Criterion-Referenced Tests Tests Which Test Specific Academic Skills

Criterion-referenced tests are designed to find out whether a child has a set of skills, rather than how a child compares to other children of the same age (normed tests.) The test designers analyze the component parts of specific academic skills, such as number understanding, and then write test items that will measure whether the child has all the component parts of the skill.   The tested are normed, in terms of what skill level a child should have.   Still, the tests are designed to measure a childs acquisition of specific skills.   A test of reading skills would seek to discover whether a child can identify the specific sounds consonants make before it would evaluate whether a student can answer comprehension questions. The questions in a criterion-referenced test seek to find if the student has the skills, not whether the student does as well as other third grade children.   In other words, a criterion-referenced test will provide important information that a teacher can use to design specific instructional strategies to help those students succeed.   It will identify skills that the students lack.   A criterion-referenced test for Mathematics should reflect the scope and sequence of state standards (such as the common core state standards.)   It would reflect the skills needed at each age:   for young mathematicians, understanding one to one correspondence, numeracy and at least addition as an operation.  Ã‚   As a child grows, they are expected to gain new skills in a reasonable order that builds on earlier levels of skill acquisition.  Ã‚   State high stakes tests of achievement are criterion-referenced tests that are aligned with the states standards, measuring whether children actually have mastered the skills that are prescribed for the students particular grade level.   Whether these tests are actually reliable or valid may or not be true: unless the test designer has actually compared the success of students (say in reading new texts, or succeeding in college) with their scores for the test, they may not actually be measuring what they claim to measure. The ability to address specific needs that a student presents really helps a special educator maximize the effectiveness of the intervention he or she chooses.   It also avoids reinventing the wheel.   For example, if a child has trouble hearing final consonant sounds in words while guessing at the word using the initial sound, it may merely call for some structured word blending as well as having the student listen for and name the final sounds will help them use their decoding skills more effectively.   You dont actually need to go back to reteaching consonant sounds.   You can identify which consonant blends or digraphs the student doesnt have in his or her skills set.   Examples The Key Math Tests are criterion-referenced achievement tests that provide both diagnostic information and achievement scores in math. Other criterion-referenced tests include the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT,) and the Woodcock Johnson Test of Individual Achievement.

The Sarbanes Oxley Act Of 2002 - 2376 Words

Introduction In this paper, I will be discussing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. I will divide the paper up into four sections: the history of the act, trace its implementation, discuss its impact on society, and analyze the efficiency of the act. The act itself is made of of 11 sections or â€Å"titles†. Each title is a major key point in the act which also goes into more depth by containing several sections within it. This paper will me going over all of the sections covered in the act, but will focus on the major sections that have proven this act to be efficient in its purpose and the negatives as well. This act has been quite controversial regarding its strengths and weaknesses, but it contains some key values that should be used as a†¦show more content†¦Despite major loses, the companies grew because Enron essentially believed that â€Å"saying the right words, turning around three times and throwing salt over your shoulder could somehow transform something without econom ic substance into something with economic substance. (SEC Historical Society)† Due to this misleading and fraudulent act, shareholders lost billions of dollars when the companies crashed and the share prices went down with it (Citeseer). After uncovering several scandals from companies such as Enron, Worldcom, and Tyco, people found it difficult to trust and invest in companies again. As a result to this unforeseen and unethical scandal, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed on July 25, 2002. The House approved this act with a vote of â€Å"423 in favor, 3 opposed, and 8 abstained†, showing a unanimous favor in the necessity and practicality of the act. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was also known as the â€Å"Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act† (in the Senate) and the â€Å"Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act† (in the House), or simply SOX (Citeseer). Its purpose is to ensure the honestly of the company’s financial statements and to also make shareholders feel safe with where they are spending their money. In order to keep businesses running and the society’s best interests, this act is necessary. It is

