Moving African American Students Past Stuck Point

What causes disproportionate numbers of minority students to become stuck and refrain from taking a seat at the table of opportunity granted them by schools? Dr.John Ogbu, noted scholar, after an extensive survey-based research, shed some light on the working-class, minority, and female youth resistance to school (Ogbu, 1991,1994). Ogbu observed a notable disparity in the school performance of students belonging to different minority groups. He noted a distinct relationship between the level of student performance and the prevailing ideology relating to achievement, also a definite discontinuity between the students’ home and school cultures. He claimed that African American youths fail in schools because of deeply historical and pervading societal factors. Ogbu referred to this group as involuntary minorities because historically, they had no choice in their minority and subjugated status. He reasoned that the way involuntary youths understand their place in the American social order dashes their hopes of advancement and opportunity.

When African American youths observe the inequitable distribution of social rewards in society- inferior housing,inferior education, limited and low level jobs- they are unlikely to work hard. Students echo high sounding dreams of what they would like to aspire. Nonetheless, their behavior is frequently inconsistent with the accomplishment of these goals. This disparity between verbalized values and their actions is most telling. They have superficially, but only superficially bought into the dominant theory of how to make it in America. They know what the theory is. They have heard the rhetoric. But they do not believe it. This «attitude achievement paradox» expresses itself in subsequent behaviors, dispositions, and identity which negatively affect academic progress.

Students believe that they are being unduly discriminated against, that impediments to their social mobility are posed both at the institutional and structural levels. They believe that the discrimination they experience is undeserved. So they become distrustful of Whites and any establishment with which they are associated . Schools fall under the category of distrusted institutions. Students readily observe cases of biased presentation of textbook material, biased assessments, favoritism, tracking, and sometimes open racism. Their observations or interpretations of their observations are legion.

Undoubtedly these factors must be taken into consideration when schools make plans and strive vigorously to improve the quality of education for minority students. Nor will the problems disappear on their own unless and until these issues are addressed head on. The answers to the problems are not far from where the problems themselves reside. Hence, educators need to analyze each phase of the problem, fix it, and then move on.

Larabee, D. Public goods, private goods: the American struggle over educational goals. American Educational Research Journal. Spring 1997, vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 39-81

Ogbu, J.U. (1978). Minority Education and Caste. New York:Academic Press.

Ogbu, J. U. (1991). Low school performances as an adaptation: The case of Blacks in Stockton, California. In M. Gibson & J. Ogbu (Eds.), Minority status and schooling: A comparative study of immigrant and involuntary minorities (pp. 249-286). New York: Garland.

Ogbu, J. U. (1994). Racial stratification and education in the United States: Why inequity persists. Teachers College Record, 96, 264-299.

Learn to Speak Japanese Language Fluently

Japan has one of the most powerful economies in the world and is a leader in the world of Electronics and Robotics along with Automobile. This makes Japanese a must language to learn even though it is not spoken by many people beyond the Japan boundary but if you want to do business with a Japanese client you should be able to converse in Japanese.

The reason for an individual going in for Japanese language can be anything ranging from professional to personal. You could be planning to visit the country wherein knowledge of Japanese could be really handy or maybe trying to speak with or impress some friends who are Japanese or you could be trying to move up your career ladder as being bilingual definitely adds some appeal to your resume and opens a new door of opportunities for you.

Learning Japanese is a costly affair especially if you are planning to enrol yourself in Japanese learning school but it is still the best way to learn this language provided you have the time and money to spend on it. If you don’t have enough money to shell out on a traditional course don’t get disheartened as there are a number of other alternatives available. A few of them are:

• Books can help you with the basics of the language but you can’t expect much help from a book while going in for the intermediate and advanced level as Japanese is a complex language based on pictures and signs and you need a proper study plan and a mentor to learn it.
• Another very popular method of learning Japanese is through Online Classes. It combines the benefits of both books and studying in a traditional class. There are a lot of online courses available which help you learn Japanese in an efficient way.

No matter which road you pick to learn Japanese if you are thinking of spending your hard earned money into a Japanese learning program make sure you are investing into the right place.

