A New HR Strategy for CCD Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A New HR Strategy for CCD Construction - Essay Example CCDC is a construction company that was formed in 2007 after the merger of two construction companies. After the merger the company made many changes in the human resource policy. Around 3,000 employees were laid off in 4 years and the company tried to flatten its organizational structure. CCDC was formed by the merger of two firms. One of those firms catered to small clients and other catered to large clients. This main difference had repercussions on the human resource management policies of the company. The current HR policy of the company focuses on flattening of structures and constant feedbacks from employees. The policy is also aiming for employee training and coaching style management. All these strategies cannot go well for the company because they contradict the organization and business strategy. In this report a new HR policy is suggested to the top management of the company. The HR strategy will include the organizational structure and culture, reward management system, job design and employee relation. The new HR strategy will be discussed keeping in mind the aims and objectives of the business of CCDC. Human Resource Strategy for CCDC When devising a human resource strategy it is important to keep in mind the dynamics of the company. Employees of CCDC were previously working for a different company and therefore they had a different understanding of company’s policy. The new HR strategy should be focused on giving the employees a proper direction. The organizational culture of the two companies (which were merged to form CCDC) was also not similar. This must be tackled in the new HR strategy for the company. The structure of the company should also fit the business operations of the company and the same is true for organizational culture. It is also important to motivate employees through different types of rewards. Employee relation is also essential in operating a construction company as big as CCDC. Organizational Structure and Culture Organizational structure of CCDC should be vertical so that employees can report to their superiors in a proper and orderly fashion. The current HR policy of the company i s aiming for a flatter organizational structure. This is not good for a company like CCDC because it is a huge organization. Flatter structures are also appropriate for small organization or they are applicable in innovation oriented businesses. Construction business is all about controlling employees so that they can complete the work that is assigned to them. For this purpose a tall organizational structure should be used. The company should also form a team based structure at the project level. Evidence suggests that team based struct

Ethic Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethic - Movie Review Example From the film, the bankers acted in a questionable manner because of how they sold the mortgages. A lot of people with experience in the financial companies were interviewed such as top executives such as Raghuram Rajan, Dominique Strauss-Khan and Glenn Hubbard (Ferguson). The bankers provided the consumers with credit despite knowing that some consumers had low credit scores. 20 or 30 years ago, banks would tell consumers who could not afford to buy mortgages that they would not get loans. However, in the film it is clear that such kind of advice is not taken cautiously because the bankers allowed the consumers to buy houses that they could not afford. In another scene, viewers can see that the people who could not afford the mortgages were now living in tents and jobless. The actions of the federal regulators, economic academics and politicians were well captured showing that they did not do anything that would help in regulating the finances. In one of the scenes, one of the interviewee indicates that there was a continued deregulation of finances and â€Å"they knew what was happening† (Ferguson). In addition, most of the people in these groups are noted in some scenes to be paid excessively. For example, in one of the scenes, when the narrator Matt Damon asks what he thought of wall-street incomes, the interviewee said it as an excessive amount. There were those who earned as much as $485 million and 80 million (Ferguson). All the parties mentioned above relied on the moral philosophy of ethical relativism to justify their actions. In ethical relativism a person holds the view that there is no moral right or a moral wrong. Therefore, the person believes that he or she should act in their own interest. In this light, it is not difficult to see why the employees and employers in the wall-street financial companies decided to self-regulate themselves.

Genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Genocide and Sri Lankan Tamils - Essay Example The Official Languages Commission set up by the Sri Lankan government in 2005 provides figures for the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka. The Tamil speaking minority in the country make up twenty-six percent of the population, which consists of thirteen percent Sri Lankan Tamils, six percent Tamils of recent Indian origin, and seven percent of Muslims. Though the Tamil speaking minority constitute more than a fourth of the population, their presence in government service is a mere 8.31 percent. Such a situation has arisen from Sri Lankan actions since the gaining of independence by using language as a weapon. Thus language has remained a key element in the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka (Reddy, 2007). While the roots of the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka may be ascribed to the colonial past, when the British imported a large number of Tamils into the country from neighbouring India, actions of the Sri Lankan government since independence are the more definitive cause for the violence in the country. Since independence successive governments have taken measures to ensure that the Tamils were denied equal opportunities to professions and the public sector. Such actions interacted in a complex manner with the already existent Sinhala Buddhist exclusivism that slowly led to the persisting animated ideology in the Sri Lankan State. Two legislative actions were to cause the cleavage and subsequent decades of violence and the rise of the LTTE as a terrorist organization to take the lead against the Sri Lankan government. The 1956 â€Å"Sinhala Only† act, which removed English as the official language and replaced it with Sinhala, was to make the Tamils disadvantaged, leading to prote sts from the Tamils. The subsequent legislation in the early 1970s, which created communal quotas for entrance to universities thereby denying meritorious Tamils admission, was to inflame the Tamils and lead to violence and the call fro a

Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria

Historical Understandings of Madness in Nigeria Madness in culture: is mental disorder universal? This paper will look at the issue of madness in culture, looking at the issue of whether mental disorders are a universal concept, with particular reference to the Nigerian culture. As Sadowsky (2003) argues, the crude maxim â€Å"what is mad in one culture might be considered sane in another† described the approach to ‘cultural psychiatry’ research regarding mental illness for many years; that psychiatric disorders were viewed relatively suggested that these disorders were no more than cultural constructions and thus not ‘real’ diseases (see Sadowsky, 2003; p. 210). In his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Sadowsky focuses on madness, insanity, as a social process. Whilst not denying the reality of madness as an illness, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, †Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathological† (1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ‘insane’ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, this essay looks at how madness in Nigeria evolved in the colonial period, and beyond, and how madness was understood within a colonial framework. The essay then moves on to look at cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria, and genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural and historical differences in understanding madness within a colonial context, using examples from Nigeria. Finally, syndromes that come and go, such as hysteria and delusions, will be discussed, using the example of persecution delusions from studies of two mental asylums in Nigeria, as discussed in the work of Sadowsky (1999). The history of madness in Nigeria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ‘lunatic asylum’ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky (1999) provides a review of madness in Nigeria, from colonial times to independence. Sadowsky’s argument in his 1999 book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, is that through developing an understanding of these institutions, it is possible to come to understand â€Å"the struggles within the colonial state over the use of asylums, negotiations in colonial society about the definitions of insanity, the processes which led to confinement and release and the formation of specific psychiatric discourse (p. 9). The book provides an examination of how, when and, most importantly, why Africans were defined as insane and the ways in which definitions of insanity were related to the political context pf colonialism (Stilwell, 2000). Sadowsky (1999) does not argue that colonialism caused insanity but, rather, argues tha t the content and expression of madness reflected the pressures, stressed and strains brought on by colonial rule, thus providing a social history of insanity in a colonial setting. As Sadowsky (1999) argues, the debate surrounding psychiatric labeling theory must be centered on the ways in which mental illness is a construct of â€Å"the particular historical formations† (p. 112); colonial asylums could be placed on a spectrum from ‘custodial and coercive’ to ‘supportive and therapeutic’, although the vast majority of mental asylums in colonial Nigeria were crudely coercive, due to the cross-cultural barriers and the different perceptions of social relations as held by African patients and colonial medical staff and authorities. It was only well in to post-colonial times that subtler forms of social control and therapeutic practice evolved. Cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria As has been seen, Sadowksy (1999) argues that madness and normalcy must be viewed at all times, and especially in the context of a Nigerian colonial setting, as part of a continuum: as Sadowsky states, â€Å"the insane occupy a position on the spectrum containing the normal and the pathological† (1999; p. 51), and are products of specific social and political circumstances, which must be fully understood in order to