Individual application paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual application paper - Essay Example This could be because am junior to him or we are not very close friends. I believe in his own way, he is right because based on my understanding and knowledge, the owners of the restaurant also has never questioned him or complained. I think generally I don’t like Erick the manager. I do not know whether my dislike for Erick will create a negative attitude toward him or am just being biased. His style of management does not conform to the normal style of management which has been in existence since I joined Franklin group of companies. I do not welcome his tendency of hiring his friends to work in the restaurant because some are incompetent like Colleen. Despite that I do not agree with his style of management, I think Erick also believes he is right in his own way of doing things. However much I can be critical or conservative to some of his decisions, I think he trusts the people he always hires. Take a scenario of an episode, which occurred last Saturday night, and you will agree with me. The policies of the restaurant stipulate that an employee cannot leave the cafe at the end of the working day before being released by the manager. However, on the material Saturday, Colleen, a waitress and one of the friends of Erick, was to go home at 11.30 pm but was not yet released by the manager. ... Two clients comes into her sections and she ignores them. Her behavior made me dislike her so much because she does not value work and responds to me rudely. I may be judgmental to her but I think to Colleen, she knew her time was up and was waiting to be released. Similarly, her response to me that she did not see the clients might be true given that it was a busy evening and many people move in and out (Mind Tools, 2013). Similarly, I later decided to approach the management about the incidence despite the fact that I knew what would be the response of the manager. I do not think Erick could have responded well could he have more time to with me or if I could have come another time. This is because he only spared me one minute on such a sensitive matter. But generally I believe maybe my report undermined his decisions on the operations of the restaurant or he liked the waitress. My Action plan After studying the situation in the restaurant for some time now and was not pleased with the way it was being managed, I look for an opportune moment to act for the well being of the restaurant. The issues I identified that need action was the general manager to stop hiring his friend the restaurant most of whom are lazy, the working policies to be followed and the management should consider the opinions of the junior employees in managing the restaurant (Mind Tools, 2013). I feel that the general manager ignored my report and the well being of the restaurant and I believe I was right in reporting the matter to him as the general manager of the restaurant. My plan of action will mainly focus to the manager and if it fails, I will try to seek audience with the owner of the restaurant. Furthermore,

The health and sanitary conditions within womans prisons (United Essay

The health and sanitary conditions within womans prisons (United Kingdom) not mental health - Essay Example (Toolkit for health care needs assessment in prisons) A committee known as Friends World Committee for Consultation have been taking up the issue of criminal justice and caring about the conditions that prevail in the prison for the last 350 years of their existence in UK. This committee feels that particularly there is need to give importance to women and girls particularly female juveniles under the age group of 18 years, in the prison during their imprisonment period following trial. Also there added concern is also includes their stay in hostels or similar places like the prison or about the general health care conditions of the babies and children of imprisoned women when both the child as well as the mother are inside the prison. (Women in Prison and Children of Imprisoned Mothers Preliminary Research Paper) The reason for the emergence of such committees is to understand and make the issue of the conditions of women and girl prisoners inside the prison, and also to collect information and ideas to resolve the issues and analyze them better. It is generally felt that though both men and women are subjected to imprisonment, there has been little consideration about the care and various needs of the imprisoned women. This way of omitting the care taken on women prisoners could be due to the strength of the women prisoners that is the number of women prisoners are much lesser in number when compared to men. (Women in Prison and Children of Imprisoned Mothers Preliminary Research

4.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

4.2 - Essay Example (Fielding, 2001) In early childhood, patients with Dyslexia find it hard to know direction and differentiate between left and right, experience delay in speech and suffer from letter reversing. It seems hard for schoolchildren to generate or even identify rhyming words; they also cannot segment words to different sounds, and these students mostly tend to add or omit words during writing or reading. Moreover, it becomes hard for them to count syllables in words and retrieve them while they still cannot name problems (Hoien, 2000). Schools with student who suffer from dyslexia always maintain structured daily routines. This assists them know what to do, how and at what time. These schools should also embrace methods and channels that provide learning through a combination of visual and audio elements. For this, pupils to perform well academically also these schools should provide a platform in which these students can use and build additional resources to the best of their interests. AcceleRead Accelerate software gives complete instructions on how to use the computer in text to speech software. The software helps in teaching students who experience literacy hardships to improve in writing, reading, spelling, and listening skills. It is composed of perforated, color-coded flash cards with record sheets, along with flash cards that are blank, which one can use to print their own sentences. This software requires installation of a text-to-speech engine in the pupil’s computer. It also aids students with Dyslexia in writing letters at specific times. Here he learns to read and write because of the introduction of irregular and tricky words (fielding, 2001). Martin’s school can also introduce the use of a unit of sound online; this is a new way that helps in reading, dictation, spelling and boosting of memory. Unit of sound is a cumulative, structured and multisensory program me that teaches the