Iso9000 — Quality Management and the Quick Drop in the Economy

You may have read the title of this article as being relevant to the introduction of the new ISO 900 standard [ISO9001:2008], whereas the intention is to try to protect the integrity of audit and quality management in a time of economic downturn.

While business is prospering there is always a tendency to over populate an organisation, or put another way to find reasons to support activities that might otherwise be considered to be of doubtful value. I guess there may be readers who respond with ‘if only’, but regardless of any specific meanness of spirit by specific management teams, the generality of the assertion remains true. But then come the lean times, whether general as now, or organisation specific. Ignoring the unfortunates who simply go out of business, the normal response of management faced with reduced business is to reduce costs.

Unfortunately the simplest costs to recognise and decrease rarely achieve the objective of improving the business performance. Staff cutbacks result in decreased output, but the overhead expenses don’t change. Travel, for those who remain employed is severely cut back, so sales and marketing efforts are reduced just as more, not less, orders are needed. And then there is the selection of staff to ‘let go’. Here my concern is for the impact on the organisation’s performance and reputation through the reduction of staff loosely defined as ‘Quality function’ people.

For many if not the majority of organisations the Quality function is percieved as a required overhead. Overhead because it doesn’t produce anything tangible, while being seen to hemorrhage money that could be used more profitably, and is at the same time required because of its perceived value in the retention of a registration believed to have significant marketing value. While in part these perceptions are true, as ever they are only partly so, and are so because of a lack of management interest in changing the manner in which the business is structured.

These times of economic downturn could be the time for a management team to grasp the nettle of change to rethink and permanently alter its attitude to quality management and its own responsibilities. There is no reason for any organisation to have either a Quality department, or a Head of Quality and the costs that go with it, unless they actually want to do so for their own corporate reasons. Ask any executive why they have a senior manager for Quality, and almost always the response will include considerations on ISO9001 retention, internal audit, and customer interface difficulties. What they mean is they don’t understand ISO9001, and over time the Quality function has taken on responsibilities from other functions and become semi-indispensible, often acting as a local guardian of what itself believes to be the company interest. So what could we do differently?

Quality, meaning doing things well — is surely the responsibility of all managers a business. In a manufacturing unit the managers of manufacturing don’t claim to be ‘not responsible’ for the quality of their products. Similarly ‘procurement responsibility’ includes buying the right items of acceptable quality. For both of these, as for others in the organisation it is common to find the Quality function interfering with both the operation and the authority of local managers. So what can be done to improve this administrative and cost anomaly, without prejudice to the operation and its outward appearance?

The solution is simple. Discard any Quality department that relates to my typical case, managers, staff and position in the organisation’s hierarchy structure. Transfer any technical staff masquerading as Quality Engineers to the functions they purport to serve and ensure that the receiving managers understand their new role and responsibilities as being totally responsible for the performance of their unit of business. They have the staff they have the responsibility.

There remains only the basic role of a quality function — the administration of the registered management system. A suitable description of this might be Systems Integrity. It is not necessary to have a manager for this activity, neither is it a full time task. Only Internal Audit remains, and for this the clear answer is to devolve responsibility for that to those competent to deliver results acceptable to the business managers.

Outsourcing the internal audit provides an effective method of generating useful audit outcomes, and a cost lower than any similarly competent local staff could deliver, and free of local bias or distraction.

A good question to ask — «would I have a Quality department’ manager and staff if I was starting this company again with my own money»? For me the answer is NO!

