Scope of Financial Management free essay sample

Financial Management can be defined as:The management of the finances of a business / organisation in order to achieve financial objectives. Taking a commercial business as the most common organisational structure, the key objectives of financial management would be tocreate wealth for the business ,generate cash, andprovide an adequate return on investment bearing in mind the risks that the business is taking and the resources invested. There are three key elements to the process of financial management: Financial Planning Financial Control Financial Decision-making Meaning and Defination Meaning of Financial Management Financial Management is that specialised function of general management which is related to the procurement of finance and its effective utilisation for the achievement of common goal of the organisation. It includes each and every aspect of financial activity in the business. Financial Management has been defined differently by different scholars. A few of the definitions are being reproduced below:- â€Å"Financial Management is an area of financial decision making harmonizing individual motives and enterprise goals. We will write a custom essay sample on Scope of Financial Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page †- Weston and Brigam. Financial Management is the application of the planning and control functions to the finance function. †- Howard and Upton. â€Å"Financial Management is the operational activity of a business that is responsible for obtaining and effectively, utilizing the funds necessary for efficient operations. †- Joseph and Massie. From the above definitions, it is clear that financial management is that specialised activity which is responsible for obtaining and affectively utilizing the funds for the efficient functioning of the business and, therefor, it includes financial planning, financial administration and financial control. According to me, â€Å" Financial Management is a system in which rotate planning , control and decision making. †-chudasama sulochanaba Objectives of Finance Function For optimum financial decisions, the objectives of financial management shall be clearly defined. They should be so laid down that they contribute directly towards the achievement of overall business objectives. Objectives provide a normative framework within which a firm is to take decisions. Financing is the functional area of objective of the business and contribute directly towards it. The main objectives of a business are survival and growth. In order to survive ups and downs in the business, the business must earn sufficient profits and it should also maintain proper relations with shareholders, customers, suppliers and other social groups. The financial management of an organisation must seek to achieve the following objectives: †¢To ensure adequate and regular supply of funds. †¢To provide a fair rate of return to the suppliers of capital viz. shareholders. †¢To ensure effective utilization of funds by maintaining proper balance between profitability, liquidity and safety. to generate and build up sufficient surplus for expansion and growth through ploughing back of profits. †¢To minimize cost of capital by developing a sound capital between various securities issued by the company. †¢To coordinate the activities of the finance department with the activities of other departments in the organisation. Scope of Functions of Financial Manag ement The finance department of an enterprise performs several functions in order to achieve the above objectives. The scope of finance function is very wide. It consists of the following activities: 1. Estimating the Requirement of Funds :- The finance department must estimate the capital requirements of the firm accurately for long term and short term needs. In estimating the capital requirements of the business, the finance department must take help of the budgets of various activities of the business e. g. sales budget, production budget, expenses budget etc. prepared by the concerned departments. In the initial stage, the estimate is done by promoters but in a growing concern, it is done by the finance department. Unless the financial forecast is correct, business is likely to run into difficulties due to excess or shortage of funds. Correct estimates ensure the availability of funds as and when they are needed. In estimating the requirement of funds, nature and size of the business, modernization and expansion plan should be given due consideration. 2. Determining the Capital Structure :- By capital structure we mean the kind and proportion of different securities for raising the required funds. Once the total requirement of funds is etermined, a decision regarding the type of securities to be issued and the relative proportion between them is to be taken. The finance department must determine the proper mix of debt and equity. It should also decide the ratio between long term and short term debts. In determining these ratios, cost of raising finance from different sources, period for which funds are required and several other factors should be considered. A proper balance between risk and re turns should be maintained. Choice of Sources of Finance:- A company can raise funds from different sources e. g. hareholders, debenture holders, banks, financial institutions, public deposits etc. Before raising the funds, it has to decide the source from which the funds are to be raised. The choice of the source of finance should be made very carefully by taking a number of factors into account such as cost of raising funds, conditions attached, charge on assets, burden of fixed charges, dilution of ownership and control etc. For example, if the company does not want to dilute the ownership, it will depend on any source of finance other than investment in shares. 4. Investment of Funds:- The funds raised from different sources should be prudently invested in various assets -short term as well as long term to optimize the return on investment. In taking decisions for the investment of long term funds, a careful assessment of various alternatives should be made through capital budgeting, opportunity cost analysis and many other techniques used to evaluate the investment proposals. A part of the long term funds should be invested in working capital of the company. While taking decision for the investment of funds in long term assets, management should be guided by three basic principles, viz. afety, profitability and liquidity. In taking decisions for the investment of funds in working capital, the finance manager must seek cooperation of marketing and production departments in estimating the funds which are to be involved in carrying of inventories in finished product and credit policy of the marketing department and in raw material and factory supplies of the production department. 