were associated with improvement over time in social anxiety symptoms, as well as improvement on measures of general anxiety, depression, and functional impairment. In conclusion, ï ¬ ndings are consistent with the idea that changes in group cohesion are related to social anxiety symptom reduction and, therefore, speak to the importance of nonspeciï ¬ c therapeutic factors in treatment outcome. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Social phobia; Social anxiety disorder; Group c ohesion; Cognitive-behavior therapy Introduction Social phobia is characterized by an excessive fear of social or performance situations, during which a person may be scrutinized, judged, embarrassed, or humiliated by others. Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for social phobia have primarily come from a cognitive-behavioral orientation and include various combinations of four main components: (1) exposure-based strategies, (2) cognitive therapy, (3) social skills training, and (4) applied relaxation (for reviews, see   administered in either individual and group formats (e.g., Heimberg, Salzman, Holt, & Blendell, 1993; Turner, Beidel, Cooley, Woody, & Messer, 1994). However, the mechanisms of change, and effective ingredients of these treatments remain relatively understudied. Researchers have compared group and individual treatments for this condition, although evidence regarding the relative effectiveness of each approach has been inconsistent (see Scholing & Emmelkamp, 1993; Stangier, Heidenreich, Peitz, Laut erbach, & Clark, 2003; Wlazlo, Schroeder-Hartwig, Hand, Kaiser, & Munchau, 1990 for direct comparisons of individual and group cognitive-behavioral treatment for social  ¨ phobia). However, for some patients, group treatment may offer a number of advantages over individual treatment. For example, group treatment provides an opportunity to marshal group processes (e.g., encouragement, support, and modeling from other group members) that may aid in teaching cognitive strategies and facilitating exposure exercises. Further, there may be nonspeciï ¬ c effects that arise as a result of the relationships that form amongst group members that may contribute to therapeutic outcome. We decided to investigate how these group processes, particularly group cohesion, may be related to treatment outcome in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) groups for social phobia. Within the group therapy literature, one putative mechanism of change is that of group cohesion (Yalom, 1995). However, the construct of group cohesion has deï ¬ ed ready operational deï ¬ nition, especially with more technique-driven interventions like CBT. For example, a broad deï ¬ nition proposed to explain group cohesion is ‘‘the resultant of all forces acting on all the members to remain in t he group’’ (Cartwright & Zander, 1962, p. 74) or, in simpler terms, how attractive a group is for the members who are in it (Frank, 1957). Yalom (1995) conceptualizes group cohesion as the ‘‘we-ness’’ that is felt amongst the group members. Groups with higher levels of cohesion are presumed to have a higher rate of attendance, participation, and mutual support, and to be likely to defend group standards much more. Further, Yalom (1995) believes that group cohesion is necessary for other group therapeutic factors to operate. Researchers studying this construct have also included concepts such as a sense of bonding, a sense of working towards mutual goals, mutual acceptance, support, identiï ¬ cation, and afï ¬ liation with the group (e.g., Marziali, Munroe-Blum, & McCleary, 1997). Clearly then, cohesion is purported to be a critical ingredient for change and therefore would be expected to predict symptomatic outcomes. Some researchers investigating the relationship between group cohesion and treatment outcome have found positive results. Although some of these studies have investigated other nonspeciï ¬ c therapeutic factors as well (i.e., the therapeutic alliance), the present discussion will focus on ï ¬ ndings related to group cohesion processes. Studies have found that group cohesion is related to pre-treatment levels of symptomatic distress, improved self-esteem and reduced symptomatoloty (e.g., Budman et al., 1989). A recent study by Tschuschke and Dies (1994) found that the level of group cohesion in the second half of a long-term psychoanalytic treatment for inpatients was signiï ¬ cantly correlated with treatment outcome and patients who made therapeutic gains reported a high level of group cohesion that began shortly after the ï ¬ rst few sessions. In contrast, unsuccessful patients did not experience a high level of group cohesion at any time. Overall, these studies suggest that group cohesion may play a role in facilitating therapeutic change, though negative ï ¬ ndings also exist (e.g., Gillasp y, Wright, Campbell, Stokes, & Adinoff, 2002; Lorentzen, Sexton, & Hà ¸glend, 2004; Marziali et al., 1997). In the CBT literature, researchers are increasingly paying attention to nonspeciï ¬ c therapeutic factors contributing to treatment outcome (e.g., Ilardi & Craighead, 1994; Kaufman, Rhode, Seeley, Clarke, & Stice, 2005). One of the ï ¬ rst studies in this area was conducted