A College Education Within Reach: Obama Scholarships for Moms

For many people, a bright future starts with good education. President Obama is a good example, and he has shown his commitment to helping others. One major part of the effort is to make available to students more free money for college. For decades, college prices have steadily increased. Besides tuition and housing, fees for books, travel and eating are often not covered. With high costs looming, many young adults can’t afford to go to a university. Single moms are especially affected in a bad way. More education helps single mothers achieve on their jobs and take care of their families. It’s important to the President and that’s why he’s implemented a program for scholarships for mothers. Although they are the same, many people refer to Federal Pell grants as Obama grants. Currently students can earn about $5,350 through a Pell grant. Before Pell grants maxed out at about $4,000. With these grants for moms, they can pay for tuition, books or any other school-related expenses. There’s also another great program: the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Under this incentive program, education costs up to $4,000 are cleared. The $4,000 grant is especially great for low-income students. Both of these tax programs help single moms tremendously because they are traditionally low-income individuals. There are almost no restrictions on where and what a student studies. Taking away a little of the financial burden of college is a helpful way to get more students enrolled. Obama’s efforts to improve education show that he takes this issue seriously. With some changes to the lending system, many graduate and undergraduate loans will be less costly. There is also emphasis on ways to improve school and student achievement in all areas. There is also emphasis on encouraging more students to consider community college. At a community college students can gain important knowledge as well as save money. In 2007 Obama stated, «We need to put a college education within reach of every American. That’s the best investment we can make in our future.» So far Obama’s actions are backing up his words. Even though Obama’s grants for moms get much attention they are certainly not the only important opportunity being offered. Traditional and non-traditional students alike have numerous opportunities to put their education first.

Good Movie What Makes

Skill is a reflection of our society and life and movies are often regarded as novel expressions of art. They receive us laugh and cry and we often love to give an estimate them. They edify us and enlighten us.

Every day numerous movies are made by the film industries but all are not liked. Some top the charts while others are kicked prohibited of the box workforce. Some grow to be the intense theme of talk on behalf of the critics while the others a minute ago distraction their notice. Here succinct, a number of develop a thumps up while others a thumps down.

But how many of these, which develop a encouraging reaction, are really nice movies? Well, it is not with the purpose of down-to-earth to answer, as it seems. The theme is very much subjective. What seems nice to a number of could not be the same on behalf of the others. What appears enjoyable to a hardly any might not be enjoyable on behalf of others.

Then come again? Exactly is a nice picture? To simplify it, we can say with the purpose of individuals movies which are liked by the gathering and not only by a number of group of family, might be considered as a nice picture
. But come again? Are the traits with the purpose of are wanted on behalf of a picture to qualify as a nice solitary. First of all, a picture be supposed to provide nice entertainment. There are of module others. Let us look next to a number of them.

A nice picture be supposed to tap our tenderness and receive us words or think concerning it, as an alternative of a minute ago being the resources on behalf of sheer instance pass. It be supposed to suffer the size to teach and inspire us and provoke us emotionally.

It be supposed to be educative as well. It be supposed to be able to consent to us know concerning something in mint condition. Nowadays movies are considered to be solitary of the majority real enlightening tools used to teach or educate family regarding definite issues. Here succinct a nice picture be supposed to suffer a number of educative meaning on behalf of the masses.

A nice picture be obliged to and provide a number of elements of encouragement and inspire family towards successfully overcoming barriers. Movies are regarded as the mirror of life. But this is not all. There are a number of other factors and which receive a picture a pronounced solitary. The following factors are of the essence.

The Plot: This is the majority of the essence part of the picture. Without a nice plot a picture fails to exert a pull on and keep hold of the viewers in the theaters. Even if they were drawn to it originally on behalf of a number of reasons, family would lose benefit closer than soon after.

The Characters: The go along with the majority considerable dynamic of one nice picture are the typeset of the story. Without them in attendance would be veto story and veto plot. Characters be supposed to be such with the purpose of the audience like them.

Actors: We need nice actors to receive a nice picture. Actors, who can justify the typeset and receive them, roll up alive in front of the audience. They be obliged to be able to portray the typeset well so with the purpose of family say with the purpose of the typeset are made keeping them in mind. They be supposed to blend themselves into the typeset.

Script: Without dialogues movies look blank. Script is the life of movies so it be supposed to be very strong and appealing. A nice script can even receive family roll up and investigate the picture repeatedly. Last but not the slightest is the visual show of a picture with beautiful scenes.