5. Management of Cash:- It is the prime responsibility of the finance manager to see that an adequate supply of cash is available at proper time for the smooth running of the business. Cash is needed to purchase raw materials, pay off creditors, to pay to workers and to meet the day to day expenses of the business. Availability of cash is necessary to maintain liquidity and credit- worthiness of the business. Excess cash must be avoided as it costs money. It there is any cash in excess, it should be invested in near cash assets such as investments etc. which may be converted into cash within no time. A cash flow statement should be prepared by the department to know the correct need of cash is essential to achieve the goal of profitability and liquidity. The finance manager should decide in advance how much cash he should retain to meet current obligations of the company. 6. Disposal of Surplus:- One of the prime function of the finance department is to allocate the surplus. After paying all taxes, the available surplus of the business can be allocated for three purposes -(a) for paying dividend to the shareholders as a return on their investment, (b) for distributing bonus to workmen and companys contribution to other profit sharing plans, and (c) for ploughing back of profits for the expansion of business. As far as the second alternative is concerned, the amount to be paid to workers is generally fixed either by statute or by agreement and therefore, there is no problem in allocating surplus for this purpose. But a considerable, attention is to be paid in so far as first and third alternatives are concerned i. e. , how much to be paid to shareholders as dividend and how much to be retained in the business. For this purpose factors like the trend of the earning of the company, trend of the market price of its shares; the requirement of funds for the purpose of expansion and future prospects should be considered. . Financial Controls:- The financial manager is under an obligation to check the financial performance of the funds invested in the business. There are a number of techniques to evaluate the performance viz. Return on Investment (ROI), budgetary control, cost control, internal audit, ratio analysis and break-even point analysis. The financial manager must lay emphasis on financ ial planning as well. Importance of financian management Importance of finance cannot be over-emphasised. It is, indeed, the key to successful business operations. Without proper administration of finance, no business enterprise can reach its full potentials for growth and success. Money is a universal lubricant which keeps the enterprise dynamic-develops product, keeps men and machines at work, encourages management to make progress and creates values. The importance of financial administration can be discussed under the following heads (i) success of Promotion Depends on Financial Administration:- One of the most important reasons of failures of business promotions is a defective financial plan. If the plan adopted fails to provide sufficient capital to meet the requirement of fixed and fluctuating capital an particularly, the latter, or it fails to assume the obligations by the corporations without establishing earning power, the business cannot be carried on successfully. Hence sound financial plan is very necessary for the success of business enterprise. (ii) Smooth Running of an Enterprise:- Sound Financial planning is necessary for the smooth running of an enterprise. Money is to an enterprise, what oil is to an engine. As, Finance is required at each stage f an enterprise, i. e. promotion, incorporation, development, expansion and administration of day-to-day working etc. , proper administration of finance is very necessary. Proper financial administration means the study, analysis and evaluation of all financial problems to be faced by the management and to take proper decision with reference to the present circumstances in regard to the procurement and utilisation of funds. (iii) Financial Administration Co-ordinates Various Functional Activities:- Financial administration provides complete co-ordination between various functional areas such as marketing, production etc. o achieve the organisational goals. If financial management is defective, the efficiency of all other departments can, in no way, be maintained. For example, it is very necessary for the finance-department to provide finance for the purchase of raw materials and meting the other day-to-day expenses for the smooth running of the production unit. If financial department fails in its obligations, the Production and the sales will suffer and consequently, the income of the concern and the rate of profit on investment will also suffer. Thus Financial administration occupies a central place in the business organisation which controls and co-ordinates all other activities in the concern. (iv) Focal Point of Decision Making:- Almost, every decision in the business is take in the light of its profitability. Financial administration provides scientific analysis of all facts and figures through various financial tools, such as different financial statements, budgets etc. , which help in evaluating the profitability of the plan in the given circumstances, so that a proper decision can be taken to minimise the risk involved in the plan. v) Determinant of Business Success:- It has been recognised, even in India that the financial manger splay a very important role in the success of business organisation by advising the top management the solutions of the various financial problems as experts. They present important facts and figures regarding financial position an the performance of various functions of the company in a giv en period before the top management in such a way so as to make it easier for the top management to evaluate the progress of the company to amend suitably the principles and policies of the company. The financial manges assist the top management in its decision making process by suggesting the best possible alternative out of the various alternatives of the problem available. Hence, financial management helps the management at different level in taking financial decisions. (vi) Measure of Performance:- The performance of the firm can be measured by its financial results, i. e, by its size of earnings Riskiness and profitability are two major factors which jointly determine the value of the concern. Financial decisions which increase risks will decrease the value of the firm and on the to the hand, financial decisions which increase the profitability will increase value of the firm. Risk an profitability are two essential ingredients of a business concern. Conclusion:- In short Financial Management is very important for any business. If we want to fully use our money we have to implement financial management in our business . e can see the importance of financial management from success of promotion depends on financial administration, smooth running of an enterprise, focal point of decision making, financial administration co-ordinates various functional activities, determinant of business success, measure of performance.