by Hand, Lamontagne, and Marks (1974) in treatment groups for individuals presenting with agoraphobia. They found that members of the group in which cohesion was speciï ¬ cally fostered demonstrated greater improvement up to 6 months after treatment as compared to members of a less cohesive group who demonstrated a greater likelihood of relapse (see also Teasdale, Walsh, Lancashire, & Matthews, 1977, for a replication of these effects, albeit with weaker results). Other ï ¬ ndings from the CBT treatment literature include greater group cohesion ratings predicting lower physical and psychological abuse at follow-up in abusive men (Taft, Murphy, King, Musser, & DeDeyn, 2003), higher levels of group cohesion being signiï ¬ cantly related to decreased post-treatment systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as improved post-treatment quality of life in cardiac patients (Andel, Erdman, Karsdorp, Appels, & Trijsburg, 2003). In addition, group cohesion ratings have been found to be associated with improvements on depressive symptoms at treatment midpoint, after controlling for initial depression level (Bieling, Perras, & Siotis, 2003). Overall, these studies indicate that group cohesion may play some role in facilitating change or enhancing long-term beneï ¬ ts in CBT-based treatments. Although it is not yet clear what factors are relevant for fostering group cohesion, certain disorders may present more challenges than others. For example, given that social phobia involves an intense fear of scrutiny from other people, these individuals may present with barriers to forming a collaborative alliance, such as poor social skills, extreme sensitivity to evaluations, or social avoidance (Woody & Adessky, 2002). Only one study thus far has examined the development of group cohesion and its relationship to outcome during a group CBT treatment of social phobia. Woody and Adessky (2002) treated individuals for social phobia in a group format using Heimberg’s (1991) protocol for group CBT for social phobia and had clients rate group cohesion using the Group Attitude Scale (GAS; Evans & Jarvis, 1986). The GAS measures the clients’ degree of attraction to the group. Measurements were conducted at three points during treatment (sessions 2, 5, and 9) and indicated that group cohesion remained static over time. They also found that the level of group cohesion clients reported was in no way related to outcome. It was suggested that the constructs and measurement of group process in cognitive-behavioral approaches might need to be further reï ¬ ned in order to more fully understand the degree to which group format and group process variables may add an important element to therapeutic outcome. It is important to note that the measure of group cohesion used by Woody and Adessky (2002) deï ¬ nes the construct unidimensionally. The GAS was designed to measure only attraction to group, deï ¬ ned as ‘‘an individual’s desire to identify with and be an accepted member of the group’’ (Evans & Jarvis, 1986, p. 204). Examples of items include: ‘ ‘I want to remain a member of this group,’’ ‘‘I feel involved in what is happening in my group,’’ and ‘‘In spite of individual differences, a feeling of unity exists in my group.’’ However, as discussed by Burlingame, Fuhriman, and Johnson (2002), elements of group cohesion may include both intrapersonal elements (e.g., group member’s sense of belonging and acceptance) as well as intragroup elements (e.g., attractiveness and compatibility felt among the group members). Therefore, by solely focusing on attraction to the group it is possible that the GAS fails to operationalize aspects of cohesion that are important for making therapeutic gains. The present study, therefore, examined the role of cohesion in group CBT for social phobia, using a measure that includes items that ostensibly assess a number of different constructs thought to be related to group cohesion. The Group Cohesion Scale-Revised (GCS-R), developed by Treadwell, Laverture, Kumar, and Veeraraghavan (2001), taps into several different aspects of group cohesion including: interaction and communication (including domination and subordination), member retention, decision-making, vulnerability among group members and consistency between group and individual goals. This self-report questionnaire has been shown to be both reliable and valid for detecting changes in group cohesiveness during the process of group development (Treadwell et al., 2001). Clients with a principal diagnosis of Social Phobia were treated and, based on the preceding literature, we explored: (1) group cohesion development during the course of the group and (2) the relationship of group cohesion to treatment outcome, broadly deï ¬ ned to include not only social phobia symptoms, but the overall experience of negative affect (e.g., general anxiety and depression) and functional impairment. We hypothesized that group cohesion would increase from the midpoint of treatment to the endpoint of treatment and that group cohesion ratings would be signiï ¬ cantly related to positive treatment outcome (i.e., symptom reduction). Method Participants There were a total of 34 outpatient individuals in this study. The