The Importance Of Literacy Essay Example for Free

The Importance Of Literacy Essay Explain the importance of literacy and numeracy skills for accessing the wider curriculum. 1.1 Literacy and numeracy skills are essential in life. Pupils skilled in literacy and numeracy are more likely to stay in full time education and as adults be more productive and earn higher wages. Literacy and numeracy skills are extremely important for accessing the wider curriculum. This is because literacy skills are required for everything. If a learner has difficulty with literacy then they will find it difficult to read words and they may also have a problem with writing. They may struggle in all sorts of subjects like Science as they may not be able to read the instructions to do experiments or label diagrams, in Music they may not be able to read the words to sing the songs, in Cooking they may not be able to read the recipe or food labels. Numeracy is also used throughout the wider curriculum so if a pupil has difficulty within this area it can affect other areas such as Cooking with weighing ingredients, in PE they may find it hard to count if told to do 3 hops then 8 jumps tec. Poor literacy and numeracy skills could also affect the child socially as other children may not want them to join in. Improving pupil’s literacy and numeracy can have a positive effect on their confidence their ability to deal with everyday tasks as well as their lifelong learning and health. Research shows the links between low literacy and numeracy and crime, poor health choices, low educational attainment and unemployment.

The Gold Card :: Dialog Essays

" I always told you kids don’t buy it unless ya got the money." "Hey let’s go grab a bite to eat." "Yeah! that sounds good. I heard there is a new restaurant down on Grand that’s suppose to be good." "Okay", said my friend Shannon. We arrived at the restaurant and sat down. The waiter brought our menus. "I’m gonna get the broiled salmon in creamy herb sauce" "I’m gonna have the vegi ravioli" Shannon said. "MMMM that sounds good." I replied. The server brought our food and we enjoyed catching up with each other. "Wow that was so delicious wasn’t it?" "Yeah, hey this one is on me because I think you treated last time." "Thanks" Shannon replied. Then I whipped out my shiny Gold Platinum card at 3.9%. The waiter came by with that little black waiter case thing and a couple of mints. We paid and then we left. "Say do you mind if we go by the mall real quick I just want to check a new store that’s opened up?" Shannon replied, "sure that’s cool." "I just gotta pull into the Super America for some gas." I said. "I’ll pump you pay?" Shannon said. "Sure." I responded. I dashed in to the SA and headed to pay. I noticed an article about alien babies that I had heard about. " I read that one" a voice came from behind. I turned around and it was a short bald guy with a bag of cheetos in his hand. "Really, how was it ? Worth $1.95?" "Yeah" he said. So I grabbed it. Then I remembered that I needed some oil for my car. I grabbed some Valvoline and got back in line. "That will be $27.09 please." "Shoot, I don’t have enough cash." So I whipped out the gold again and zooooom we were off to the mall. " Let’s check out that new clothing store on the second floor. It’s supposed to be really cheep. I’d also like to go to that CD shop." "O.K., but I need to go to the cash machine first," Shannon said. "Great," I said, "I’ll meet you in the chocolate factory." There I was in the chocolate shop waiting for Shannon, when I remembered that my mother’s birthday was coming up. So I thought I’d buy her some nice chocolates. The coffee beans looked tempting as well. "I’ll have a pound of the french roast chocolate coffee and these chocolates as well.