Southern Luzon State Essay Example

Southern Luzon State Essay Example Southern Luzon State Essay Southern Luzon State Essay APPENDIX A Questionnaire Republic of the Philippines SOUTHERN LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY Gumaca Campus Gumaca, Quezon Software Acceptability and Features| Rating| | 1| 2| 3| 4| A. Functionality of the Propose System| | | | | 1. The system can accept organized data| | | | | 2. The system has the ability to be used by the admin, manager and user| | | | | 3. The system operates in real time| | | | | 4. The system prevents unauthorized person to use the system| | | | | 5. The system is capable of communicating with other system| | | | | B. Usability of the Propose System| | | | | 1. The system can be learned easily| | | | | . The admin can manage through the system| | | | | 3. The system’s function can easily be determined by the user| | | | | 4. The system can be used even if the users don’t have technical expertise| | | | | 5. The system can saves time using it| | | | | C. Reliability of the Proposed System| | | | | 1. The system has the ability to resume works and restore lo st data when failure occurs. | | | | | 2. The system runs properly| | | | | 3. The system warned or alerts the user if there are errors| | | | | 4. The system’s faults in the software can be eliminated over time| | | | | 5. The system can maintain its functions even after failure| | | | | D. Efficiency of the Proposed System| | | | | 1. The system can utilize system resources efficiently| | | | | 2. The system responds to user command easily| | | | | 3. The system can process data rapidly| | | | | 4. The system utilizes IT equipment information effectively| | | | | 5. The system loads in a short period of time| | | | | E. Portability of the Proposed System| | | | | 1. The system can be deployed by other operating system| | | | | 2. The system can be accessed easily| | | | | 3. The software complies with portability standard| | | | | 4. The software can be alternative to other enrolment system| | | | | 5. The user can use the system anytime| | | | | APPENDIX B The design of Southern Luzon State University to be improved APPENDIX C The Proposed Design for the Data Base of The Administrator during encoding of teachers and students. APPENDIX D The proposed design for student to log in for Online Grades Inquiry. Not yet registered? Email us at [emailprotected] com or visit us at School Registrars Office. Southern Luzon State University Gumaca campus

Specialized academy to teach writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Specialized academy to teach writing - Essay Example Moreover, others have gone to an extent of seeking these services from various research bureaus. It is as a result of this challenge that I came up with an idea of this specialized academy. This academy will teach and help students acquire basic writing skills. This will assist students in carrying out their research, organizing and presenting their papers that are free from grammatical errors. This will in turn help students save that money they have been spending in seeking services of research bureau. The academy is set to be operating twice a week; that is, every Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 am to 5 pm. Students will not only learn writing skills but also will be at a position to carry out research independently and report on their findings. The academy will also establish a website though which students can interact and assist each other especially when not attending lectures at the academy. The project is a way of giving back to the community by producing knowledgeable students who can carry out various researches for the society. I request for funds from this committee to help me put this project to reality and together we shall reap benefits. Proper accountability shall be done to ensure that these funds are utilized properly. Specialized academy proposes to teach students on various writing skills. The academy seeks to support students and other parties willing to join the academy develop, improve and nurture their writing skills. Proposed services to be provided by the academy include writing skills, grammar, and spelling in research writing and presentation. The academy will operate on a weekly base where students are required to attend classes only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Classes will run from 9 am in the morning till 5 pm in the evening. The academy is society based and is set to benefit the FDU society at large. Moreover, there are future plans of expansion on its success. The specialized academy is a training

