How did the war on drugs affect the African American Community Term Paper

How did the war on drugs affect the African American Community - Term Paper Example Thesis statement: The war on drugs initiated by the US government affect the African American Community because it leads to further problems in the society. The war on drugs The war on drugs is initiated by the US government, aiming to conduct campaigns against production, supply and abuse of harmful drugs. Friman opines that â€Å"Among developed countries, the United States has adopted the strictest national control measures against illicit drugs and has played the most active role in international enforcement† (4). The war on drugs includes providing military support to reduce international level illegal drug trade. The National Prohibition Act of 1920, which prohibited the usage of alcohol, is to be considered as the initial step against the influence of harmful beverages. One can easily identify that this Act led to implementation of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 in USA. The establishment of Drug Enforcement Administration in the year 197 3 was another innovative step taken by the US government against drug abuse. In addition, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 paved the way for the the  National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988, which created the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under the US government. The ONDCP conducts a number of media campaigns among the youngsters to create awareness against drug abuse. In short, the war on drugs is a continuation of drug policy in the US. How did drugs affect the African American Community? Almost all the racial groups in the US face the problem of drug addiction and related issues. Comparing to other racial groups, the African American Communities face more problem from drugs.... The history of the African American Communities and their growth and development from slavery to freedom, gaining political, social and economic progress did not help much to fight against drugs. Besides, an individual’s gender, age and economic status are considerable factors which lead to drug addiction. From a different angle of view, the socioeconomic status is to be considered as a vital factor which leads an individual towards drug addiction. When this idea is superimposed into the context of drug addiction among the African American Communities, one can easily identify that poverty originating from socioeconomic disparity is the most important factor which leads to drug addiction. The war on drugs resulted in rapid increase of prison population because the law enforcement department became more active and vigilant. Within this context, more African Americans were imprisoned and it resulted in further problems. For instance, the law enforcement agencies targeted the low income communities (say, the African American Communities) in the lower strata of the society. Roberts opines that â€Å" Though whites, given their numerical superiority in the population, make up the majority of drug users, African Americans have been the chief targets by police† (30). The initiative undertaken by the US government reduced the negative influence of harmful drugs among the people but it affected the African American Communities. The grass root level cause of drug abuse or addiction among the African Americans is interconnected with their socio-economic status in the society. For instance, some of the African Americans consider drug abuse as an easy way to escape from the economic problems

Interventions to Prevent Fall Research Results

Interventions to Prevent Fall Research Results Data Analysis and Findings Part 1 Demographic Profile Table1. Age Distribution Age Range F % 26-30 3 30 31-35 3 30 36-40 1 10 41-45 0 0 46-50 2 20 51-55 1 10 Total n = 10 n = 100 Graph Interpretation Majority of the respondents were between 26-30 and 31-35 age groups. 20% respondents were of 46-50 years of age and 10% respondents were of 36-40 and rest 10% belongs to 51-55 years of age. Table 2. Sex Sex F % Female 10 100 Male 0 0 Total n = 10 n = 100 Graph Interpretation All the participants (healthcare assistants) were female working at CHT Royal Oak Rest Home. Table.3 Ethnicity Ethnicity F % Indian 7 70 Fijian 1 10 Japanese 1 10 Kiwi 1 10 Total n = 10 n = 100 Graph Interpretation Majority of the participants were Indian (70%). Rest 30% of the participants were Fijian, Japanese and Kiwi respectively. Table 3. Work Status Work Status F % Permanent Full time 7 70 Permanent Part time 1 10 Casual Part time 2 20 Total n = 10 n = 100 Graph Interpretation 70% of the participants (Healthcare Assistants) were permanent full time employees whereas 20% of the participants