average age of participants was 36 years (range 19–64 years; 19 female, 15 male). All individuals reported symptoms meeting criteria for a principal diagnosis (i.e., the diagnosis causing the most distress or impairment) of Social Phobia, as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—4th edition (SCID-IV; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 2001). One individual also had symptoms meeting criteria for a co-principal primary diagnosis of Dyssomnia Not Otherwise Speciï ¬ ed. For 32 of the participants, the social phobia was generalized (i.e., occurring in most social situations), whereas for the other two participants, it was nongeneralized, occurring in several, but not most social situations. Of the 34 participants, 57% reported symptoms meeting criteria for one or more additional mood disorder (Major Depressive Disorder, 47%; Bipolar Disorder, 6%; Dysthymic Disorder, 3%), 62% had one or more additional anxiety disorder (Speciï ¬ c Phobia, 47%; Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 26%; Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, 21%; Panic Disorder, 12%; Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, 9%), and 27% had one or more additional other diagnoses (Hypochondriasis, 6%; Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Speciï ¬ ed, 6%; Cannabis Dependence, 6%; Paraphilia Not Otherwise Speciï ¬ ed, 3%; Intermittent Explosive Disorder, 3%; Impulse Control Disorder Not Otherwise Speciï ¬ ed, 3%). The values for the anxiety disorders sum to greater than 100% as several participants had multiple anxiety disorders. Measures Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, 21-item version (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). This short form of the original 42-item DASS is a 21-item self-report measure designed to assess depression, anxiety and stress that an individual has experienced over the past week. Each scale consists of seven items and respondents indicate how much each statement applied to them over the past week on a four-point Likert scale. The Depression scale (DASS-21-D) measures dysphoria, hopelessness, devaluation of life, self-deprecation, lack of interest/involvement, anhedonia, and inertia. The Anxiety scale (DASS-21-A) measures autonomic arousal, skeletal musculature effects, situational anxiety, and the subjective experience of anxiety affect. The Stress scale (DASS-21-S) measures difï ¬ culty relaxing, nervous arousal, and a tendency to become easily upset/ agitated, irritable/over-reactive, and impatient. Strong internal consistency with a clinical sample has been demonstrated with the DASS-21 (a’s ranging from .87 to .94), and the factor structure is well supported (Antony, Bieling, Cox, Enns, & Swinson, 1998). Construct validity of the three scales has also been demonstrated (see Brown, Chorpita, Korotitsch, & Barlow, 1997). In the current sample, reliability was acceptable at pre-treatment for the Depression (a  ¼ :91), Anxiety (a  ¼ :87), and Stress (a  ¼ :87) scales. Illness Intrusiveness Ratings Scale (IIRS; Devins, 1994). The IIRS is a 13-item questionnaire that measures the extent to which a disease, its treatment, or both interfere with activities in 13 important domains considered essential to a positive quality of life. These domains include health, diet, work, active recreation (e.g., sports), passive recreation (e.g., reading), ï ¬ nances, relationship with partner, sexual and family relations, other social relations, self-expression/self-improvement, religious expression, and community and civic involvement. For each item, an individual rates the intrusiveness on a scale for 1–7 with higher scores indicating more intrusiveness. The IIRS has been shown to have good psychometric properties in both medically ill populations (Devins et al., 2001) and anxiety disorders groups (Antony, Roth, Swinson, Huta, & Devins; 1998; Bieling, Rowa, Antony, Summerfeldt, & Swinson, 2001). In the current sample, reliability was acceptable at pre-treatment (a  ¼ :87). Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN; Connor et al., 2000). The SPIN is a 17-item questionnaire designed to assess symptoms of social phobia. Each item measures the severity of a particular symptom during the past week, using a ï ¬ ve-point scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). It consists of three subscales: fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal. The SPIN has been shown to have good empirical support (Antony, Coons, McCabe, Ashbaugh, & Swinson, 2006; Connor et al., 2000) and enables the assessment of a wide range of social anxiety symptoms, making it an ideal measure for generalized social phobia. The total score measure of the SPIN has recently been shown to have excellent internal consistency for the total score for individuals meeting criteria for Social Phobia (with a  ¼ :92) and a combined sample of individuals meeting criteria for Social Phobia (Generalized Type), Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (with a  ¼ :95) (Antony et al., 2006; Connor et al., 2000). It has also been shown to have good test–retest reliability (r  ¼ :86, po:001), convergent and discriminant validity as well as being able to distinguish well