Analayzing Boston Bombing - Terrorism or not terrorism Essay

Analayzing Boston Bombing - Terrorism or not terrorism - Essay Example The deceased’s younger brother, 19-year-old Dzokhar fled the scene in an illegally possessed SUV and was discovered in a severely injured state later that evening by law enforcement personnel and shifted to a medical facility in Boston. Schmitt and Schmidt reported that the wound on the suspect’s neck indicated that Dzokhar had tried to kill himself at some point during his escape from the shootout scene at Watertown. Dzokhar Tsarnaev was charged with exercising the use of a weapon of mass destruction to cause death along with initiating malevolent devastation of property. Both these charges were levied on April 22, 2013 against the suspect in relation with the Boston Marathon bombings. If the charges against the suspect are proven to be true, it is expected that he would face the death penalty. The atrocity that was committed against the people of Boston on April 15, 2013 which claimed 3 innocent lives and injured over 260 people has raised several important questions for the state, the society and concerned authorities alike. Initial reports have concluded a possible religious motivation behind the attacks, Pearson, however has reported that the bombers could have been incited to conduct the attacks due to the U.S wars against terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. Building on the aforementioned information this part of the paper will assess and analyze the event at an International System level. This discussion entails an examination of the involvement of international and external organizations or institutions that may have influenced and shaped the mindset of the suspected bombers, Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev to conduct such an atrocity as the Boston Marathon bombings. It is imperative to the discussion to outline the profile of the suspected bombers in order to explore their intentions and motivations with pertinence to the involvement of international forces and organizations. Born to Muslim parents, the suspects belong to Chechen-Avar ethnicity and their family emigrated from Kyrgyzstan in 2002. Reports on Tamerlan’s early life in the United States do not indicate any involvement or association with Islamic fundamentalism. The deceased’s educational background suggests that his failure to perform well in his studies led him to concentrate on a career in boxing (Finn). According to Waxman, Tamerlan supposedly experienced a drastic religious transformation in 2009. As suggested by the late suspect’s uncle Ruslan Tsarni in an interview, Tamerlan’s customary presence at various Islamic societies across Boston critically aided his transition towards the path of radicalization which was reflected in dramatic changes in his behavior and actions such as one incident in which the slain suspect assaulted his girlfriend and demanded that she veil herself and accept Islam (Kenner). Researchers have highlighted how accessibility to media such as videos, literature, websites and books that preach Islamic fun damentalism can immensely affect the psyche of an impressionable mind. The evidence of an influence of radical media such as the teachings of radical clerics on the psyche of Dzokhar and Tamerlan is quite evident. Fundamentalist leaders and preachers such as Osama Bin Laden have released several literature and books to incite

4.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

4.2 - Essay Example (Fielding, 2001) In early childhood, patients with Dyslexia find it hard to know direction and differentiate between left and right, experience delay in speech and suffer from letter reversing. It seems hard for schoolchildren to generate or even identify rhyming words; they also cannot segment words to different sounds, and these students mostly tend to add or omit words during writing or reading. Moreover, it becomes hard for them to count syllables in words and retrieve them while they still cannot name problems (Hoien, 2000). Schools with student who suffer from dyslexia always maintain structured daily routines. This assists them know what to do, how and at what time. These schools should also embrace methods and channels that provide learning through a combination of visual and audio elements. For this, pupils to perform well academically also these schools should provide a platform in which these students can use and build additional resources to the best of their interests. AcceleRead Accelerate software gives complete instructions on how to use the computer in text to speech software. The software helps in teaching students who experience literacy hardships to improve in writing, reading, spelling, and listening skills. It is composed of perforated, color-coded flash cards with record sheets, along with flash cards that are blank, which one can use to print their own sentences. This software requires installation of a text-to-speech engine in the pupil’s computer. It also aids students with Dyslexia in writing letters at specific times. Here he learns to read and write because of the introduction of irregular and tricky words (fielding, 2001). Martin’s school can also introduce the use of a unit of sound online; this is a new way that helps in reading, dictation, spelling and boosting of memory. Unit of sound is a cumulative, structured and multisensory program me that teaches the

Comparing and contrasting between two poems Essay Example for Free