understand the label ‘insane’ within a colonial Nigerian setting. Thus, the cultural context of madness, in terms of understanding madness from a culturally relativistic viewpoint, and from the viewpoint of colonialism, is fundamental in understanding the cultural treatments of madness in Nigeria. Accounts of madness and understanding the responses to madness in a colonial Nigerian setting cannot be understood, interpreted, without also fully understanding the historical, social and political setting at that time. In general, however, it can be seen, from Sadowsky’s work, that madness was treated, in a blanket manner, as a response to colonialism, as a manifestation that the ‘primitive’ Nigerians could not cope with modernization and that, as such, delusions, deliria and hysteria were almost to be expected, as a reaction against colonialism. Responding to these outbreaks of madness with force, by opening asylums and confining ‘the mad’ to these asylums, with little actual medical care, was a way in which to ‘silence’ the ‘mad’ and to be able to continue on with the aims and practices of colonialism. The genetic and physiological accounts vs. cultural/historical difference Mental illness is currently well understood, and treated, as that: an illness. However, as has been shown by Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), within a colonial context in Nigeria, mental illness was often only understood in the context of colonialism i.e., mental illness was understood as a reaction to the modernization brought about by the colonizers, which, it was hypothesized, the ‘primitive’ Nigerians could not cope with, leading them to madness. However, as Sadowsky (2003) points out, â€Å"even within colonial governments, there were some who believed, in some degree, in cultural relativism†¦.I discovered many administrators who believed that building asylums was a bad idea because Europeans could not know what madness was to Africans, and that, therefore Europeans should not be imposing alien cultural forms† (p. 211). Thus, at least within the context of colonial Nigeria, madness was not understood, or treated, as an illness, rather as a response to coloni alism, and the debate surrounding madness and its genetic and physiological bases, and the different cultural or historical manifestations of madness were not entered in to during colonial rule. Syndromes that come and go hysteria Focusing on two mental asylums in Nigeria, the Yaba ‘lunatic asylum’ and the Aro Mental Hospital in Abeokuta, Sadowsky argues in his book, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, which uses first hand accounts of delusions of the mentally ill, as gathered from actual case histories of these two mental asylums, the ‘ravings’ of patients are important historical documents in that they can be used for social analyses, showing that the social context of colonization fostered the development of certain kinds of delusions, especially delusions of persecution. Such madness, Sadowsky argues, threatened the colonial worldview, and, to some extent, colonial power, drawing attention, as they did, to the structures and inherent contradictions of colonial power, and, as such, the psychiatric environment tended to class any actions that threatened colonial ideology as ‘madness’, such that, as Sadowsky argues, the ideologies of colonial medical staff reflected the anxieties and insecurities of the colonizers themselves (Sadowsky, 1999). As Sadowsky states, â€Å"the content [of delusions] repeatedly referred to specifics of Nigerian colonial history: religious conversion, foreign domination, the changing justice system†¦and the struggle for independence† (1999; p.115). Conclusion According to Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), historically, madness in Nigeria seems to have been understood entirely in terms of colonial power, in terms of madness being understood as a reaction against colonial rule, not as an illness per se, and, as such, madness was not treated objectively, but as one more manifestation of dissatisfaction against colonial rule. The ‘mad’ were thus treated almost as dissenters rather than being treated correctly, as ‘ill’ individuals. No more is this highlighted than when accounts of treatments for delusions are given in Sadowsky (1999) as taken from individual case histories. As shown in these histories, medical staff often played a purely custodial role, not a medical role, with only modest therapeutic programs being offered, if any at all (Sadowsky, 2003; p. 211). It was with some trepidation, and opposition, that mental asylums were set up at all, in a colonial Nigerian context, with little medical help being offered, an d these asylums quickly becoming overcrowded, with squalid living conditions (Sadowsky, 2003). Thus, as has been seen throughout this essay, based on the work of Sadowsky (1997; 1999; 2003), which looks at madness in colonial times in Nigeria, the understanding of madness in culture is an extremely relative matter, perfectly illustrated through the study of this time period and in this place, which explained madness as a product of colonial rule. Madness, as we understand it now, is obviously not culturally relative and is a universal concept: it is an illness, which needs correct treatment in order to overcome the illness. If this had been understood during the period of colonial rule in Nigeria, the many years of suffering for many thousands of insane individuals would not have had to have been endured: they would have received correct, timely, treatment and would not have whiled away their lives being little more than captives in colonial asylums. References Sadowsky Jonathan, Psychiatry and colonial ideology in Nigeria, Bulletin of the History of Medicine,71 (1997):94-111. Sadowsky, Jonathan, Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Sadowsky Jonathan, The social world and the reality of mental illness: lessons from colonial psychiatry, Harvard Review of Psychiatry 2003, 11(4):210-4. Stilwell, S., ‘Imperial Bedlam: Institutions of Madness in Colonial Southwest Nigeria by Jonathan Sadowsky’, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 31(2) (2000): 322-323.