were casual part time and 10% participants were permanent part time employees. Part II. Data Analysis and findings This research finding indicated that the best practices for fall prevention used by Healthcare Assistants were use of aids such as wheelchair and stick (50%), hazard identification (40%), signs for wet floor (30%), care plans and monitoring (30%), clutter free environment (30%), bell ring (10%) and sensor mat (10%). The immediate interventions used by healthcare assistants if they encountered fall incidence were injury risk assessment (50%), fill the ACC incident form (50%), ask help from others (50%), first aid (40%), inform nurse (40%), call ambulance (30%), give reassurance to the residents (20%) and use hoist (20%). This research indicated that CHT Royal Oak rest home provides ongoing training to all the staff of the organisation about moving and handling the residents. Furthermore, the fall incidence was being reported and documented by healthcare assistants by filling ACC incidence/Accident forms (100%), informing manager, Register Nurse and family (50%) and using progress notes (20%). Implication The use of best practices to prevent fall at rest home engaged the healthcare assistants to increase confidence, knowledge, skills and abilities in the identification of residents within health care facilities at risk of falling and to define interventions for the prevention of falling in order to achieve the vision of the organisation. Recommendation Although, CHT Royal Oak is competent enough to practice best interventions to prevent fall, there is always room for continuous improvement. It is hereby recommended that manager should assess and document all resident for intrinsic risk factors to fall such as history of a recent fall, specific co-morbidities: dementia, hip fracture, type 2 diabetes, Parkinsons disease, arthritis, and depression and any functional disability or use of assistive device. Furthermore, patient care environment should also be assessed routinely for extrinsic risk factors to fall such as floor surfaces for spills, wet areas, unevenness, proper level of illumination and functioning of lights (night light works), table tops, furniture, beds should be sturdy and are in good repair and if needed, institute corrective actions. It is recommended to use standardized environmental checklists to document findings and re-evaluate environment for safety. Moreover, the healthcare staff should promote early mobility and incorporate measures to increase mobility, such as daily walking, balance training, strengthening and weight bearing exercise, if medically stable and not otherwise contraindicated. General safety precaution and fall prevention strategies such as medication review; use of proper footwear, proper continence management should be implemented. Multidisciplinary plan of care for prevention and follow up monitoring should be done to prevent falls in healthcare organisation. In addition to that, education regarding procedures to follow in the event of a fall should be provided to the staff as well as to the residents. The goal of education among residents is to increase the awareness of falls risks and preventative strategies, thus decreasing the number and severity of falls. Education may improve the residents self-confidence therefore reducing the fear of falling.The most up to date information needs to be available and provided in order to educate residents effectively. All staff should be involved in this process, as each one is an important member of the health care team. Lastly, health care workers should be given training to increase their awareness of residents who are at risk of falling by giving them staff education brochure for fall, through visual aids and posters etc. Conclusion This study involved the healthcare assistants of CHT Royal Oak Ret Home to know the best practices among them to prevent fall in this facility. To sum up, the healthcare assistant showed quite good knowledge and awareness regarding best interventions they are using for fall prevention. Regular ongoing training for fall prevention was provided to all the staffs of CHT Royal Oak Home. Furthermore, fall prevention practices constitute the basics of patient safety. They apply across all rest home areas and help safeguard not only residents, but also visitors and staff in many cases. By this way, this research helps to improve and to better understand the best interventions that are used by healthcare staff and to implement the best policy to prevent fall worldwide. References CHT. (2015). About us. Retrieved from http://www.cht.co.nz/about-us-2/ Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1334586.files/2003_Creswell_A%20F ramework%20for%20Design.pdf Gama, Z. A., Medina-Mirapeix, F., Saturno, P. J. (2011). Ensuring Evidence-Based Practices for Falls Prevention in a Nursing Home Setting. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 12(6), 398-402. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2011.01.008 Health Quality Safety Commission New Zealand. (2014). Falls in older people: the impacts. Retrieved from http://www.hqsc.govt.nz/assets/Falls/10- Topics/topic1-falls-in-older-people-15-April-2014.pdf Ministry of Health. (2016). What is an interventions. Retrieved from health.mo.gov/data/interventionmica/index_4.html Nass, S. J., Levit, L. A., Gostin, L. O., Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2009). Beyond the HIPAA privacy rule: Enhancing privacy, improving health through research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Phelan, E. A., Aerts, S., Dowler, D., Eckstrom, E., Casey, C. M. (2016). Adoption of Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Practices in Primary Care for Older Adults with a History of Falls. Frontiers in Public Health, 4. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2016.00190 Shever, L. L., Titler, M. G., Mackin, M. L., Kueny, A. (2010). Fall Prevention Practices in Adult Medical-Surgical Nursing Units Described by Nurse Managers. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 33(3), 385-397. doi:10.1177/0193945910379217 World Health Organisation. (2016). Falls. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs344/en/

Emotional Branding Essay -- Marketing

Introduction The notion of branding as we have come to know it has evolved noticeably over the years as transformations within marketplace have opened up doors for innovative branding approaches and contributions,in addition to this one could arguably say that most of these changes can be attributed to a shift within the mindset of the consumer as the emergence of various segments and target markets has brought about a new set of demands and expectations when it comes to effectively creating and sustaining profitable relationships between a brand and its desired consumer . One cannot deny the fact the proceedings leading up to the present decade have played a role in the visible shift from an industrially driven economy to a one where the consumers are placed in the drivers seat. That being said the branding landscape has become increasingly competitive as new brands and products are being launched frequently thus making it difficult for brands to not only connect with consumers but to also distinguish what differentiates them. As a result brands are now left with the task of finding new methods of gaining favour amongst their desired consumers in order to create meaningful connections. â€Å"We are clearly dealing with a completely different set of values today than 5 years ago. Speed has replaced stability; intangible assets have become more valuable than tangible objects. The traditional supply and demand economic models are being completely revaluated.†(Gobà ©, 2001) In aid of this Author Kevin Roberts describes the journey from products to trademarks to consumers to brands a series of steps that have a profound effect on how businesses deal with consumers and how people deal with brands. In his book Lovemarks: The ... ... Bibliography : http://www.mikesaunders.com/2011/02/28/generation-y-in-south-africa-a-short-study/ Cook, G; Erwin, K; Carmody, P; Enslin, C (2010) How healthy is your brand?, in The Encyclopedia of Brands and Branding 2010, (pending publication) Gobe, M. 2001. Emotional branding : The new paradigm for connecting brands to people. New York: Allworth Press Howe, N; & Strauss, W (2007) â€Å"The Next Twenty Years: How Customer and Workforce Attitudes Will Evolve†. Harvard Business Review . July–August ed, p. 41-52. Roberts , K ( 2005 Lovemarks: The future of beyond brands Howe, Neil; Strauss, William 2000. Millennials Rising. New York: Vintage Books. http://thinking-brands.blogspot.com/2009/10/customer-based-brand-equity-model-cbbe.html Cyndi green glass http://www.dmsolutions.com/blog/get-emotional-about-your-branding/ March 14, 2012

Dijkstra Paper