between those with Social Phobia as opposed to Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The SPIN has also been shown to be sensitive to changes in the severity of social phobia following cognitive-behavior treatment (Antony et al., 2006). In the current sample, pre-treatment reliability was acceptable (a  ¼ :93). Group Cohesion Scale-Revised (GCS-R; Treadwell et al., 2001). The GCS-R is a 25-item questionnaire designed to assess group cohesion in terms of interaction and communication among group members (including domination and subordination), member retention, decision-making, vulnerability among group members, and consistency between group and individual goals. Each item is rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Examples of items include: ‘‘Group members usually feel free to share information,’’ ‘‘There are usually feelings of unity and togetherness among the group members,’’ and ‘‘Many members engage in ‘back-biting’ in this group.’’ This scale was recently revised (Treadwell et al., 2001) in order to modify one item, discard another item, and change the wording of the anchor points. In a validation study, internal consistency (as measured by Cronbach’s alpha) ranged from .48 to .89 on pre-test assessment and .77–.90 on post-test assessment (Treadwell et al., 2001). In the current sample, reliability was acceptable at both treatment midpoint (a  ¼ :84) and at treatment endpoint (a  ¼ :79), and the reliability of the change score was .56 (Williams & Zimmerman, 1996). Procedure All individuals completed a 10-session CBT treatment group for social phobia.1 Treatment administered was based on protocols described by Heimberg and Becker (2002) and Antony and Swinson (2000). The key components of therapy included: psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, in-session and between-session exposure exercises, as well as social skills training. Groups were run by two therapists and consisted of ï ¬ ve–eight patients per group. A total of 11 groups were included in the study. It should be noted that initially 76 individuals were enrolled in these 11 groups. However, of these 76 individuals, there were only 67 individuals from whom any measures were received at all (i.e., nine individuals did not return any data). In order to conduct the analyses that will be described below, it was possible to include only 34 of these 67 individuals. This was due to a need to have received both mid- and post-GCS measures as well as pretreatment outcome data. Therefore, the working sample that will be discussed in this study encompasses 34 individuals who completed the treatment as well as these various measures2. Participants completed the GCS questionnaire at the midtreatment session of each group (i.e., session 5) as well as during the last session of each group. Questionnaires assessing symptom severity (i.e., the DASS-21, IIRS a nd SPIN) were completed prior to the beginning of group treatment as well as during the last session of each group. Data analysis Multilevel regression analyses (i.e., generalized mixed modeling) using the software program HLM 6 (Raudenbush, Bryk, Cheong, & Congdon, 2004) were conducted. We used this approach because it allowed us to assess and control for nonindependence of data that might arise from being nested into treatment groups (Hedeker, Gibbons, & Flay, 1994; Herzog et al., 2002). Another advantage of HLM was that it can accommodate unequal group sizes and employs maximum likelihood estimation instead of least squares. Before examining change over time in the outcome variables and GCS, intraclass correlations (ICCs) were estimated to examine the interdependence of data due to nesting (see Herzog et al., 2002). The intraclass correlation depicts how much variance in the outcome variable is due to within-subjects, between-subjects, and between-groups variance. Results For each analysis, items were included from each scale for each individual, unless 20% or more of data were missing. Missing values for a particular scale item were replaced by calculating the mean value for that scale item and using this mean value in place of the missing value. Outcome measures A series of three-level regression models were evaluated to examine change over time in the outcome variables. Level 1 consisted of repeated measures (i.e., two assessment occasions) that were nested within 1 Two groups completed 12-session CBT treatment groups and one group completed a 9-session treatment group. The use of a multilevel regression approach (i.e., HLM) allowed us to examine whether or not number of sessions per group affected any of the relationships reported. Results indicated that number of sessions did not moderate any of the results reported in the paper. 2 These treatment groups were not conducted as part of a formal treatment outcome study, which accounts for the number of patients who failed to return their post-treatment questionnaires. Therefore, the individuals who completed both pre-treatment and post-treatment measures provide a naturalistic and ecologically valid cross section of moderate to severe social phobia patients typically seen in an acute outpatient clinic, presenting with anxiety disorders and related problems.