Boston matrix analysis for BHP Billiton Group

Abstract The paper provides an analysis of BHP Billiton Group based on the Boston matrix. It is indicated that this matrix is a solid marketing tool to determine the financial performance of organisations. It focuses on companies’ market share and market growth. As a result of the implementation of the Boston matrix analysis to BHP Billiton Group, it is concluded that the company is at the position of a cash cow on the matrix. This finding has significant practical implications, and thus recommendations to use certain strategies are provided. Introduction The Boston Matrix represents a marketing tool, which is commonly used to conduct product portfolio analysis and management. This instrument was introduced by the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s (Stern and Deimler, 2006). The Boston Matrix mainly focuses on the dimensions of market share and market growth, as these aspects are considered important to identify the areas in which companies need to utilise resources in order to optimise their profit generation capacity (Kotler, 2006). The matrix indicates a focus on a product management perspective as an integral part of the analytical process. Market share refers to the percentage of the total market, which is attained by organisations. This value can be measured by considering the percentage of revenue or unit volume. It is usually assumed that a high market share suggests significant financial benefits to a company. Market growth relates to the attractive parameters identified in a particular market (Schermerhorn, 2013). Businesses are usually grouped into four major categories: dogs, cash cows, question marks and stars. Dogs are companies that encounter the challenges of low market share and low market growth, while cash cows tend to have a high market share in low growing markets (Kotler, 2006). Question marks have a low market share in high growing markets. Stars represent the ideal situation for organisations because they tend to have a high market share in a rapidly growing industry (Stern and Deimler, 2006). These elements are reported by Stern and Deimler (2006) to generate sufficient cash and extensive opportunities for development. By applying the Boston matrix analysis to the performance of BHP Billiton Groups, it appears that specific information and trends from the company’s segments should be considered. The iron ore segment of the organisation has been following a star strategy by focusing sales in Australia due to its intention to decrease production costs, which would help the corporation obtain a bigger share of the market. This may happen even though growth in Chinese steel output significantly decreases (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). BHP Billiton Groups has a high market share in the Chinese location but low growth, which reflected in the price drops. This in turn decreased the revenues from the company’s associated segments. According to this dimension, the corporation has been following a cash cow strategy. The iron ore segment of the organisation is facing persistent challenges related to the decline of iron price, workers strike as well as strengthening Australian dollar (BHP Billiton Lt d., 2013). The copper segment is also affected by copper prices. As a result, the organisation has been following a question mark strategy by indicating a low market share in China due to the overall decline in copper revenues. Yet, the strategy of the company is to maintain a high market growth because of its positive production outlook in the respective segment. Similarly, the coal segment is negatively affected by low coal prices and rising cost. However, the corporation’s coals continue to be recognised as the most highly valued, supporting strong long-term margins, implying that BHP Billiton Groups has been following a star strategy in the Chinese and Australian locations (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). Future supply growth in the coal segment indicates that it is predominantly Australian, which directly sets the organisation at the position of a star on the Boston matrix. The fact that the outlook for the petroleum segment looks good is important to predict that the company may return to its position as a star on the Boston matrix. One of the expectations in this context is that total shale production is most likely to rise in the future (Stern and Deimler, 2006). In terms of the company’s geographical locations, it seems that geographic factors limit competition for the organisation. The company operates in more than 100 geographical locations across the world. The company’s market share is high due to its diversified portfolio of services. Moreover, its market growth is relatively high (Grant, 2013). Therefore, BHP Billion is pursuing a star marketing strategy considering the mentioned aspects. With regards to the company’s aluminium segment, it can be argued that BHP Billiton is pursuing a star marketing strategy, considering its both high market share and high market growth. For instance, the corporation’s total aluminium production for the fiscal year of 2013 is approximately 1.2 Mt (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). This means that the company’s market share is extremely high in this segment, which along with its high market growth in markets of Western Europe and Asia makes the corporation in a winning star position on the Boston matrix. The manganese segment of the company shows its adoption of a star strategy because approximately 80% of its production is sold directly in countries, such as China, India and South Korea (Grant, 2013). This aspect implies that BHP Billiton has both high market share in the mentioned markets and high market growth. It can be argued that BHP Billiton