Comparing and contrasting between two poems Essay In this essay I am going to look at the differences and similarities between two cultural poems. I will look at the language used by the poets to describe the different cultures and I will also look at the imagery used to portray the cultures in the poems. The two poems I will be looking at is Island man by Grace Nichols and Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker The poem Island Man is about a Caribbean Island man who lives in London and still wakes up to the sound of the sea and the poem Blessing is about a third world country who have hardly any water and cant wait for the water pipe to burst so that they can have some more water for a while. Island Man is broken up into four stanzas with one line at the end on its own. The first stanza is where he is waking up after dreaming about the island and he is slowly coming back from his dream. In this stanza they have used a metaphor wombing, which is actually a made up word, however, this word makes you think that he could have possibly grown up here as the word gives the impression that he feels a sense of safety towards the island and so he could have grown up there. It also uses sibilance with the words Surf, steady and wakes. This creates a calm and gentle mood for the island where Island Man possibly grew up. The second Stanza is also about him waking up from his dream and coming back from the island in his head and also expands on the image created in the first stanza. The first line Wild seabirds gives you the feeling that on this island you are free and you can relax and have fun without being stressed out all the time. There is an adverb defiantly used on the third line to describe the sun Sun surfacing defiantly this is a lexical field, creating the image of independence or refusing to be organized. Also the word emerald has been used to describe the island, this suggests that the island is precious to him and that it has many vivid colours whish are really special to him. Then the last line of the second stanza is stood out from the rest of the poem groggily groggily is used to describe the him coming back from the island to the stress of everyday life, and it emphasises the way that he doesnt want to come back. The third and fourth stanzas are about him waking up from his dream about the island and realises that he is in London and not where he wants to be. Grey metallic soar and Dull, north circular roar are used to describe London as really dull and having a lack of colour, whereas the island appeared to be very colourful, for example Blue surf and sun surfacing defiantly and emerald island. Also in the third stanza the third line stands out from the rest of the poem Surge of wheels, this is describing the sharp sound of London compared to the soft and relaxing sounds of the island. In the fourth stanza, the first and second lines link back to the island muffling, muffling deadens the sharp sounds from earlier in the poem and his crumpled pillow waves, links to the sounds of the island, him thinking his pillow is the waves of the island. And finally the last line in the fourth stanza island man heaves himself which is followed by the last line Another London day, Contrasts with wakes up and shows how much he really is longing to be on that island instead of in London and how he has to pull himself away from his island and begin another London day. The poem Blessing starts with a similie which really emphasises the meaning of the poem the skin cracks like a pod. There is never enough water, onomatopoeia is also used with the word cracks to add emphasis to show how desperate these people are for water. Like Island Man the second stanza expands on the image created within the first two lines. The second line uses onomatopoeia twice, splash and echo. This makes you realise how precious the water is to the people in the poem, especially when it says how they imagine the echo of it in a tin mug on lines 3-6, this really shows there desperation and longing for something everyone else would take for granted. In the third stanza, various metaphors are used to add emphasis to the previous stanza and also create a new image of how they react when they receive more water than they normally have. They describe the water as silver crashing to the ground, this shows how important the water is to the people, especially when the water is described as silver. The people are described as a congregation to again add emphasis and show how much these people want the water and how desperate they are, this is shown again by using another metaphor on the very last line of the third stanza frantic hands, this again shows the desperate people trying to reach for the water. Finally, the fourth stanza describes how fantastic and amazing they find this water by using another metaphor to show how much they treasure the water as the blessing sings over their small bones, also in this final stanza it describes how poor they were and how little they had by saying that the children were naked and their small bones could mean that they are really weak as they dont have much to eat and obviously not enough to drink. Overall the two poems are fairly similar as they are both about people wanting things and longing for something that they dont have. For instance in Island Man he continuously dreams about the island where he possibly grew up and where he wants to be everyday instead of the dull and stressful life that he is currently living in London. Likewise in Blessing the people who live in the poor country have hardly any water and are longing for water. A phrase from each poem could possibly link this to each poem, for example in Island Man on the fourth line it says In his head and in Blessing on the third line it says Imagine. These phrases could indicate to the reader that both poems are about people wanting things that they cant have and are so desperate that they dream about them. However there are differences between the two poems, for instance in the way the poems are written, because Island man has no punctuation apart from a capital letter on the first and last line and also on the first line in the section of poem that starts to describe the city of London. This could be to distinguish between the two different places described in the poem and then the last line of the poem where it shows how he is feeling about waking up for another London day when he really doesnt want to. And also because in Blessing they are longing for something which they need to survive (water), whereas in Island Man he is desperate to go back to the island where he grew up and is precious to him however unlike the people in Blessing, he could actually live without the island, even though he may not want to, although you cant live without water.