Government vs. Private Sector Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Government vs. Private Sector - Coursework Example This set of practices, including double-entry accounting formula, is used in ensuring that uniformity and financial accuracy is achieved. According to Gauthier (2010), these methods can also be used in the public sector, but there is room for deviation to other methods in some cases such as during budgeting (Gauthier, 2010). The application of accrual and cash accounting and budgeting basis is a great divide between the private and the public sector, with the private sector employing accrual accounting, while the public sector employing cash accounting and budgeting (Finkler, 2010). However, there is a constant development of bridging between the two approaches by most governments, with the view of attaining better financial information. The context of public and private sector finance and accounting management also differs in such a way that the private sector has more autonomy to make any financial and accounting decisions in order to achieve what ought to be achieved (Finkler, 2010). On the other hand, the public sector financial and accounting is limited to rules and regulations that limit their reach in terms of incorporating practice to have ends meet. For instance, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 20 restricts state and local governments to using private sector standards that were only issued prior to November 30, 1989, consistent with GASB guidance (Gauthier,

Functional Behavioural Assessment Case Study

Functional Behavioural Assessment Case Study Functional Behavioral Assessments for Sean Siobhan L. Healy Introduction Mrs. Valdez, a second grade teacher at Hacienda Elementary School, contacted me via email requesting my services regarding one of her students. Mrs. Valdez would like me to meet with her and several administrators, including the principal of Hacienda Elementary School, to discuss the student’s behavioral issues. The subject of concern is Sean, a 9 year old boy, who had been held back to repeat second grade due to his ADHD and the resulting inattentiveness and failing grades. Sean is described as a bright and lovable boy at school and at home but due to his (recently diagnosed) ADHD, he is often â€Å"inattentive† during class, jumps out of his seat and throws crumbled up school papers at peers when asked to complete a task. His lack of concentration and the inability to finish any task at school have earned him failing grades during the prior school year and parents and teachers fear that he may be failing second grade again, if nothing is done to help him. Sean’s parents are against any pharmaceutical medications to treat his ADHD and they have consulted with an herbal doctor to treat the condition. Now, Mrs. Valdez has asked me to develop a behavior intervention plan for Sean, in order for him to succeed academically and socially during the current school year. The operational target behaviors seen in Sean are, a) inattention, in form of not paying attention to teachers’ instructions and school work, b) out-of-seat behavior, defined as any time Sean’s behind was not making contact with his chair, and c) throwing items (i.e., crumbled up papers) at peers. If my interdisciplinary team and I are able to describe the specific purposes of a Functional Behavioral Assessment for Sean, to the Hacienda Elementary School administrators during the planning meeting, then we will be able to design and implement an effective treatment plan for this student based on the results of the proposed FBA. Functional Behavioral Assessments are used to determine why an individual exhibits certain behaviors and in what way the environment influences the individual and their behaviors. In the beginning, the method of analyzing behavior was created with the autistic and severely intellectually disabled population in mind, but it can be applied to any individual with problem behaviors. According to the State Board of Education, North Carolina (2015), â€Å"The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that a Functional Behavioral Assessment be conducted if a behavior was a manifestation of the disability or, as appropriate, for other disciplinary removals† (http://ec.ncpublicschools.gov). In many schools, the Individual Education Program Team (IEP team) develops an assessment plan to address problem behaviors. During IEP team meetings, target behaviors must be identified and specified. Decisions must be made about who will conduct each component of an FBA, and a timeline as to when the assessment will be completed is set. Usually, the IEP team will meet to discuss the assessment results and to design and implement behavioral interventions. Sometimes, The IEP team and members of a school