(A Look Back at) Go To Statement Considered Harmful Edsger Dijkstra wrote a Letter to the Editor of Communications in 1968, criticizing the excessive use of the go to statement in programming languages. Instead, he encouraged his fellow computer scientists to consider structured programming. The letter, originally entitled â€Å"A Case Against the Goto Statement,† was published in the March 1968 issue under the headline â€Å"Go To Statement Considered Harmful. † It would become the most legendary CACM â€Å"Letter† of all time; â€Å"Considered Harmful† would develop into an iconic catch-all.Dijkstra’s comments sparked an editorial debate that spanned these pages for over 20 years. In honor of the occasion, we republish here the original letter that started it all. Editor: For a number of years I have been familiar with the observation that the quality of programmers is a decreasing function of the density of go to statements in the programs they p roduce. More recently I discovered why the use of the go to statement has such disastrous effects, and I became convinced that the go to statement should be abolished from all â€Å"higher level† programming languages (i. e. verything except, perhaps, plain machine code). At that time I did not attach too much importance to this discovery; I now submit my considerations for publication because in very recent discussions in which the subject turned up, I have been urged to do so. My first remark is that, although the programmer’s activity ends when he has constructed a correct program, the process taking place under control of his program is the true subject matter of his activity, for it is this process that has to accomplish the desired effect; it is this process that in its dynamic behavior has to satisfy the desired specifications.Yet, once the program has been made, the â€Å"making† of the corresponding process is delegated to the machine. My second remark is that our intellectual powers are rather geared to master static relations and that our powers to visualize processes evolving in time are relatively poorly developed. For that reason we should do (as wise programmers aware of our limitations) our utmost to shorten the conceptual gap between the static program and the dynamic process, to make the correspondence between the program (spread out in text space) and the process (spread out in time) as trivial as possible.Let us now consider how we can characterize the progress of a process. (You may think about this question in a very concrete manner: suppose that a process, considered as a time succession of actions, is stopped after an arbitrary action, what data do we have to fix in order that we can redo the process until the very same point? ) If the program text is a pure concatenation of, say, assignment statements (for the purpose of this discussion regarded as the descriptions of single actions) it is sufficient to point in th e program text to a point between two successive action descriptions. In the absence of go to statements I can permit myself the syntactic ambiguity in the last three words of the previous sentence: if we parse them as â€Å"successive (action descriptions) â€Å"we mean successive in text space; if we parse as â€Å"(successive action) descriptions† we mean successive in time. ) Let us 7 PAUL WATSON COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM January 2008/Vol. 51, No. 1 Forum call such a pointer to a suitable place in the text a â€Å"textual index. † When we include conditional clauses (if B then A), alternative clauses (if B then A1 else A2), choice clauses as introduced by C.A. R. Hoare (case[i] of (A1, A2, †¦ , An)), or conditional expressions as introduced by J. McCarthy (B1__ >E1, B2 __ E2, †¦ , Bn __ > > En), the fact remains that the progress of the process remains characterized by a single textual index. As soon as we include in our language procedures we must admi t that a single textual index is no longer sufficient. In the case that a textual index points to the interior of a procedure body the dynamic progress is only characterized when we also give to which call of the procedure we refer.With the inclusion of procedures we can characterize the progress of the process via a sequence of textual indices, the length of this sequence being equal to the dynamic depth of procedure calling. Let us now consider repetition clauses (like, while B repeat A or repeat A until B). Logically speaking, such clauses are now superfluous, because we can express repetition with the aid of recursive procedures. For reasons of realism I don’t wish to exclude them: on the one hand, repetition clauses can be implemented quite comfortably with present day finite equipment; on the other hand, the reasoning pattern known as â€Å"induction† makes us well quipped to retain our intellectual grasp on the processes generated by repetition clauses. With the inclusion of the repetition clauses 8 textual indices are no longer sufficient to describe the dynamic progress of the process. With each entry into a repetition clause, however, we can associate a socalled â€Å"dynamic index,† inexorably counting the ordinal number of the corresponding current repetition. As repetition clauses (just as procedure calls) may be applied nestedly, we find that now the progress of the process can always be uniquely characterized by a (mixed) sequence of textual and/or dynamic indices.The