Education in the United States Essay

Education in the United States of America is governed by the Department of Education. There are three different levels of control and funding for public education: federal, state, and local. In the United States school is mandatory from Kindergarten through High School, consisting of thirteen different grade levels. Students can obtain an education by attending a public school, a private school, or a home school. In order to ensure that all students obtain the academic knowledge needed to progress through the grade levels, standardized tests are given regardless of where a student obtains an education (United States Department of Education, 2005). Education in the United States is governed and funded mainly by local jurisdictions, with the state and federal governments supervising educational activities and ensuring that all local jurisdictions are administering standardized tests and obtaining the funding needed to operate adequate educational facilities. The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that all powers that are not assigned to the federal government by the United States Constitution are reserved to the people or the individual states. As per the Tenth Amendment, the individual states control public education. Most states are divided into local jurisdictions that have elected school boards that oversee the individual school districts within its jurisdiction. The local school districts own and operate the public schools within its boundaries and are responsible for obtaining funding for each of the public schools they control (United States Constitution, Tenth Amendment, 1787). The majority of the funding for public education in the United States is obtained from local taxes and state governments. The federal government only provides 8. 5% of the funds for public education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008). There has been some controversy over the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001 which allows the federal government to withhold funding if a state or local school district is not complying with the standards set forth in the No Child Left Behind Act. However, the funding withheld for non-compliance is not a significant amount (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001). There is a larger controversy over the local school districts obtaining funding primarily from local taxes. Local jurisdictions can impose many different types of taxes on its citizens. In the commonwealth of Massachusetts there has been controversy over the imposition of excise taxes and corporate taxes. Excise taxes are taxes that are not property taxes or taxes that are imposed based on statutory law. Corporate taxes are imposed on corporations within a certain jurisdiction that are paid to the local government. These taxes are in addition to any federal or state taxes that the corporation is responsible for. Businesses in the commonwealth of Massachusetts are required to pay quarterly excise taxes on an accelerated basis due 15 days prior to the end of each quarter. The first quarter payment is 40% of the required annual excise tax, the second and third payments are 25% each, and the fourth payment is 10% of the excise tax. The minimum amount of corporate excise tax required of all corporations operating within the commonwealth of Massachusetts is $456 per year regardless of whether or not the corporation made a profit that year (The National Federation of Independent Business, 2007). Chapter 70 Part 1, Title XII, Chapter 70 of the General Laws of Massachusetts regulates the financial disbursements awarded to each public school district throughout the commonwealth. The legislative intent of Chapter 70 is to assure fair and adequate minimum per student funding for public schools in the commonwealth by defining a foundation budget and a standard of local funding effort applicable to every city and town in the commonwealth (Chapter 70). Chapter 70 sets up rules on how to allocate the money. These rules set standards on how the money will be distributed if it is below a base amount or higher than a base amount. For example, in Section 13, Part B, the law states that â€Å"if the amount appropriated is more than the base amount, funds shall first be allocated to ensure that the state school aid for each municipality equals the base amount† (Chapter 70). This part tries to ensure that an equal distribution is set to each school. Although this is only occurs when more money is available, it still sets the standard that each school will at least get its base amount before other funds are distributed. In the event that there are not enough funds to cover the base, a formula has been established to attempt to make the distribution fair. The amount is reduced by a constant amount per student. The rate is found by the difference between the base amount and the actual amount divided by the total enrollment of the state (Chapter 70). Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge, Massachusetts is a city right outside Boston, Massachusetts. Cambridge is famous for its two prominent universities: Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The public school system in Cambridge is controlled by the Cambridge Public School District which consists of twelve elementary schools, of which eleven extend through eighth grade. There is only one high school in the Cambridge Public School District, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. The Cambridge Public School District educates over 5,500 students every year with a project enrollment of 5,790 students for the 2008-2009 school year. The Cambridge Public School District has a proposed budget of $130,704,170. 00 for the 2008-2009 school year. This proposed budget has increased 2. 36% from the previous year. 75% of this proposed budget will be allocated to the individual schools within the district. The remaining 25% of this budget will be spent on administrative costs such as maintenance and security. The Cambridge Public School District is funded through a variety of sources in addition to local taxes. The Cambridge Public School District receives funds from thirteen federal grants awarded by the commonwealth of Massachusetts, eleven private grants, eleven revolving funds, ten state grants, two district federal grants, and one state-circuit breaker reimbursement. These grants account for $13,714,499 of the total funds needed to operate the schools within the Cambridge Public School District. The Cambridge Public School District also receives an average of $1,076 per student from Chapter 70 financial aid each year (Action Public Schools, 2006). Newton, Massachusetts Newton, Massachusetts is a suburb of Boston that consists of thirteen small villages. The Newton Public School District controls the fifteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools that are located in Newton, Massachusetts. The Newton Public School District educates an average of over 11,000 students each year throughout its twenty two public schools (Newton Public School District, 2008). The Newton Public School District has a proposed budget of $171,377,580 for the 2008-2009 school year. This proposed budget has increased 10. 5% from the previous year. According to this budget, the Newton Public School District spends $14,743 per student every year (Newton Public School District, 2008). The Newton Public School District is funded through a variety of sources in addition to local taxes. The Newton Public School District receives 55% of the revenue generated by the City of Newton. The Newton Public School District also receives over $8. 6 million dollars from federal, state, and private grants. Over $3 million dollars of the Newton Public School District budget is received from a program called Circuit Breaker which allocates special funds to school districts for additional special education courses. Federal, state, and private grants and the Circuit Breaker program account for almost $12 million dollars of the annual budget (Newton Public School District, 2006). The Newton Public School District also receives an average of $846 per student from Chapter 70 financial aid each year (Action Public Schools, 2006). Conclusions Allocating funds for public education in the United States is a complex process. Wealth and more funds do not necessarily lead to greater achievement by the students enrolled in the school district. Federal, state, and local jurisdictions must determine the most beneficial methods for allocating the educational funds available. These allocations are not equal and usually result in the more industrious neighborhoods receiving less funding from these sources, and incurring higher corporate taxes. The Newton Public School District receives less funding from external sources, and its businesses pay more corporate taxes. The allocated budget in the Newton Public School District is higher than the budget in Cambridge due to the fact that although the populations are similar, Newton operates twice as many educational facilities. . The Newton Public School District does not need the extra funds from external sources in order to reach its budget. Although the dollar amounts indicate an unfair advantage for the residents of Cambridge, both school districts are able to meet their budgets and educate their students adequately. Although the corporate tax system and excise tax system in Massachusetts may seem unfair to its businesses and residents, the public school districts within Massachusetts (including Newton and Cambridge) are able to meet the budget requirements due to the Chapter 70 allocations. The purpose of Chapter 70 is to create equality amongst the school districts and ensure that the cities that receive less corporate and excise tax are still able to operate successful public school districts so that every child within the commonwealth of Massachusetts has the opportunity to receive a quality education. REFERENCES The United States Census Bureau (2006). American FactFinder. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://factfinder. census. gov/ Action Public Schools (2006). Chapter 70 Aid Per Student High to Low. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://ab. mec. edu/about/Chapter70Aid/CH70PerStudentFY06. pdf Newton, Massachusetts (2008). 2008 Property Tax Rates. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. ci. newton. ma. us/Assessor/taxrate. htm Cambridge Massachusetts (2008). 2008 Property tax Rates. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. cambridgema. gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/FY2008_Property_Tax_Update_Newsletter. pdf Newton Public School District (2008). General Information. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. newton. k12. ma. us Cambridge Public School District (2008). General Information. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from http://www. cpsd. us/index. cfm