Group’s share prices were relatively low in 2012. This aspect prompted the company to follow a question mark strategy because despite its low market share, the provision of various natural resources took place in a high growing market (Schemerhorn, 2013). However, at the end of 2012, the corporation gradually started expanding its share prices by representing an adequate price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. This means that the group has focused on following a star strategy in its main segments. Yet, it is challenging to estimate the market price for each product due to the extensive diversity of the company’s products (Grant, 2013). Another challenge associated with the quantification of returns is the categorisation of returns in different currencies. As previously indicated, BHP Billiton Group placed importance on location when it comes to making investments. In the United States, the corporation has been extensively concerned to adhere to a star strategy on the Boston matrix by distributing crude petroleum (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). It is essential to note that the company relies on its current strength of occupying a leading position in global commodities prices that are related to the health of the international economy. This suggests the potential of the corporation to predominantly follow a star strategy, which would guarantee it a better position compared to other organisations operating in the same industry sector (Grant, 2013). Nonetheless, the company is unable to predict currency assessments, which may lead to the adoption of a cash cow or a question mark strategy according to the Boston matrix. It has been indicated that certain flaws in the global economy negatively affect the performance of the corporation in the sen se of decreasing its market share in certain segments. For instance, such flaws may lead to a reduced demand for commodities, which may directly reflect in lower prices and reduced profitability of the company. The diverse portfolio of assets provided by BHP Billiton Group has assumed a solid market position of the company in its major segments. It is important to note that the corporation occupies a leading position in the trade of uranium in Australia after Olympic Dam Mine as well as of other natural assets, such as silver and copper (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). This places the company at a quite favourable position regarding its trade activities and thus it is more likely to adopt a star strategy in its home country. The fact that the corporation is a leading producer of nickel globally is indicative of the high market share it has in different segments and in different locations across the world (Stern and Deimler, 2006). As a result of the application of the Boston matrix analysis to the performance of BHP Billiton Group, it can be suggested that the company has the potential to make a substantial impact on the global delivery of natural assets. Its position as a star in most of its seg ments and in most locations shows solid management and leadership practices present at the organisation. It is important to note that the major purpose of the Boston matrix analysis is to help BHP Billiton Group decide which of its business units should be kept as well as in which areas it can invest further (Grant, 2013). There are different strategies to be applied considering that the organisation is in the position of a cash cow on the Boston matrix. One of these strategies is to hold in order to maintain its sales or market share (Schermerhorn, 2013). Another strategy that can be utilised is to defend its position regardless of the challenges the company faces with regards to its market share and projected market growth (Kotler, 2006). BHP Billiton Group can also implement a strategy, which is identified as ‘milk’, implying that the company is expected to use the cash it generated in the fiscal year to return to its position as a star on the matrix from the period of 2011 to 2012 (BHP Billiton Ltd., 2013). The fact that the company is at the position of a cash cow means that its profitability ratios have significantly declined. For instance, the organisation’s net profit margin, operating profit margin, ROE and ROA deteriorated in the period from 2011 to 2012 and from 2012 to 2013. It can be suggested that the company should seriously rethink its position in the market so as to try its best to restore its star position from the past (Schermerhorn, 2013). The application of the Boston matrix analysis to BHP Billiton Group’s performance yields significant conclusions about the company’s challenges and opportunities that can be addressed. Conclusion This paper has provided an analysis of BHP Billiton Group’s financial performance based on the Boston matrix. It has been indicated that the organisation is currently at the position of a cash cow on the matrix considering its high market share and low growing market (Kotler, 2006). Certain strategies have been provided so that the organisation can implement them in order to improve its position and return to the status of a star, which represents an ideal combination of a high market share and fast growing market (Grant, 2013). References BHP Billiton Ltd. (2013). Stock Analysis on Net [online]. Available at: http://www.stock-analysis-on.net/NYSE/Company/BHP-Billiton-Ltd/Financial-Statement/Income-Statement [Accessed: 14 August 2014]. Grant, R. M. (2013). Contemporary Strategy Analysis. New York: Wiley. Kotler, P. (2006). Marketing Management. New York: Pearson Education. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2013). Exploring Management. New York: Wiley. Stern, C. W. and Deimler, M. S. (2006). The Boston Consulting Group on Strategy: Classic Concepts and New Perspectives. New York: Wiley.