Arlo Guthrie Essay Example For Students

Arlo Guthrie Essay Arlo Guthrie was and still is one of the most distinctive singer-songwriters of this century. He said, I was born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY in the summer of 1947 with a guitar in my hands DAddario. Since his father was a legendary folk musician, Woody Guthrie, that is pretty close to the truth. His father, Cisco Houston, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger and many others passed on their knowledge to the young Arlo. Arlo made his first appearance at the age of thirteen Official Oughtabiography. He attended a private high school in Stockbridge, Mass. and dropped out of a college in Montana. In 1967, at twenty years old, he appeared at the Newport Folk Festival. He performed the song Alices Restaurant, the song propelled him to instant fame. That song became the anthem of a generation Official Oughtabiography. Alices Restaurant protested the draft and the Vietnam War. The lyrics of this song probably make no sense whatsoever, but there is a very long story behind it. The original version of the song is over eighteen minutes long, when done with the original story. This is a shorter version. You can get anything you want at Alices Restaurant, exceptin Alice You can get anything you want at Alices Restaurant Walk right in its around the back Just a half-a-mile from the railroad track Oh You can get anything you want At Alices Restaurant. First of all, there is no restaurant named Alices Restaurant. Rather, it is about a woman named Alice who lives near a restaurant. Alice and her husband lived in a church that they made into their residence. There was a lot of garbage in the church and it leads to Arlo getting arrested and tried for littering. A couple of years later Arlo registered for the draft because he wanted to be an All-American kid. In the end, the Army found out he was arrested before and found guilty of a crime. He then said, you want to know if Im moral enough to join the army, burn women, kids, houses and villages after bein a litterbug. He was then not permitted to be in the Army. After he sang the song, he then challenged anyone who is ever in that position to walk in and say, Shrink You can get anything you want at Alices Restaurant and then walk out. He called it the Alices Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement Alices Restaurant Masacree. A movie was then made, using the same name, which Arlo starred in. He released the album Alices Restaurant in 1967. To date he has released over twenty albums. In 1986 he formed Rising Sun Records, so he could control his own music. In 1992 Arlo purchased the Old Trinity Church, which is the church referred to in Alices Restaurant. It now houses The Guthrie Center, The Guthrie Foundation, and Rising Sun records DAddario. It is a place for all kinds of community service, especially for the aid of abused children and those suffering from HIV/AIDS. In 1995 he co-wrote an award-winning childrens book with Alice Brock, yes the Alice Rolling Stone. On the 30th anniversary of the massacree he released Alices Restaurant: The Massacree Revisited which was recorded live in the church. Arlos latest album is Mystic Journey. It is his first recording of original songs in a decade. The album is co-produced by Arlo and his son Abe, who is twenty-six Official Oughtabiography. They have been touring around the world. From 1994-1996 Arlo had recurring roles in several different network television programs. His many songs have defined a generation and led that generation through many hard times, such as the Vietnam War. Because of his distinct song-writing skills his career is still going after almost forty years, and it does not show signs of slowing down any time soon.