Impact of Mixed Ability Classrooms in Catholic School

Impact of Mixed Ability Classrooms in Catholic School A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers(Taylor, P.1). In this chapter, my purpose is to convey what knowledge and ideas have been established by others in my research field. I would discuss the literature which would help me answer my research questions: What is the impact of Mixed Ability Classrooms in a Catholic School since its implementation in 2005? Did low achievers ability grouping strategy of GCS have a significant impact on academic school achievement? Could Mixed Ability Classrooms and Ability Classrooms continue to coexist in the future? The literature reviews what international body has found on Mixed Ability and Ability Grouping and how it has impacted since implementation, as well as its implications in Mauritius especially for GCS. This chapter is schematically structured as follows: Mixed Ability Mauritian definition v/s others Mixed Ability Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategies which could be applicable but are not used in the Mauritian context Mixed Ability Disadvantages Ability Grouping Definition and which one is adapted to GCS. The pros and cons of Ability Grouping Ability Grouping v/s Conclusions of other literatures on the correlation existing between grouping School achievement and achievement 2 Mixed Ability Mixed Ability is first defined before its implication in the Mauritian context is considered. Mckeon (2004) defines Mixed Ability Classroom as a group consisting of able, average, and children with learning difficulties in the same class. (cited in Bremner, 2008, p.2). Ireson and Hallam (2001) reinforce the idea of Mixed Ability classrooms as those catering for diverse learning styles and preferences. (cited in Bremner, 2008, p.2). These two definitions are consistent with what is found in the Mauritian context. In 2005, the BEC changed the corporate aim of all Mauritian Catholic Schools in adopting the Mixed Ability Policy. This was translated by a change in the intake criteria of these schools for Form 1 students. Admission criteria, under BEC aegis, for Form 1 students since 2005 are as follows: Aggregate of 15 to 20 units at the Certificate of Primary Education Zoning: The Secondary School where application is lodged should be in the same zone as the Primary School attended Social Cases: on Humanitarian grounds Individual results in English, Mathematics, Science, French or History/Geography (in that order) will be used for candidates with the same aggregate Aptitude tests/Interviews/Random selection if there are too many successful applications (Source: BEC, 2003) Thus the Form 1 classrooms in Catholic Schools had a diverse group of students since 2005. This situation harmonises itself with the Catholic Education mission which is to: humanise education, pedagogies, methods, means for students, teachers, parents to be more humanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦A human education is a collaborative and creative approach to learning (Bishop Piat, Le Mauricien, Jan. 2006). Mixed ability classes in catholic schools of Mauritius therefore are made up of low, middle and high achievers within the same classroom. This concept is acknowledged by Dauguet (2007) that in Mauritius Mixed Ability is related to performance-based groupings (p.58) and Merven (2005) where students with different academic levels will be in the same classroom (p.36). It is understood that Mixed Ability is related to differentiation since diversity means differences (Tileston, 2004, p.13). The concept of differentiation can be defined as meeting the individual needs of each learner, of customising instruction to help students learn (Fogarty, 2005, p.2). . Rose (2009) compared a Mixed Ability Class with an elevator. The class is a lift, and everyone needs to get into the lift. Some will get on while others have to be dragged in. Some will travel to the top while others may stop at the 3rd floor, others may only reach the first floor but everyone would have travelled successfully somewhere. (English Teaching Professional, p. 3). This story is in line with Mixed Ability philosophy where every student can leave the classroom feeling that they have been challenged and that they have achieved something. Teaching, Learning and Assessments are ingredients used as tools to make a Mixed Ability class effective. 