Evaluating Professional Development Training in School

Evaluating Professional Development Training in School According to P, Black and D, William, evaluation refers to a sequence of interrelated actions that have a definite purpose.1 Since education instructors are involved in several multifaceted issues, they should be assessed as professionals.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Evaluating Professional Development Training in School specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The standards of evaluating them should be developed by all the stakeholders of the school institution and their evaluation should be based on the extent to which they resolve professional issues proficiently. Since teachers are the main subjects of training, professional development has a direct impact on them. H, McMillan argues that, the main objective of professional development for teachers and other school staff involves its crucial task in the improvement of the learning process 2. For this reason, the school administrators ought to put great emphasis on t he results of professional growth on profession performance, organizational efficiency and the achievement of learners. All the professional development endeavors should always be subjected to an appropriately designed evaluation plan in analyzing their efficiency. The intricacy of changes in education necessitates that the plan is based on the use of ethnographic research. This should be done over a long period of time so as to evaluate and assess the connection between individual changes and the systematic transformation in education. Effective professional development enables the acquisition of new knowledge and expertise. P, Black and D, William asserts that, in one way or another, theres a support structure that follows teachers and other staff within the school institution school in their place of work which provides continued training or some kind of system enabling teachers/staff to continue solving problems in their working environment. 3 As a matter of fact, ineffective ev aluation systems within the school institution are exceedingly hectic, of little significance, and an obstacle to the staff drive. According to P, Black and D, William, such unproductive assessment systems are more expensive as compared to efficient ones.4Advertising Looking for report on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is because; they do not improve the performance of teachers as well as other school staff and thus rob off the learners’ achievements. For this reason, evaluation for professional development should be done in the most effective manner, failure to which it can become meaningless or intensify apprehension between teachers or school staff with their administrators and increase negative competition amongst them. In other words, ineffective evaluation methods can lead to communication breakdown within the stakeholders of a school institution as it may lead to unnecessary barriers, a nd destroy an otherwise excellent working rapport amongst the school professionals. Consequently, the need for efficient evaluation policies within a school should not be underestimated. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the education process to be accountable. Thus Professional development programs should be evaluated in order to determine their value in schools, to the instructors as well as the learners. For the efficiency of all professional development attempts, evaluation should be an ongoing process that is introduced in the early stages of program planning and should persist even after the completion of every development program. The stakeholders in the education sector are involved in selecting the evaluators who are given the task of evaluating all the programs. The purpose of evaluation enables the evaluators to come up with the research questions used during the evaluation process. The research questions should be formulated with the help of several stakeho lders in the development program. After determining the purpose of the evaluation, the evaluators should then plan the evaluation procedure with regards to the intended results of the school upgrading efforts. The reason for an evaluation and the usage of the evaluation outcomes are dictated by what is being evaluated. H, McMillan asserts that, in order to ensure an effective professional development program, the evaluators should ask those questions that are directed on bringing out the significance of the program in attaining development. 5 The evaluation of a professional development program has got two main objectives.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Evaluating Professional Development Training in School specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first one is to enhance the program’s quality or transform a professional development program which is known as formative evaluation, and the second one involves comi ng up with the program’s general efficiency also known as summative evaluation. In a professional development program, formative evaluation is usually done in intervals. Here, the stakeholders are asked to give their remarks, which permit the evaluators to effectively amend the program’s quality. This form of evaluation ascertains that all the professional development programs meet the expectations and requirements of all the stakeholders. This involves a meaningful endeavor which may entail some classroom activities. On the other hand, summative evaluation is employed at the end of the whole program. Bruner, S affirms that, more often than not, the research is done at three main points; educator practices, organizational transformations and learners results 6. At the initial level of