main point is that the values of these indices are outside programmer’s control; they are generated (either by the write-up of his program or by the dynamic evolution of the process) whether he wishes or not. They provide independent coordinates in which to describe the progress of the process. Why do we need such independent coordinates? The reason is—and this seems to be inherent to sequential processes—that we can interpret the value of a variable only with respect to the progress of the process.If we wish to count the number, n say, of people in an initially empty room, we can achieve this by increasing n by one whenever we see someone entering the room. In the inbetween moment that we have observed someone entering the room but have not yet performed the subsequent increase of n, its value equals the number of people in the room minus one! The unbridled use of the go to statement has an immediate consequence that it becomes terribly hard to find a meaningful set of coordinates in which to describe he process progress. Usually, people take into account as well the values of some well chosen variables, but this is out of the question because it is relative to the progress that the meaning of these values is to be understood! With the go to statement one can, of course, still describe the progress uniquely by a counter counting the number of actions performed since program start (viz. a kind of normalized clock). Th e difficulty is that such a coordinate, although unique, is utterly unhelpful.In such a coordinate system it becomes an extremely complicated affair to define all those points of progress where, say, n equals the number of persons in the room minus one! The go to statement as it stands is just too primitive; it is too much an invitation to make a mess of one’s program. One can regard and appreciate the clauses considered as bridling its use. I do not claim that the clauses mentioned are exhaustive in the sense that they will satisfy all needs, but whatever clauses are suggested (e. g. bortion clauses) they should satisfy the requirement that a programmer independent coordinate system can be maintained to describe the process in a helpful and manageable way. It is hard to end this with a fair acknowledgment. Am I to judge by whom my thinking has been influenced? It is fairly obvious that I am not uninfluenced by Peter Landin and Christopher Strachey. Finally I should like to r ecord (as I remember it quite distinctly) how Heinz Zemanek at the pre-ALGOL meeting in early 1959 in Copenhagen quite explic- January 2008/Vol. 1, No. 1 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM itly expressed his doubts whether the go to statement should be treated on equal syntactic footing with the assignment statement. To a modest extent I blame myself for not having then drawn the consequences of his remark. The remark about the undesirability of the go to statement is far from new. I remember having read the explicit recommendation to restrict the use of the go to statement to alarm exits, but I have not been able to trace it; presumably, it has been made by C. A. R. Hoare. In [1, Sec. 3. . 1. ] Wirth and Hoare together make a remark in the same direction in motivating the case construction: â€Å"Like the conditional, it mirrors the dynamic structure of a program more clearly than go to statements and switches, and it eliminates the need for introducing a large number of labels in the prog ram. † In [2] Guiseppe Jacopini seems to have proved the (logical) superfluousness of the go to statement. The exercise to translate an arbitrary flow diagram more or less mechanically into a jumpless one, however, is not to be recommended.Then the resulting flow diagram cannot be expected to be more transparent than the original one. REFERENCES 1. Wirth, Niklaus, and Hoare, C. A. R. A contribution to the development of ALGOL. Comm. ACM 9 (June 1966), 413–432. 2. Bohn, Corrado, and Jacopini, Guiseppe. Flow Diagrams, Turing machines and languages with only two formation rules. Comm. ACM 9 (May 1966) 366–371. Coming Next Month in COMMUNICATIONS Alternate Reality Gaming IT Diffusion in Developing Countries Are People Biased in their Use of Search Engines?The Factors that Affect Knowledge-Sharing Behavior Alternative Scenarios to the â€Å"Banner† Years Municipal Broadband Wireless Networks The Myths and Truths about Wireless Security Managing Large Collection s of Data Mining Models Women and Men in IT: Alike or Different? EDSGER W. DIJKSTRA Technological University Eindhoven, The Netherlands Communications of the ACM March 1968, Vol. 11, No. 3, pg 147 COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM January 2008/Vol. 51, No. 1 9

Does Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (Pbis)?