Which States Are in Two Time Zones

There are 24 time zones in the world and six of those cover the 50 states that make up the United States. Within those time zones, there are thirteen states that are divided into two time zones. Quite often, it is just a small portion of a state that is in a different time zone. In the case of South Dakota, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the states are nearly cut in half by the time zone change. This is nothing unusual, as time zones throughout the world zig and zag along the lines of longitude but have no distinct pattern. Why Are the Time Zones So Crooked?   It is up to each government to regulate time zones in their country. There are standard time zones for the world, but where those lie exactly and whether to split the country up is a decision made by the individual nations. For example, in the United States time zones are standardized by Congress. When drawing the lines, they try to avoid splitting metropolitan areas and take other factors into account that might complicate life for the areas residents. Many times, the time zone lines do follow state borders but that is certainly not always the case as we can see with these thirteen states. 2 States Split by Pacific and  Mountain  Time The majority of western states are in the Pacific time zone.  Idaho and Oregon are the two states that have small portions that follow Mountain time.   Idaho: The entire lower half of Idaho is in the Mountain time zone and only the northern tip of the state uses Pacific time.Oregon: Almost all of Oregon is on Pacific time. Only a small area of the east-central border of the state observes Mountain time. 5 States Split by Mountain and  Central Time From Arizona and New Mexico north to Montana, a large portion of the southwestern and Rocky Mountain states use Mountain time. This time zone peaks over the borders of a few states, leaving five states with a Central-Mountain time split. Kansas: Only a small sliver of the far western border of Kansas uses Mountain time, the majority of the state is on Central time.Nebraska: The western portion of Nebraska is on Mountain time and most of the states population uses Central time. The towns of Valentine and North Platte are both in the Central time zone.North Dakota: A small southwestern section of North Dakota is on Mountain time and the rest of the state uses Central.South Dakota: This state is almost cut in half by the two time zones. All of eastern South Dakota is on Central time, while the majority in the west - including Rapid City and the Black Hills - follow Mountain time.Texas: The extreme western corner of Texas that borders New Mexico and Mexico are on Mountain time. This includes the city of El Paso. The rest of the state, including the entire panhandle, is on Central. 5 States Split by Central and Eastern Time On the other side of the central United States is another time zone line that splits five states between the Central and Eastern time zones. Florida: The majority of Floridas panhandle, including the city of Pensacola, is on Central time. The rest of the state is in the Eastern time zone.Indiana: This state has two small pockets of Central time on the western side. In the north, Gary, Indiana is on Central time because of its proximity to Chicago, though South Bend is on Eastern time. In the southwest, a slightly larger section of Indiana is in the Central zone.Kentucky: Kentucky is cut almost in half by time zones. The western part of the state, including Bowling Green, is on Central while the eastern half, including Louisville and Lexington, is one Eastern time.Michigan: The division between Central and Eastern time zones runs through the middle of Lake Michigan and curves west through Michigans Upper Peninsula. While the entire Lower Peninsula follows Eastern time, the UP has a sliver of Central time that follows its border with Wisconsin.Tennessee: Just like Kentucky, Tennessee is divided into two distinct time zones. The majority of the western half of the state, including Nashville, is on Central. The eastern half of the state, including Chattanooga, is on Eastern time.   Alaska Alaskas the largest state in the country and it only stands to reason that it is in two time zones. But did you know that Alaska has its own time zone? Its called the Alaska time zone and it covers almost every piece of the state. The exception in Alaska are the Aleutian islands and St. Lawrence Island. These are in the Hawaii-Aleutian time zone.