Problem Solutions Essay Example

Problem Solutions Paper For the 1 year bond we must have where is the 1 year zero rate. It follows that or 1 1. 5%. For the 2-year bond we must have where is the 2-year zero rate. It follows that or 11. 3%. Problem 4. 9. What rate Of interest With continuous compounding is equivalent to per annum with monthly compounding? The rate of interest is where: The rate of interest is therefore 14. 91% per annum. Problem 4,10_ A deposit account pays 12% per annum with continuous compounding, but interest is actually paid quarterly. How much interest will be paid each quarter on a $10,000 deposit? The equivalent rate of interest with quarterly compounding is where The amount of interest paid each quarter is therefore: or $304. 55. Problem 4. 11. Suppose that 6-month, 12-month, 18-month, 24-month, and 30-month zero rates are 4%, 4. 2%, 44%, 4. 6%, and 4. 8% per annum with continuous compounding respectively, Estimate the cash price off bond with a face value of 100 that will mature in 30 months and pays a coupon of 4% per annum semiannually. The bond pays $2 in 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, and $102 in 30 months. The cash price Problem 4. 12. A three-year bond provides a coupon Of 8% semiannually and has a cash price Of 04. What is the bonds yield? The bond pays $4 in 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months, and $104 in 36 months. The bond yield is the value Of that solves using the Goal seek tool in Excel or 6. 407%. Problem 4. 13. Suppose that the 6-month, 12-month, 18-month, and 24-month zero rates are 5%, 6%, 6. 5%, and 7% respectively. What is the two-year par yield? Using the notation in the text, , . Also The formula in the text gives the par yield as To that this is correct we calculate the value of a bond that pays a coupon of 7. 072% per year (that is 3. 5365 every six months), The value is refrying that 7. 72% is the par yield. Problem 414 _ Suppose that zero interest rates with continuous compounding are as follows: Maturity(years) Rate (% per annum) Calculate forward interest rates tort the second, third, fourth, and fifth years. We will write a custom essay sample on Problem Solutions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Problem Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Problem Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The forward rates with continuous compounding are as follows: to Year 2: 4. 0% Year 3: 5. 1% Year 4: 5. 7% Years: 5. 7% Problem 4. 15. Use the rates in Problem 4. 14 to value an FAR ever you will pay 5% for the third year on $1 million. The forward rate is 5. 1% With continuous compounding or With annual compounding. The 3-year interest rate is 3. With continuous compounding. From equation (4. 10), the value Of the FAR is therefore or $1,964. 67. Problem 4. 16. A 10-year, 8% coupon bond currently sells for SIS. A 10-year, 4% coupon bond currently sells for $80. What is the Ill-year zero rate? (Hint: Consider taking a long position in two of the 4% coupon bonds and a short position in one of the 8% coupon bonds. ) Taking a long position in two of the 4% coupon bonds and a short position in one of the coupon bonds leads to the following cash flows because the coupons cancel out. $100 in 10 years time is equivalent to $70 today, The 10-year rate, , (continuously compounded) is therefore given by The rate is or per annum_ Problem 4. 17 _ Explain carefully why liquidity preference theory is consistent with the observation that the term structure Of interest rates tends to be upward sloping more often than it is downward sloping. If long-term rates were simply a reflection of expected future short-term rates, we would expect the term Structure to be downward sloping as often as it is upward sloping. (This is based on the assumption that half of the time investors expect rates to increase and half of the time investors expect rates to decrease). Liquidity preference theory argues that long term rates are high relative to expected future shorter rates. This means that the term structure should be upward sloping more often than it is downward sloping. Problem 4, 18. M/hen the zero curve is upward sloping, the zero rate tort a particular maturity is greater than the par yield for that maturity. When the zero curve is downward sloping the reverse is true. Explain why this is so. The par yield is the Yield on a coupon-bearing bond. The zero rate is the yield on a zero-coupon bond. When the yield curve is upward sloping, the yield on n -year coupon-bearing bond is less than the yield on an -year zero-coupon bond. This is because the coupons are discounted at a lower rate than the -year rate and drag the yield down below this rate. Similarly, when the yield curve is downward sloping, the yield on an -year coupon bearing bond is higher than the yield on an ;year zero-coupon bond. Problem 4. 19. Why are US. Treasury rates significantly lower than Other rates that are close to risk free? There are three reasons (see Business Snapshot 4. 1). 1. Treasury bills and Treasury bonds must be purchased by financial institutions o fulfill a variety of regulatory requirements. This increases demand for these Treasury instruments driving the price up and the yield down. 2. The amount of capital a bank is required to hold to support an investment in Treasury bills and bonds is substantially smaller than the capital required to support a similar investment in other very-low-risk instruments. 3. In the United States, Treasury instruments are given a debatable tax treatment compared with most other fixed- income investments because they are not taxed at the state level. Problem 4,20_ Why does a loan in the reap market involve very little credit risk? A reap is a contract where an investment dealer who owns securities agrees to sell them to another company now and buy them back later at a slightly higher price. The other company is providing a loan to the investment dealer. This loan involves very little credit risk. If the borrower does not honor the agreement, the lending company simply keeps the securities. If the lending Company does not keep to its side of the agreement, the original owner of the securities keeps the cash. Problem 4. 21. Explain why an FAR is equivalent to the exchange of a floating rate of interest for fixed rate of interest? A FAR is an agreement that a certain specified interest rate, , will apply to a certain principal, , for a certain specified future time period. Suppose that the rate observed in the market for the future time period at the beginning of the time period proves to be. Fifth FAR is an agreement that will apply when the principal is invested, the holder tooth FAR can borrow the principal at and then invest it at. The net cash flow at the end of the period is then an inflow of and an outflow of If the FAR is an agreement that will apply when the principal is arrowed, the holder of the FAR can invest the borrowed principal at The net cash flow at the end of the period is then an inflow and an outflow of. In either case we see that the VERA involves the exchange of a fixed rate of interest on the principal of for a floating rate of interest on the principal. Problem 4. 22. An interest rate swap where six-month LABOR is exchanged for a fixed rate on a principal of $100 million is a portfolio of FRATS. Explain.