Does Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) affect Student Growth? July, 2012 Executive Summary In this paper, I will investigate the correlation of Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) and the effects on students’ academic growth. Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) is a systemic approach to proactive, school-wide behavior based on a Response to Intervention (RtI) model. (Wisconsin PBIS Network) I believe PBIS will have a positive effect on students’ academic growth.The federal government strongly recommends that schools adopt Response to Intervention (RTI) as part of their general and special education programs (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). Most RTI models are a three-tier support system with two spheres, one academic and one behavioral (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) has been used to describe school-wide and statewide efforts to implement and monitor comprehensive initiatives in our school s to decrease problem behaviors (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).For the purpose of this paper, SWPBIS, PBS and PBIS refer to School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support. Overview of Program As a component of Response to Intervention (RtI), PBS provides the tools that are essential for stabilizing and improving a student’s behavior, self-esteem, and relationship in general education classes as well as inclusive settings (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).As a system within RtI, PBS shifts the burden on the teacher from competency to â€Å"manage† the class and â€Å"control† the students’ disruptive behavior to identifying causes of inappropriate behavior, encouraging positive behaviors and monitoring interventions (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). By implementing PBIS, the teacher has a unique and important role in each students schooling. PBS is based on understanding why problem behaviors occur and it gives educators and parents a new way to think about behavior s.It is the application of evidence-based strategies and systems to assist schools to increase academic performance, increase safety, decrease problem behavior and establish positive school culture (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). RTI is a â€Å"three-tier composite of academic and behavioral spheres that, in fact, interact with one another, rather than being parallel but isolated (Buffum, Mattos & Weber, 2010). † The RtI is a three tier composite of academic and behavioral spheres, these reflect and reinforce one another (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).This model is based on and understanding that academic performance is a form of student behavior. These two spheres are interdependent and inseparable and the program needs to evaluate all aspects of a child’s performance in school including curriculum works and social interactions (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). It is scientifically and nationally recognized as the most effective approach to integrating both spheres of a childâ⠂¬â„¢s life (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). In reviewing these three spheres, PBS is an effective intervention in each of the three tiers.In the behavior sphere, it is often a greater challenge to identify goals and interventions because they are less well known and tested (Clonin, McDougal, Clark and Davison, 2007). One of the greatest advances of RtI over traditional student evaluation processes is its reliance on proactive identification of students who may be at risk and the use of early interventions that might prevent this. There are few reliable screening processes (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).RTI is about establishing a school-wide system for allocating instructional resources where they are needed. This initiative gives all students (Tier 1) access to the regular curriculum and provides differentiated instruction and support. It requires high quality differentiated instruction based on insights into student thinking and keeping track of students’ progress. General educat ion teachers can use the CHAMPs (Conversation-Help-Activity-Movement-Participation-Success) model by Randy Sprick (2009) as one of the effective approaches to PBS for a Tier 1 student.It allows teachers to design a proactive and positive approach to classroom management that has been proven successful for large numbers of struggling students in a clear, teacher and student friendly system of five prosocial behaviors (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). This model assists the teacher in identifying the behaviors they want to see and teach what these behaviors look like in the classroom by giving students specific behaviors to practice and expectations and reminders are reinforced (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).Students who are struggling and need more targeted interventions will receive increasingly intense intervention matched to their need at Tier 2. These services and interventions are usually provided in small group settings in addition to their instruction in the general curriculum. If beh aviors still need to be reinforced, there are other Tier 2 interventions like peer mentoring, group counseling, being assigned an adult role model to work with (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).One of the significant impacts that RTI and PBS have is the systematic collection of data on each child’s response to the interventions as well as support from teachers, parents and guidance counselors who can report on the effect of interventions inside and outside the school environment (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). Some