administration need to bring in an independent team of experts in order to exhaust all possibilities of an effective FBA, especially in the case of Sean (State Board of Education, NC, 2015). Indirect Assessments are performed when information about antecedents, consequences, and critical variables, needs to be gathered indirectly via interviews, screening forms, and rating scales. The Indirect Assessments are considered an adjunct to direct measures, as the data gathered from these measures is usually not considered quite as reliable. However, Indirect Assessments are often the first procedures performed in an FBA because the observer is able to record meaningful observations and he or she may begin the construction of hypotheses about the function of behaviors rather quickly (Steege Watson, 2013). The interdisciplinary team would first assess Sean by conducting five general steps of a Functional Analysis. Step one would be a Functional Assessment Interview during which the team would question at least two or three persons who know Sean very well and who have been involved in the situations in which the behaviors occurred (most likely his parents and Mrs. Valdez). The interview would focus on identifying observable behaviors displayed by our referred student. For example, when addressing Sean’s â€Å"inattentive† behavior, the team should ask Mrs. Valdez, the teacher, to clearly and concisely describe the observable characteristics that constitute â€Å"inattentive† behavior. It is important to note during the interview, what function Sean’s behaviors serve. For example, his out-of-seat behavior may actually serve two different functions, one to get attention from his peers by jumping out of his seat, and two to escape from or avoid academic instruct ion from the teacher. This type of information will be relevant for the entire process of FBA, because, if the functions are different, the resulting interventions may be different as well (Steege Watson, 2013). With a typical ABC Assessment, when the interfering behaviors occur, the observer is expected to record those behaviors and the immediate antecedent and consequence variables. Observers often identify one immediate antecedent and one immediate consequence that occur during a behavioral event. For example, the ABC Interviewer could record the following in Sean’s classroom: A: Antecedent: Teacher, Mrs. Valdez, requests Sean to sit down and complete his task, B: Behavior: Sean jumps up, crumbles his school paper, and throws it at a peer, C: Consequence: Mrs. Valdez verbally reprimands Sean and sends him to the principals office. However, in this instance, a single ABC recording was not able to identify all of the relevant variables connected to this behavioral incident because, there were a number of additional incidents preceding this recording. Oftentimes, with the occurrence of a series of behavioral incidents, the observers verbally report or record only the final incident (S teege Watson, 2013). Thus, a Behavioral Stream Interview (BSI) could be performed in Sean’s case, in which contextual variables that are associated with the interfering behaviors, can be identified. This kind of interview centers on the idea that there are many variables, including individual, antecedent, and consequence variables in Sean’s environment that impact his challenging behaviors. These different variables often interact in a predictable manner and are not stagnant. Steege and Watson (2013), compare â€Å"the ongoing flow of behavior and related stimuli† to a river, â€Å"sometimes a stream that gently meanders through a meadow, and at other times a raging torrent rushing through mountainous canyons† (p.106). The BSI has the potential of identifying patterns by calculating the sequence in which the variables occur. It can be compared to a movie strip of several captured pictures in a sequence, unlike a single photograph â€Å"of a singular antecedent–behavior–consequence interaction (A-B-C)† (Steege Watson, 2013, p. 106). Furthermore, data could be collected through a questionnaire such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991, as cited in Sattler, 2002) which measures internalizing and externalizing problems in children and adolescents. The CBCL is designed for parents of children and adolescents ages 4 to 18 years old. The rationale for conducting the interview is to observe the target behavior. The reason for utilizing the CBCL is that it includes a Teachers Report form (TRF, Achenbach, 1991, as cited in Sattler, 2002). According to Sattler, the TRF has satisfactory validity. Functioning Assessment Screening Tools or a Motivation Assessment Scale may additionally be used. The Functional Behavioral Assessment Screening Form (FBASF) would be a particularly useful tool to record data about, a) interfering behaviors (i.e., target problem behaviors), b) behavioral strengths (i.e., characteristics that are functional and appropriate, adaptive behaviors, and skills), c) Reinforcers (i.e., stimuli that are preferred by the student, people, activities, and events), d) Communication skills (i.e., verbal expressions, gestures, signs, or devices). In the context of Sean’s case, his behaviors too, are not occurring randomly, but are caused by an interaction between antecedent, individual, and consequence variables (Steege Watson, 2013). Direct descriptive Functional Behavioral Assessments, on the other hand, are very powerful tools in school settings. They are powerful because the procedures center on direct observations of behaviors in situations and settings in which the target behaviors occur. Systematic observations, and not just mere indirect information lead to solid hypotheses on function and triggers of behaviors (Steege Watson). Therefore, step two in a Functional Analysis would be a Direct Observation and collection of data by observing Sean’s target behaviors directly. The team could do a Sequence Analysis by recording antecedents, behavior, and consequence (a Maladaptive Behavior Card can be used for this purpose). Furthermore, the frequency and rate of the behavior would be recorded. The frequency of occurrence per unit of time, for example, would be 30 behaviors divided by 20 min of observation = 1.5 behaviors per minute or about 3 behaviors every two minutes. Next, the duration of each behavior and the latency (which is the duration of time between a stimulus and a response) would be recorded, for example, how soon after the stimulus does Sean begin to jump up or throw paper balls at classmates (Carbone Zecchin, 2014). Step three deals with experimental manipulations if they are feasible based on the severity of the behaviors. This procedure enables the observer to empirically test the functions of the behavior. The situations in which the behaviors occur most frequently suggest the function of the behavior. In order to test for the functions of the maladaptive behavior, the interdisciplinary team would have to perform an Alone Condition Test in which Sean would be alone without any stimulation and then count if any aggressive behavior occurred within a 20 minute session. Next, an Attention Condition-Test is performed to find out if the behavior is maintained by attention. This involves engaging Sean in a preferred activity and if a maladaptive behavior occurs, the team would give him 10 seconds of attention after each occurrence of the target behaviors by saying â€Å"Sean, don’t throw anything at your classmate, you could hurt her!† The team would count the number of times the behav iors occurred and this session would last 20 minutes. Then, comes the Demand Condition – Test, which is designed to explore if a behavior is maintained by Escape or Avoidance. The interdisciplinary team will place Sean in a demanding task or situation and allow him to escape (or leave the situation) each time the target behavior occurs. The team would wait for about a minute and then direct Sean back to the demand situation or task, while keeping count of the number of times the behavior occurs. This session should also last 20 minutes (Carbone Zecchin, 2014). Last but not least, the Play Condition-Test will be performed, which is a control condition. In this scenario, the interdisciplinary team would place Sean in an enriched reinforcing environment, allow him to engage in preferred activities of his choosing, and count the number of times the behavior occurs. This session, again, will last 20 minutes. Step four will be a Functional Analysis Summary, to include a form/chart outlining the Functional Analysis Interviews conducted, the Direct Observation Data collected, and the Experimental Manipulation implemented. Step five will outline a Behavior Lesson Plan and after carefully choosing of an intervention, this will be called an Intervention Lesson Plan for Sean (Carbone Zecchin, 2014). In the literature by Steege Watson (2013),  The Conditional Probability Record (CPR) is a form that  allows the observer to simultaneously observe and record the  antecedents and consequences of behavior. The advantage of  doing so allows for the analysis of the likelihood  (probability) of a behavior given a particular antecedent and  the likelihood of a particular consequence following a  behavior (p. 134). Let’s say, we take a 5-minute excerpt from a 15-minute observation period, and it shows that Sean was out of his seat during 70% of the intervals, then, of the intervals in which Sean was out of his seat, 51% of