Mapping my school

The Laggard High School is located between the central avenue and the Washington Avenue. It is bounded by the ivy-league university like the Baylor’s University. It has a main entrance and another entrance opposite to the fire service which is on the other side of the street. The overall atmosphere of the school is calm. The Laggard High School is bounded on north by the ivy college. The Laggard Middle School is located by the side of the High school and the Laggard Elementary School is behind the High School. The front end classrooms are built in buildings which are L- shaped with the main entrance between them. The remaining classrooms are in a C-shaped building. Behind these classrooms is located a cafeteria. The school playground and gym are behind the cafeteria. The Baylor University located opposite to the school has some influence on the students of the Laggard High School. As the high school students can observe the university students, they will have an idea on the university life. They will also have an idea about the future courses available to them from the universities after study in high school. The Baylor’s University leaves a complete educational environment to the Laggard High School. The students develop an enthusiasm to reach the University for pursuing the courses of their interest. One of the reasons for this is the location of the Baylor’s University. When we discuss about safety in the school, the first thing that comes into mind is the fire service which is located on the opposite side of the street. Whenever there is an untoward incident like fire accident, there is no worry as the fire service is available at the minimum time. In general, the school as a whole is very safe place. As the school is located facing the street, traffic might be a problem when safety is considered. The main entrance, which faces the street, is a dangerous spot in busy hours like 08:30 AM. The students and the staff are in a hurry in the morning, due to which there might be chance of accidents. The car parking which lies just beside the main entrance creates inconvenience to those who go in and out of the school by walk. Car parking at the other entrance is restricted only to staff. One of the solutions that I feel suggestible is that employing a guard at the main entrance to guide the incoming and outgoing vehicles in the busy hours to avoid accidents. This will also fill confidence in the students and staff who walk by the main entrance. Another unsafe area to be considered in the campus is the cafeteria. Yes, the cafeteria is definitely an unsafe place as there is no proper monitoring. There are no enough emergency exits. Since there is no good monitoring, there are more chances of disputes. Any disputes or fights between students cannot be controlled easily. And another disadvantage is that there are no emergency exits in case of fire accidents. And we all know that, cafeteria has the highest scope for fire accident compare to any other place in the school campus. Moreover, the cafeteria is situated far from the entrance due to which more time is wasted before the fire service reaches the cafeteria crossing the staff car parking lot. I feel providing enough emergency exits to the cafeteria immediately and monitoring of the cafeteria would provide safety. The monitoring can be done indirectly by placing closed circuit cameras in the cafeteria and monitoring it from the main school building. Any disturbances in the cafeteria can be easily recognized from the main building and necessary actions can be taken. The playground and the gym are located far from the main building. In case, if there is a severe injury to any student in the ground, it is difficult to provide medical facility immediately. This problem can be overcome by placing a first aid and emergency medical aid unit in the gymnasium. The traffic outside the campus is also a problem, as the school is situated in a very busy center of the city. The traffic on both the sides i.e. at the Washington Avenue as well as the Central Avenue is crowded at the end of the day. All the vehicles of the students as well as the staff come out of the school at the same time creating traffic problems. To solve this problem, it is better that a guard is employed at both the entrances who will guide the vehicles going out at the time of heavy traffic though the street. All these safety issues are a great disturbance for the parents. By employing the suggested solutions it will be a relief to the students, staff and parents too. These are the safe and unsafe areas that I feel considering my school and its surroundings. Â   Â  

ACT Aspire Practice Tests Where to Find Free Tests

ACT Aspire Practice Tests Where to Find Free Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Has your school district started using ACT Aspire? Because Aspire only rolled out a few years ago (2014), it's possible you have a lot of questions about what the test will be like. Want to get some practice before you take it for real? We'll give you links to free practice tests for each section of Aspire and explain how to best prepare for the test. What Exactly Is ACT Aspire? The ACT Aspire is a test given each year to students in third through tenth grade. Because Aspire tests Common Core standards, it includes varied questions types (like open response, sorting, and long answer). While its format is fairly distinct from the regular multiple-choice ACT, however, it does test some of the same concepts and skills. (For more information on what exactly is tested on the ACT Aspire, be sure to read this post.) In addition to preparing students for the ACT, Aspire aims to track student growth over