students may need a more intensive individualized intervention that targets the students’ skill deficits in Tier 3. There would be a reanalysis of all the data from Tier 1 and 2, looking particularly for potential causes or interventions that had been overlooked (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).The team may decide to complete a functional behavior assessment (FBA) that will collect extensive data to identify, the antecedents that may have caused negative behavior, review of the behavior itself and the consequences of the behavior (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012). This would then lead the team to create a professionally developed behavior intervention plan (BIP), which would recommend specific interventions based on the data collected from the FBA (Burton & Kappenberg, 2012).Students who do not achieve the desired level of progress in response to these targeted interventions are then referred for a comprehensive evaluation by the Committee on Special Education. Analysis In reviewing the current literature, there were several studies that determined the key elements of SWPBIS that make it successful. In addition, the following studies conducted have reviewed the correlation between SWPBIS and student achievement. All eight studies found a positive relationship between the implementation of SWPBIS programs and improved student behavior.A positive correlation between the use of SWPBIS programs and improved student achievement was found in research by Hong, L eBurn, Pavlovich, and Yeung. Hong (2011) investigated the effectiveness the effectiveness of SWPBIS on statewide standardized tests using a longitudinal study over a three year period at both elementary and middle school levels in Minnesota. Preliminary data analysis based on elementary schools indicates there was statistical significant relationship between SW-PBIS program and schools’ accountability.Another study conducted by Pavlovich (2008) examined the relationship between PBIS strategies and school-wide discipline problems as well as the difference in educator’s perceptions of the school climate and academic achievement. Results indicated a significant increase in third grade reading scores between the years of PBIS implementation and one year following PBIS implementation. In addition, LeBurn (2008) looked at the â€Å"Effects of Large Scale Implementation of School Wide Positive Behavior Support on Student Discipline and Academic Achievement (SW-PBIS). The stu dy began in 2002 and went on for 3 consecutive years, with 124 public and private schools from K-12 in New Hampshire across four cohorts that participated. Implementation was associated with academics gains in math whereas the reading remained neutral. Finally, Yeung (2009) examined the effects of The Positive Behavior for Learning (PBL) initiative (adopted from the PBIS model in the USA) in Australia to improve learning outcomes for students. The results of the study show that PBL made some significant contributions in determining long term benefits for students.These preliminary findings suggest that the school-wide PBL system has the potential to make a difference in learning outcomes. One of the most significant aspects of PBIS that educators need to understand is that behavior and academics are a major part of a child’s life in school. You can not only concentrate on one aspect and ignore the other. I believe PBIS will improve student success in school because more time will be dedicated to teaching rather than managing misbehavior. The program will also improve the school climate for students and teachers.Through PBIS, there will be an enduring, positive change in behavior, reduction in suspensions as well as increase in graduation rates. I think there are still years of work and development in PBIS, but I believe this is a significant paradigm shift in education where educators are collaborating and assuring that all children learn by analyzing their academic work as well as their behaviors. Decision Matrix Key Characteristics| Weight %| Fidelity of the PBIS Program| 25%| Increase in referrals to Special Education| 20%|Increase in Suspension and behavior issues| 30%| Teacher/Student Buy In| 10%| Cost Effectiveness| 15%| Total| 100%| Key CharacteristicsOptions weight| Fidelity| Referrals| Suspension| Teacher/Student Buy In| Cost| Total:| | 25%| 20%| 30%| 10%| 15%| 100%| 1. PBIS| raw| 10| 8| 8| 7| 7| | | wt. | 300| 160| 160| 105| 105| 830| 2. Rippl e Effects| raw| 5| 5| 5| 4| 5| | | wt. | 150| 100| 100| 60| 75| 485| 3. Leaps| raw| 3| 5| 4| 5| 7| | | wt. | 90| 100| 80| 75| 105| 450| References: Benner, G. , Nelson, J. , Ron, J. Sanders, E. , Ralston, N. (2012). Behavior intervention for students with externalizing behavior problems: primary-level standard protocol. Exceptional Children, 78 ( 2). Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com. arktos. nyit. edu/education/docview/916923328/137DC178FA97D350E74/1? accountid=12917 Buffum, A. , Mattos, M. , & Weber, C. (2008) Pyramid response to intervention: RtI, professional learning communities, and how to respond when kids don’t learn. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. Burton, D. & Kappenberg, J. 2012). The complete guide to RTI: an implementation toolkit. California, Corwin Clonin, S. M. , McDougal, J. L. , Clark, K. , & Davison, S. (2007). Use of office discipline referrals in school wide decision making: A practical example. Psycology in the schools, 44(1), 19-27. Hong, S. , Ryoo, J. (2011). Investigating the effectiveness of SW-PBIS on school’s accountability at both elementary and middle schools: Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, Retrieved from http://www. eric. ed. gov/PDFS/ED528760. pdf.