those resulted in a verbal reprimand by Mrs. Valdez and 43% resulted in her physically guiding Sean back into his seat. Therefore, Seans out-of-seat behavior resulted in some form of attention by Mrs. Valdez in 94% of the intervals. On the other hand, when Sean was working on his assigned tasks, it resulted in no attention, verbal or physical, from Mrs. Valdez. So, only in 29% of the intervals in which Sean was working on his tasks, was Mrs. Valdez near him. Therefore, one of the hypotheses is that Seans out-of-seat behavior is maintained by Mrs. Valdez’ attention because doing so is more than three times as likely to result in some form her attention than working. During these observations, there may be some influence by Sean’s peers in the form of looki ng at him (23% of the intervals) or cheering him on (18%), however these consequences were not as probable as Mrs. Valdez’ attention. Additionally, there also appears to be a negative reinforcement because Sean is able to escape from the assigned task by getting out of his seat. Antecedent and consequent possibilities are verified by further observation and analysis (Steege Watson, 2013). The interdisciplinary team could complete a Functional Behavioral Assessment Observation Form (FBAOF) for Sean. This is an assessment procedure involving direct observation and recording data of interfering behaviors and contextual variables. The FBAOF is generally used to record â€Å"behavioral episodes† or â€Å"behavioral incidents† that involve one single interfering behavior. The observer uses an FBAOF each time the interfering behavior occurs to record, 1) Date and time of day, 2) Setting events (i.e., activities, tasks, places, etc.), 3) Antecedents (i.e., events that appear to trigger the behavior), 4) Behavior (i.e., the defined interfering/target behavior), 5) Consequence (i.e., events following the interfering behavior), 6) Effect (i.e., change in rate or intensity of occurrence of the behavior), 7) Staff (i.e., person recording the data, working directly with Sean). Should the interdisciplinary team use the FBAOF, they must differentiate between an †a ntecedent† and a â€Å"setting event.† The antecedent is a precipitating variable (i.e., a specific event triggering a behavior), while the setting event is just the general situation that the behavior occurred in (Steege Watson, 2013). Last, but not least, the interdisciplinary team could utilize the Task Analysis Recording Procedure (TARP), which is an effective â€Å"procedure for teaching functional life skills and for progress monitoring† (Steege Watson, 2013, p. 146). It is used for documenting a person’s level of performance on specific tasks, instructional procedures, identification of effective and ineffective instructional prompts, and to document levels of occurrence of interfering behaviors, especially in the context of instructional programs (Steege Watson, 2013). TARP is a useful tool for recording a decrease of interfering behaviors, while, at the same time, documenting an increase in desirable and appropriate behaviors. For example, we could use the TARP data recording in order to measure Sean’s occurrences of negative behaviors within a social or classroom setting, while, at the same time, recording any desirable behavior, such as doing his assigned tasks independently. This procedure is mostly used in individuals with autism who reside in group homes but TARP could be used in Sean’s case because of his ADHD diagnosis and being in a â€Å"group setting† (classroom) (Steege Watson, 2013). It is important for the interdisciplinary team to put emphasis on the vast selection of indirect and direct descriptive FBA procedures. In many cases, a combination of both types in an assessment process is adequate for an assessment and an understanding of behavioral functions. A comprehensive mixture of several procedures can lead to the design of effective intervention plans (Steege Watson, 3013). References Carbone, V. J., Ph.D., BCBA Zecchin, G., BCABA. (2014). How to conduct a  Functional Assessment Develop Behavior Plans to reduce Problem Behavior.  Retrieved on March 10, 2015 from  http://armstrong.edu/images/psychology/FunctionalAssessment.pdf Public Schools of North Carolina. State Board of Education. (2015). Functional Behavior   Assessment. Retrieved on March 10, 2015 from http://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/instructional-resources/behavior-support/resources/functional-behavior-assessment. Sattler, J. (2001). Assessment of children: Cognitive applications (4th ed.) La Mesa, CA:  Jerome M. Sattler. Steege, M.W., Watson, T.S. (2013). Conducting School-Based Functional Behavioral  Assessments, Second Edition. Guilford Press. VitalBook file.