2.1 Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategies in Mixed Ability Classrooms GCS Mixed Ability Classrooms have features which are characteristics of both the differentiated classroom as well as the traditional one. (Appendix..). In my study I aim to find out whether Mixed Ability Classrooms at GCS were consistent with what is said on the topic in the international literature. Thus Teaching, Learning and Assessment strategies which are used currently under Mixed Ability Policy would provide material for comparative analysis in my research. Tomlinson (1999) suggested that an educator in a differentiated classroom would use as their planning basis, the students differences. The learners on the other hand would be guided to make learning choices based on their interests. In this context the learners would be provided with an array of learning profiles such as readiness, interest and their attitude to learning which would shape instruction. In a mixed ability classroom there is the possibility that students help their co-learners in difficulty as well as their teachers in finding solutions to problems. Furthermore students work with the educator to institute embracing whole-class as well as individual learning aims. In the same line of thought, the Mixed Ability approach expressed by Harris and Snow (2004) would make students become more effective learners and the use of learner-centred strategies would give them the choice of content as well as learning style. (cited in Bremner, 2008). Bremner (2008) acknowledged that Mixed Ability Classroom success depends on students learning as an individual rather than having a whole class teaching. The teacher in developing its teaching strategies would focus on multiple forms of intelligences found in diverse classroom as stipulated by Tomlinson (1999). She further advocated that in this context educators will make use of many instructional arrangements as well as multiple teaching materials or resources. Thus this would lead to multiple perspectives on ideas and events. In this way, the teacher/facilitator enhances students skills in view of making independent learners. The GCS educators in the study were concerned about the lack of resources. The scarce resources could be circumvented (Bremner 2008) by Educators teaching learners to be effective. This should be done by setting achievable goals, by making use of available tools and keeping those in good running conditions, and by managing effectively their time allocated for work. To reinforce the key factors which would make a Mixed Ability Class successful, Moutou (2006) advocated that resource person should have a well planned and organised lesson plan. The teacher should make provision to cater for individualised needs. In order to accommodate various students needs, it should be supported by multi tasks for one lesson. This scenario is more challenging for the teacher dealing with multi level class than a single level class. Similarly, this view is consistent with GCS educators who found Mixed Ability Classrooms challenging. This challenging attitude is reflected by the following quote from Hubbard, Jones, Thornton and Wheeler: Teachers attitude, their willingness to create, a sense of community in class, and a genuine desire to help, there can be progress at all levels (1983, p.318, cited in Moutou, 2006, p.1). This challenging attitude is contrasted with teacher centred approach where teaching emphasis is on text book context and very few activities thus breeding poor lessons. This situation is further reinforced by insufficient collaboration in groups as well as inadequate differentiated tasks in class. (HM Inspectors of Education cited in Bremner 2008). GCS Educators have been challenged by the new policy to seek new ways of teaching and to make use of available materials. Thus, training and resources are important tools to make a Mixed Ability class effective. This links well with what Corbel (1989) said: Professional development occurs naturally in Mixed Ability Classes. These are classes that compel us to find better ways of setting up routine tasks. They are the classes that make us think, create and grow as a teacher. (p.4). Learning, teaching and assessments are part of the student life. Thus, Tomlinson (1999) advanced that a classroom assessment is ongoing and diagnostic (p.16). He further acknowledged that various types of assignments should be used in Mixed Ability Classrooms. To be in harmony with a learners need time flexibility should not be a constraint. Differentiated/Mixed Ability instruction and assessment work together (Tomlinson 1999, Chapman and King 2005). Marzano (2000) suggested aims of assessment and instruction as follows: Assessment should focus on students use of knowledge and complex reasoning rather than their recall of low level information Instruction must reflect the best of what we know about how learning occurs. (cited in Chapman and King, 2005, p.) Fullan (1998) reflects the above in stipulating that assessment has to drive the educational change agenda around learning and student achievement (cited in Chapman and King, 2005, p.). Assessment is therefore part of instruction and has to be ongoing and embracing the learning process. Its aim is to provide teachers with information on students profiles: skills, interests and learning strategy(Tomlinson, 1999, p.). Teachers in differentiated classroom (Tomlinson 1999) saw assessment not as a tool that come at the end of a chapter or unit where it examined what has been learned rather it views assessment as a way of changing instruction strategy. Differentiated assessment should be used to collect information on the students: needs, skills, prior knowledge, way and speed at which they process new learning, and of demonstrating progress (Chapman and King (2005) p.). When sifting through the literature it is observed that varied means of assessment directs learning and instruction. In this context Formative