summative evaluation, the educators’ changes that result from participating in the professional development program are assessed. Here, the members are asked to point out the neces sary changes according to what they think, what they believe, and their school/classroom activities. They are supposed to describe their individual professional development and assess if the program meets their individual as well as professional objectives. S, Bruner suggests that this can be done through the use of observations, interviews, questionnaires and other self-evaluation instruments.7 The second stage of summative evaluation is where the school organization changes are assessed. According to research, organizational environment directly impacts on both initial and continued use of improvement strategies. In other words, professional development actions will influence student results in case the organizational environment presents continued support for the efforts. Positive organizational adjustments lead to successful professional development. Constructive transformation within a school institution can be achieved through the use of observations, interviews, analysis of d ocuments as well as questionnaires. To determine this form of change, evaluators should look for improved teamwork and an enhanced relationship between administrators and the instructors and the overall changes within the school environment.Advertising Looking for report on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third phase of summative evaluation involves establishing the influence of the professional development practices on learning. This is mostly because the majority of school-upgrading attempts are projected to influence the learners’ success. Thus, evaluation is obliged to determine the efficiency of professional development with regards to students’ achievement. C, Calfee and V, Masuda affirm that, by getting comments on the instruction outcomes, teachers as well as other staff within the school institution are able to have sufficient proof on the validity of their actions on learning. 8 Teachers should employ the new practices in case they notice some positive outcomes in the learners. This notwithstanding, measurement of the effectiveness of a program should not be limited to the learners points in standardized tests. The evaluators should also consider how much the students are responsible for their individual learning and if they employ thorough research in the ir studies. Professional development assessment should also include nonacademic goals such as curbing student brutality. According to H, McMillan in this case, the pointer of efficiency should embrace valid forms of evaluation procedures such as determining the rate of dropping out of school and changes in the degree of damage to the school. 9 In general, evaluation of a professional development program is usually restricted to the stakeholders’ initial response to the content and significance as well as the efficiency of the facilitator. The most important factor of an evaluation process is the long-term influence brought by the professional development program. A follow-up evaluation should also be carried out after the instructors have implemented the necessary changes. This facilitates to assess changes within the instructional practice, in the professional environment and students’ success. C, Calfee and V, Masuda argues that, in order to reinforce the adjustments made by the stakeholders of the evaluation process, follow-up sessions and support actions should be programmed as part of the assessment course.10 In conclusion, even though professional development programs are meant to influence the students’ achievement, they characteristically have an impact on all the other participants who include; administrators, school heads counselors, as well as other staff. For it to be thorough, an evaluation program should draw its findings from all the above sources as well as from the evaluators. A comprehensive approach, which uses diverse information from multiple sources, should be embraced. Both quantitative and qualitative facts should be included in this course to provide suitable information. Precisely, this information should comprise facts based on the results from participants, organization, and learners. Moreover, the assessment outcomes should be presented in a way that is easily understood by all the participants involved in the professional development course. Comprehensible communication of the program’s outcomes should ensure that the findings are used to direct school improvement efforts and consequent professional development actions which include teacher training. Footnotes P, Black, D, Wiliam, Raising standards through classroom assessment, Phi Delta Kappan, 1998. H, McMillan, Essential assessment concepts for teachers and administrators, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Publishing Company, 2001. P, Black, D, William, pp140. P, Black, D, William, pp 146. H, McMillan, pp 26. S, Bruner, The process of education, NY: Vintage Books, 1960. S, Bruner, pp 77. C, Calfee, V, Masuda, Classroom assessment as inquiry, In G. D. Phye (Ed.) Handbook of classroom assessment, NY: Academic Press 1997. H, McMillan pp 46. C, Calfee, V, Masuda pp 36. Reference List Black, P, William, D, Raising standards through classroom assessment, Phi Delta Kappan, 1998, 139-148. Bruner, S, The process of education, NY: Vintag e Books, 1960. Calfee, C, Masuda, V, Classroom assessment as inquiry, In G. D. Phye (Ed.) Handbook of classroom assessment, NY: Academic Press 1997. McMillan, H, Essential assessment concepts for teachers and administrators, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Publishing Company, 2001.