Legal Drinking Age English Essay Rough Draft

Alcohol is used for many reasons among people. Teenagers and underage drinkers are known to drink for the following; rebellion, peer pressure, celebration, insomnia, anxiety, sadness, and boredom are just a few. Currently, the legal drinking age is 21. I’m not sure what the reasoning is behind this law, but if drinking is lowered to 18, I’m positive the underage drinking percentage would decrease drastically. Freedom. That’s what America is known for; Land of the free. When you turn 18, your legally considered an adult.You can buy cigarettes, you can vote, you can get married, buy pornography, have babies, and join, fight, and die for your country. So if your considered mature enough to have all of these responsibilities, shouldn’t you be able to consume alcohol too? The legal drinking age has been set at 21. The government set the legal drinking age to 21 to prevent drunk driving and other problems they blame on irresponsible drinking. The government shou ldn’t decide when someone is responsible to drink because even many â€Å"adults† aren’t responsible enough to know their limits.Drunk driving classes and alcohol consumption classes should be taught in schools so kids have an understanding on what alcohol can lead to and how to drink responsibly. Turning 21 doesn’t make you any more responsible or knowledgeable about alcohol than at age 18. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would help because there would be less underage drinkers and less of a need to feel mature and accepted by teens. A study shows that 87% of high school seniors have consumed alcohol. This means that from the ages 17-19 people are already drinking.Seniors in high school and other underage drinkers consume alcohol for many reasons. Rebellion, celebration, peer pressure, insomnia, anxiety and boredom are just a few reasons, however, the biggest reason is rebellion. Teenagers don’t feel like they are being treated fairly by the gover nment because they are considered adults and they are being denied the right to drink, so they rebel. Not only do they rebel to make a point but they are rebelling because of the excitement they get when they know they are breaking the law and also because drinking is a symbol of â€Å"adulthood†. A study conducted by Dr.Ruth Engs shows that drinking is more exciting when its illegal and that we as Americans should be more focused on safe drinking instead of age restrictions. If the drinking age was to be lowered to 18, the temptation to drink would decrease because it would be accepted and people would no longer get that excitement and thrill from breaking the law. The U. S. government is concerned about the number of drunk drivers and irresponsible drinking so they made the legal drinking age higher. If you look at Britain, they don’t have a drinking age and France has a minimum drinking age of 8; neither of which having a problem with drunk driving.On the other hand , America has a minimum drinking age of 21 and our problem with drunk driving is considered to be the worst in the industrialized world. We can see that the 21 minimum drinking age is having a negative effect on the U. S. , yet we keep it the same and expect different results. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will make it so there are less irresponsible drinking and underage drinkers. 18-year-olds will have a feeling of adulthood and they will feel accepted. I think drinking will become more casual and social more than it is now and people will have less temptation to drink heavily and irresponsibly.

Thesis Statment

Thesis Statement: Definition: the thesis statement is the most important sentence in your essay. It is the main idea for the whole essay; it is frequently shows (directly, indirectly) the number and the content of the body paragraphs of the essay. Clear thesis statement are essential for good writing. Parts of a thesis statement: A thesis statement has two main parts: the topic and the controlling and additional one not necessary predictor. A- Topic: the subject of the essay, what the essay is about. Ex: Frank McCourt faced two obstacles.B- Controlling: what you are going to say about the topic. Ex. Frank McCourt faced two obstacles. C- Predictor: it is a third component in a thesis statement. It tells the reader how many body paragraphs there will be in the essay and what their content will be. Ex. Frank McCourt faced two obstacles lack of education and poverty. Activity 1: predict the content of the body paragraphs of the following statements circle the topic, underline the control ling: 1- As we human beings shape our environment by building and producing, we are increasingly polluting our air, water and our soil. – The main advantages of urban planning are that we can control a city's appearance, we can organize transportation effectively, and we can make sure there are enough open spaces. 3- With its winding paths, lake, and small forests, Central Park in New York City is the most important example of the romantic style of landscape architecture in the United States. Rules for Thesis Statement: 1- Thesis statement must be a complete sentence with a subject and a verb. City living hazardous to your health. (not a thesis) City living is hazardous to your health. – Thesis statement must be a statement not a question. Are dogs good companions? Dogs are good companions. 3- Thesis statement is an opinion it can't be a simple statement of fact (doesn’t need any support) I have an older brother and a younger brother. I have much in common with my younger brother than I do with my older brother. 4- Thesis statement is a statement not announcement and must state the controlling idea. This essay I'm going to talk about air pollution. Recent methods of reducing air pollution are showing some positive results 5- Thesis statement should have only one controlling idea.Public transportation in my hometown is too expensive, and it is slower than that in Tokyo. Public transportation in my hometown is too expensive. Activity: 2 state if the following sentences is a good thesis statement or not and state the rule it violates. 1- Japanese car are better than American cars. 2- A Mitsubishi is a Japanese car. 3- I'm going to show you why seat belts are necessary. 4- Are seat belts necessary? 5- Wearing a seat belt can save your life. 6- Students who work while they are studying meet a lot of people, and their professors also work hard. 7- Work-study programs an analysis. – In this essay, I will compare working on campus and worki ng off campus. Activity 3: choose 4 topics to write 4 thesis statements. 2 must have a predictor: 1- __________________________________________________________________________ 2- __________________________________________________________________________ 3- __________________________________________________________________________ 4- __________________________________________________________________________ ———————– Wild animalsendangered speciestransportationocean/ water Climate changeworld's food productioneducationforest/ vegetation