Assessment which is ongoing before, during and after instruction provides feedback on effective student learning (Chapman and King, 2005). Diagnostic assessments, as acknowledged by Dryer (2008) are done during the learning process. They tried to detect learning difficulties in students and this has to be attended to. Assessments, as defined by Dryer (2008) occur at the end of the learning cycle or phase and measures achievement are called Summative. The results (p.17) are used as acknowledged by Chapman and King (2005) as evidence for a grade, for reporting to parents, to identify award recipients or to make placement decisions (p.). Differentiated Assessments are contrasted with traditional assessment still in use in Mauritian schools. Puhl (1997) reflects on traditional assessment which has as purpose summative tests that forces learners to study. Traditional assessment focus in on memorisation and teacher centred strategy and encourages instruction as a product. The resulting feedback on summative tests is final and usually these tests are written work. Mauritius, whose examining body is external UCLES, is a proponent of summative examinations. As it is an island and depends on export and imports for its survival, it has to compete. This overall competition brings forward an elitist society where Education follows the trend. The Mauritian education system allows for star or national schools where the best performing student is recruited, laureates (top ranked students at Higher School Certificate who benefits from a scholarship), and the parallel education wide tuition based. All this encouraged the elitist system to proliferate. As only final score counts in such system, summative examinations are adopted thro ughout the Mauritian school system. Although since the 70s in England, and under the different Education Mauritian policy papers, Mixed Ability philosophy has been encouraged, such classrooms have encountered problems. Salli-copur (2005) reported that it is difficult for a teacher even for a small group to follow each learner. Due to individual differences students react differently to text book which can be enjoyable for some and boring for others. There is also the fact that, students who feel confident voice out their answers quicker and more often than the shy ones. GCS Mixed Ability Classrooms are large. As a result of complaints from GCS Educators encountering difficulties in managing and instructing Mixed Ability Classrooms, Low Achievers Ability Classroom was formed. 2.2 Ability Grouping As a result of Mixed Ability Policy implemented in the Catholic School under investigation in the research, the low achievers ability grouping was formed and used as a strategy to promote learning and strengthen academic achievement. As stipulated by George (1988) the ability grouping practice at GCS is aimed at: increasing academic standards compared to what it was in a mixed ability environment, the students which could embrace a good feeling/attitude towards schools and also in their input as a learner, reinforcing teachers effectiveness. In perusing through the literature, it was discovered that the ability grouping is also known as: setting, banding, streaming, tracking. This is reflected in the following quote: The controversy of arranging students in classes by achievement levels, called setting or streaming in Scotland and tracking or ability grouping in the United States is over 100 years old. (Gamoran, 2002). Thus ability grouping is defined as: Ability grouping is the practice of dividing students for instruction on the basis of their perceived capacities for learning (Balanced View, 2002, Vol 6, No.2). The Balanced View (2002) makes the distinction between within class grouping and between class grouping. The former group separates students of same ability into smaller groups while the latter allocate students to different classes based on achievement. GCS has adopted the later system. Smith and Sutherland (2003) offered a rationale for ability grouping in the sense that teachers would feel not only more at ease with a smaller range of ability but also it could be a way of separating students with behaviour problems. Such a class would motivate students and learners to learn better than in a Mixed Ability one and thus have a chance in improving their results. (cited in the Journal of Research in Special Education Needs, 2003). GCS criteria for Ability Grouping would be consistent with Barker-Lunn (1970) idea that Teachers, faced with a Mixed Ability class, will group the pupils according to their abilities; in other words, they will solve the problems presented to them by the unstreamed school by streaming within the class (Cited in Kelly, 1978, p.96). Kelly (1978) further added that there is a direct correlation between achievement and grouping. The students with same working pace and past achievements would be grouped together. The practice in GCS is analogous to what is described by Oakes (15 16 cited in Johnson (2002). The latter acknowledged that students can be grouped through the following criteria: achievement through tests performance, teachers perception of where to situate the students level of understanding