The Runs Test for Random Sequences

The Runs Test for Random Sequences Given a sequence of data, one question that we may wonder is if the sequence occurred by chance phenomena, or if the data is not random. Randomness is hard to identify, as it is very difficult to simply look at data and determine whether or not it was produced by chance alone. One method that can be used to help determine if a sequence truly occurred by chance is called the runs test. The runs test is a test of significance or hypothesis test. The procedure for this test is based upon a run, or a sequence, of data that have a particular trait. To understand how the runs test works, we must first examine the concept of a run. Sequences of Data We will begin by looking at an example of runs. Consider the following sequence of random digits: 6 2 7 0 0 1 7 3 0 5 0 8 4 6 8 7 0 6 5 5 One way to classify these digits is to split them into two categories, either even (including the digits 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) or odd (including the digits 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9). We will look at the sequence of random digits and denote the even numbers as E and odd numbers as O: E E O E E O O E O E E E E E O E E O O The runs are easier to see if we rewrite this so that all of the Os are together and all of the Es are together: EE O EE OO E O EEEEE O EE OO We count the number of blocks of even or odd numbers and see that there are a total of ten runs for the data. Four runs have length one, five have length two and one has length five Conditions With any test of significance, it is important to know what conditions are necessary to conduct the test. For the runs test, we will be able to classify each data value from the sample into one of two categories. We will count the total number of runs relative to the number of the number of data values that fall into each category. The test will be a two-sided test. The reason for this is that too few runs mean that there is likely not enough variation and the number of runs that would occur from a random process. Too many runs will result when a process alternates between the categories too frequently to be described by chance. Hypotheses and P-Values Every test of significance has a null and an alternative hypothesis. For the runs test, the null hypothesis is that the sequence is a random sequence. The alternative hypothesis is that the sequence of sample data is not random. Statistical software can calculate the p-value that corresponds to a particular test statistic. There are also tables that give critical numbers at a certain level of significance for the total number of runs. Runs Test Example We will work through the following example to see how the runs test works. Suppose that for an assignment a student is asked to flip a coin 16 times and note the order of heads and tails that showed up. If we end up with this data set: H T H H H T T H T T H T H T H H We may ask if the student actually did his homework, or did he cheat and write down a series of H and T that look random? The runs test can help us. The assumptions are met for the runs test as the data can be classified into two groups, as either a head or a tail. We keep going by counting the number of runs. Regrouping, we see the following: H T HHH TT H TT H T H T HH There are ten runs for our data with seven tails are nine heads. The null hypothesis is that the data is random. The alternative is that it is not random. For a level of significance of alpha equal to 0.05, we see by consulting the proper table that we reject the null hypothesis when the number of runs is either less than 4 or greater than 16. Since there are ten runs in our data, we fail to reject the null hypothesis H0. Normal Approximation The runs test is a useful tool to determine if a sequence is likely to be random or not. For a large data set, it is sometimes possible to use a normal approximation. This normal approximation requires us to use the number of elements in each category and then calculating the mean and standard deviation of the appropriate normal distribution.

ANswer the questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANswer the questions - Assignment Example In the piece, the followers are fond of Jones due to his thoughts and ideas. Jones is also of good character. He is admired for his conduct, nature, and constructive ideas. There are several explanations that help illustrate the relationship Jones had with his followers. It is evident, however, at some point; Jones was not a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders are supposed to integrate the opinions and ideas of his followers and not just issue commands. Jones used threatening symbols and threats to ensure loyalty from the people. Unlike Jones, charismatic leaders should give their followers to come up with a platform that they can create solutions to problems. Charismatic leaders give their followers the freedom to express themselves and allow social interaction. For the better part of his life, jones was a transformational and charismatic leader. He was charming and even the high political leaders in San Francisco wanted to be associated with him. He was able to develop ideas that integrated racial equity. Jim Jones was not concerned with race and did not practice any racial bias. He was devoted to helping the oppressed especially the African-Americans (Caulla 154). His approach of an ideal and better world made devotion to his cause possible. Most people that would have found out about Jones addiction to drug use would stop following and believing in him. Furthermore, he let his personal attributes get the best of him. His close associates did not want the public and his followers to know about the massacre. He played with the public’s emotion to ensure his relevance. At one point, jones argued that the people that committed suicide did a justified cause to a revolutionary action that disproves a brutal

See attachment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

See attachment - Research Paper Example Taylor’s management theory espouses that if the amount of time and effort each worker expends to produce a unit of output can be reduced by increasing specialization and division of labor, the production processes will become more efficient (Taylor 1911). This theory assumed that employees are more motivated with more pay and confined communication to solely addressing the economic needs of a business organisation’s employees. Administrative management seeks to create an organizational structure that leads to high efficiency and effectiveness. Organizational structure is the system of task and authority relationships that control how employees use resources to achieve the organization’s goals. Among those theorists of administrative management were Max Weber (1864 -1920) and his theory of bureaucracy that espouses a formal system of organization and administration designed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Another was Henry Fayol who espoused that management and its function can be defined and communicated and therefore can be taught. This management theory introduced the structure in an organization and differed from Taylor’s Scientific Management in a way that it views the organization as a structure rather than an impersonal machine.   Henry Fayol   played a main role in the turn-of-the-century Classical School of management theory.  Fayol   believed that techniques of effective management could be defined and taught and that managerial organization hold as much importance as management as workers organization. He was the first to identify functions of management Behavioral theory of management espoused a theme that focused on how managers should personally behave in order to motivate employees and encourage them to perform at high levels and be committed to the achievement of organizational goals. Unlike the scientific management approach which only focused on the economic