time. The yearly score reports can help students see their strengths and weaknesses compared to others at their grade level. Why Are ACT Aspire Practice Tests Hard to Find? There aren't many ACT Aspire prep books available. Image via Angel Franco/The New York Times. A student preparing for the ACT could find dozens, if not hundreds, of practice tests. The ACT itself releases practice tests, tutoring companies write their own, and prep books often contain at least two full-length practice tests. So what about Aspire? Why are there so few practice tests for it? There are many reasons. A big one is the fact that Aspire is so new (it started rolling out in 2014), so there is much less information available about it. Furthermore, Aspire tests different questions for different grade levels. Given that Aspire is offered to students in grades 3-10 (or roughly ages 8-15), it’s hard to put together practice problems for so many potential age groups. Plus, the varied questions types make it harder to write a practice test (as opposed to just putting together a bunch of multiple choice questions). However, the main reason there aren’t many practice tests for ACT Aspire is its purpose. While the ACT is a test that students take independently for college admissions, Aspire is a test that entire school districts take to monitor student progress. In other words, the expectation is that teachers will prepare students for what’s on ACT Aspire. Students are not seen as responsible for preparing on their own like they are for the ACT. Links to ACT Aspire Practice Tests Still, if you want to get some practice for Aspire- or just see what the test is like- there are full practice sections by grade and subject that can be taken online, or printable PDFs with questions for each age group. If you're a student, this is a great way to get introduced to Aspire’s format before you take it for the first time in class; if you're a teacher, this is a great way to introduce your students to the format. To access the online version, go to this website and enter the user name and password for the test section you want to try. You will see different log-in usernames depending on the test section and grade level that you want to access. Each test contains between 24 and 42 sample questions. Unfortunately, the tests do not come with answer keys, so if you're a student, you'll need to work with your teacher to make sure you're getting the right answer; if you're a teacher, you'll need to go through and check your students'answers manually. There are also PDF versions of an older set of practice tests (with answer keys) for all subjects except writing. These practice tests contain a mix of questions divided by grade level, so they won't provide as much targeted practice as the online tests above. Also, note that the answer keys don’t provide answers for open-response questions. English Practice Test English Answer Key Mathematics Practice Test Mathematics Answer Key Reading Practice Test Reading Answer Key Science Practice Test Science Answer Key For example, if you’re giving these printable sample questions to your third-grader, only focus on the last few questions per section- the first questions will stump them! If you’re a high schooler, you can easily take the whole practice test. Middle schoolers can attempt the entire test as well, but be aware the first few questions will likely be very challenging. How Will These Help You Get Ready for ACT Aspire? If you take the practice sections online, you can get used to the format of Aspire (toggling back and forth between questions, inputting answers for the various question types, etc). You can also get a sense of how difficult the questions targeted for your grade level are. If you find the test tricky, you could reach out to your teacher and ask for additional resources to help you prepare If you’re at the high school level, the questions for you are quite similar to the ACT. If you want more practice, it would be appropriate for you to look at ACT practice tests, though be aware the ACT only has multiple-choice questions (excluding the optional essay). Furthermore, the ACT tests more challenging math, up to trigonometry. Why You Shouldn’t Stress About ACT Aspire While working through these practice sets can definitely help you prepare for Aspire, don't assume that burden is on you alone. As we mentioned earlier, Aspire is for school districts to monitor student progress. Your Aspire scores have zero effect on your GPA or your college admissions chances. No colleges require, or even accept, ACT Aspire scores for admission. If you (or your child) has Aspire testing coming up and you feel unprepared, feel free to check out the practice problems above, but also speak to your teacher. Your teacher can explain their plan for preparing the class for Aspire and give some insight as to how the test will be used at your school. Bottom line: unlike with the ACT, it is not a student’s independent responsibility to prepare for the ACT Aspire. What’s Next? Do ACT Aspire scores really predict your ACT score? Read our analysis on the subject here. Do you have a high-achieving middle school student (or are you one)? Read about programs they can do at Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford to further develop their talents. High schoolers, want links to free, official ACT practice tests? We’ve got ‘em! Does it make sense to start preparing for the ACT as a seventh, eighth, or ninth grader? Find out with our exclusive guides. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Halle Edwards About the Author Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. 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