and learning, and their prospects of what students intend to do after graduation. Thus, Oakes acknowledged that a homogeneous group would be consistent with the learners needs. Johnson (2002) further emphasised that to group learners with their peers who are in similar process of learning is a positive move. Ability grouping would therefore make education efficient and effective for all students while recognising individual differences. (Johnson, 2002, p 2). Grouping according to ability is not new: Ireson and Hallam recount that: Historically, grouping in the UK had been based on measures of general ability or intelligence, such as verbal reasoning and cognitive abilities. During the 1960s and 1970s such test were used by many secondary schools to allocate pupils to streams on entry. Pupils were then taught in their streamed classes for all lessons (1999, p.343-344). GCS Ability grouping could turn out to be a discouraging strategy for the school if the disadvantages that are revealed in the literature become applicable to the school. Opponents of ability grouping as written in the Balanced View (2002) do not believe in its good effects as they prescribed that this type of grouping encouraged the channelling of poor and minority students to receive lower quality instruction thus contributing to enlarge the gap between the low and high achievers. (Vol 6, No.2). Other arguments advanced by Hollifield (1987) against ability grouping are, that the practice creates classes or groups of low achievers who are deprived of the example and stimulation provided by high achievers. Labelling students according to ability and assigning them to low-achievement groups may also communicate self-fulfilling low expectations.(p.1). This further links to Gamoran (1998) criticism that ability grouping creates status hierarchy in the school system. To label students as being incompetent or less smart could create inequities outside the classroom (cited in Johnson, 2002, p.2). 2.3 Ability Grouping v/s Achievement Since one of my research questions is to find out the whether there is a significant impact between ability grouping and academic achievement, it is worth noting the different literature on the subject. Slavin (1986) proceeded to a Best Evidence Analysis. To do so, he reviewed five comprehensive ability grouping plans in elementary schools. The grouping plans are: ability grouped class assignment, regrouping for reading or mathematics, the Joplin Plan, non graded plans, and within-class ability grouping (cited in Hollifield, 1987). The Ability Grouped Class Assignment placed students in a classroom on an ability basis. The evidence found by Slavin (1986) showed that this type of grouping has no effect on student achievement in the elementary school. The Regrouping for reading or mathematics is only done during those two classes as for most of the day the students are in their mixed ability classrooms. This grouping has proved advantageous on student achievement. This has been enhanced by the fact that level and instruction pace had been adapted to achievement level. However, it must be noted that the above regrouping to be proven efficient, it should be catered for not more than two subjects. (cited in Hollifield, 1987). The Joplin Plan regrouped students across grade levels for example high achieving fourth grades, average fifth graders, low achieving six grades form part of the fifty grade reading class. Slavins (1987) found strong evidence of such grouping increases reading achievement. This piece of information reflects what was said previously in the chapter, that the notion of high achievers stimulating low achievers when they are mixed into a classroom. (cited in Hollifield, 1987). The Non Graded Plan which channelled students into flexible groups based on performance, the subject curriculum is divided in such a way that students improve at their own pace. This plan has proved a positive relationship between grouping and achievement. Similarly Within-Class Ability Grouping where students are grouped according to their ability in one classroom, evidence has shown a positive correlation between grouping and achievement. However, Slavin (1986), found out that the effects were slightly greater for low achievers than for middle or lower flyers. (cited in Hollifield, 1987). Slavin (1986) concluded that schools and teachers should adopt methods that have proved its effectiveness where ability grouping is concerned. These methods include within-class ability grouping in Maths, Non graded plans in Reading, and the Joplin plan. If ability grouped class assignment use an alternative grouping where students are assigned on performance level then it can be used in ability grouping class. (cited in Hollifield, 1987). Slavins (1986) recommendations for successful ability grouping and positive achievement level: This type of grouping should be done only for some subjects while in other subjects the students should be in mixed ability classrooms. To teach a skill, for example, Reading, the use of grouping plans would reduce student heterogeneity ((cited in Hollifield, 1987). The same plan would not work if IQ or Achievement level is being tested. If the