Lawyers role in injury claim and its settlement

Insurance companies settle the injury claim to your satisfaction if the data provided accurately. The injury settlement negotiation is exactly like sales negotiation. You have to negotiate with the Insurance Company and make them believe the claim you have made is genuine. The claimant’s positive attitude helps the insurance adjuster to settle the claim quickly. The adjuster has a certain amount of authority beyond which he cannot negotiate. Most of the injury claims settled out of the court. This happens when both the claimant and the opponent negotiate and agree to the claim amount. The claimant has to sign an agreement mentioning that he will refrain from future legal actions against the opponent. In addition, the opponent thus reciprocates the claimant with the agreed compensation amount. Moreover, to conclude the claim compensation amount an expert lawyer is essential. He will guide you in a proper manner and draft the claim papers with relevant legal terms that suit your need. There are certain essential factors to consider before deciding the claim amount. The fees of the lawyer, tax liability, the graveness of injury and the period of probable disability and the mental trauma you had to undergo are few factors to consider. Moreover, why you will need an experienced injury lawyer? The injury lawyer expert will have all the answers to the questions you have to speak or you have in your mind. He is the best judge to advice you to go for litigation in the court of law or to settle outside with negotiations. This negotiation can happen with the claimant and the insurance company or the opponent. The personal injury can be personal which may affect financially and physically. Many insurance companies and lawyers have the ability to solve the situation. However, there are various procedures maintained and documents to furnish to obtain the legal compensation. An efficient lawyer will see through this ordeal. There are various aspects, which are required to file an injury claim. Injury concerning to disablement, unwarranted arrest and prosecution with wicked intention, work place injury, and many other situations that warrant a claim. The claim compensation will vary and depend on the gravity of the injury, which an experienced lawyer will be able to guide. They predict the approximate amount to claim because of their experience and expertise. They consider various aspects like cost of treatment, physical disability, loss of pay and future ability to work and many other delicate legal formalities, which may miss a nonprofessional. Therefore, hiring an experienced lawyer is as important as an injury claim.

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Hard Choice: Which University to Choose — Private or State?

At last, you have already figured out the profession you want to get. But there is another problem – where to study? Today the diversity of universities is very-very big and you have to consider many facts while choosing a suitable one.

Of course, one of the main reasons should be status of a university. It can be either state, or private.

Cons and Pros of State University

State universities usually have good reputation, they are respected all over the country and sometimes the world, and their diplomas are recognized everywhere. It’s really prestigious to gain your education in some good state university with long history and crystal reputation.

But this glance can hide a lot of disadvantages. Usually, state universities hire older teachers, as it is commonly considered that they know the subject better as they have more experience. But what about new professions, that appeared no longer than 10 or 20 years ago? Only young people who worked in this field can give relevant knowledge.

Pros and Cons of Private Universities

Private universities are not as respected as state are. At least, the majority of them. If you want to apply to a private university, first of all, ask for educational license. If there’s no license, run away from there. If yes, you may feel free applying to it. Private universities are always better as they tend to teach new and very popular professions such as computer sciences, medical sciences, etc. But they teach more professional subjects, than subjects for overall development.

Also, diplomas of some private universities can be not recognized in different countries and you will have to prove your knowledge on the profession once again. Also, if the university where you gained your education will lost its license, your diploma is in risk of losing its value. And if it is lost, you will have to gain education on your specialization once more.

At last, you have already figured out the profession you want to get. But there is another problem – where to study? Today the diversity of universities is very-very big and you have to consider many facts while choosing a suitable one.

Of course, one of the main reasons should be status of a university. It can be either state, or private.

Cons and Pros of State University

State universities usually have good reputation, they are respected all over the country and sometimes the world, and their diplomas are recognized everywhere. It’s really prestigious to gain your education in some good state university with long history and crystal reputation.

But this glance can hide a lot of disadvantages. Usually, state universities hire older teachers, as it is commonly considered that they know the subject better as they have more experience. But what about new professions, that appeared no longer than 10 or 20 years ago? Only young people who worked in this field can give relevant knowledge.

Pros and Cons of Private Universities

Private universities are not as respected as state are. At least, the majority of them. If you want to apply to a private university, first of all, ask for educational license. If there’s no license, run away from there. If yes, you may feel free applying to it. Private universities are always better as they tend to teach new and very popular professions such as computer sciences, medical sciences, etc. But they teach more professional subjects, than subjects for overall development.

Also, diplomas of some private universities can be not recognized in different countries and you will have to prove your knowledge on the profession once again. Also, if the university where you gained your education will lost its license, your diploma is in risk of losing its value. And if it is lost, you will have to gain education on your specialization once more.