teacher formed small within ability groups this will help instruction better as the teacher will be able to give better support. (cited in Hollifield, 1987). The literature has also revealed that low flyers made as much progress as high flyers when they are submitted to certain conditions. Gamoran (1993) explained that a US Catholic schools applied a strict academic syllabus in lower ability grouping where the same teachers taught in low and high levels, the academic curriculum stayed the same for both groups and verbal interactions and discussions form part of the teaching and learning strategy. All this factors combined had a positive effect on achievement level. However, there have been studies where it has been found that ability grouping aggravate inequalities in achievement. Kerckhoff (1986) (cited in Gamoran (2002), commented on the impact of setting v/s achievement inequality. The evidence that he used came from the National Child Development Survey (NCDS) (data collected comes from a 1958 British cohort over 20 years). Data collected are from England and Wales. Kerckhoff showed that students achievement level is greater in schools or classes which apply ability grouping while those students in mixed ability classes have decreased achievement level. However, low levels schools and classes fell far behind. Kerckhoff (1986) also explained that there is an average level of achievement growth when comparing Mixed Ability and Setting grouping schools. This is due to the fact that high achievers success is balanced against low achievers loss. Inequalities in achievement could also be due to differentiated classroom instruction. In his article, Gamoran (2002) explained these findings from the studies of English classes in US secondary schools. The study revealed that higher level students who are channelled towards more academic courses with the support of experienced, qualified and prepared educators who cover teaching and learning materials challengingly and at a faster pace show higher level of achievement than the low achieving classroom. The low level of achievement for low level class was due to the disruptive behaviours of the students and where the teacher set written work rather than encouraging open ended questions and verbal interactions. Ability Grouping fell in disfavour, according to Hallam, Ireson and Davies (2004), when educational theory decided against ability grouping (setting and streaming) from the 70s onwards (BERJ 2004, vol 30(4) pp 516-533). However over the last decade there has been a resurgence of this type of grouping. Its reappearance is commented as being the means which would help raising standards. Hallam, Ireson, and Davies (2004) recapitulated the reasons for which ability grouping fell in disfavour: Low self-esteem and social alienation of lower stream students Inconclusive evidence for positive effects on attainment A shift of educational focus towards equality of educational opportunity (BERJ 2004, vol 30(4) pp 516-533) In my research study, students opinion on ability group has been sought. Hallam, Ireson and Davies (2004) admit that there has been few research on ability grouping (streaming, setting and within class grouping) where students voice out their perspectives. The research on ability grouping popularised the relationship between that type of grouping and academic, social and personal outcomes. The article from Hallam, Ireson and Davies (2004) cited previous research which embraces Pupils perspective has drawn out the following explanations: Streaming encourages both positive and negative attitudes towards school and higher achievers are pro streaming compared to lower flyers. Setting among mathematics students reveal that more students would like to move sets or join classes where mixed ability teaching is being done. In primary schools, the students having higher status in mind would wish to be in higher ability grouping. However, most students would prefer to be given whole class work or individual work. Streaming emphasized the negative effects towards lower streams. It is further acknowledged that if pupils of below average are taught by teachers who are for streaming in a mixed ability environment, this has a negative impact on the student. This can take the form that those students do not have any friends and are rejected by their peers. Mixed ability classes encourage social cohesion in the class. It is appropriate at this stage to review the following statistics on ability grouping. George (1988) (cited in Crosby Owens (1993) revealed that: Educators and parents are in favour of tracking/ability grouping. 85% of the research says that tracking is not beneficial while 85% of schools continue to practice it.(Solutions and Strategies,1995, (5) p.2). Furthermore George (1998) and Slavin (1991a) concluded that Ability Grouping research has not prompted any conclusive answers whether it be positive or negative (Cited in Crosby and Owens, 1993). This is what I intend to find out with the research question on significance of low achieving grouping with academic school achievement. I would like to find out whether it is consistent or in opposition with George and Slavins conclusions.