Strategic Analysis Of Carnival Corporation And Plc Tourism Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Carnival Corporation And Plc Tourism Essay Humans have since time immemorial been fascinated with ships, seas and oceans. Whilst ships have in the past been used mainly for transportation of goods and people and of course for war, seafaring has always been associated with travel to new and strange destinations, excitement and romance. With the contemporary day and age being firmly focused on new alternatives for leisure, excitement and life experiences, the western tourism industry has astutely used this human fascination with the seas to develop an extremely desirable tourism option; namely sea and ocean cruises. Such cruises offer exciting and pleasurable vacation options for people. They are offered by specialised cruise liners and provide customers the experience of travelling on the high seas in large, well appointed and luxurious ocean going vessels. Cruise holidays provide customers with luxury experiences and opportunities to engage in numerous leisure activities like (a) sun bathing on expansive ocean liner decks, (b) use of large swimming pools, (c) a range of body comfort activities through the use of spas, gyms and Jacuzzis, (d) various types of eating and dining options, and (e) a range of on ship holiday activities like games, contests, singing and dancing. The modern day cruise industry emerged in the 1970s in North America (Dowling, 2006). Whilst cruises originally aimed to provide customers with luxurious trans-ocean transportation options, the industry has since then transformed into a vacation alternative for people to travel to land based destinations or to sightseeing locations in the oceans (Dowling, 2006). A cruise now stands for a complete start-to-finish experience in luxury, comfort and the good life, rather than an option for travelling from point A to point B (Dowling, 2006). Whilst cruise vacationers still form a very small segment (just about 2%) of the global tourism industry, their volumes grew from 500,000 passengers in 1970 to 6.6 million passengers in 2000 (Gisnas et al, 2008). Such volumes have continued to grow during the last decade and are estimated to be 17 million annual passengers today (Gisnas et al, 2008). The industry experienced significant growth in the 1970s, when it first emerged, and has been growing at between 8 and 9% since then (Gisnas et al, 2008). Sectoral growth in the cruise sector has also not been cyclical like other shipping segments (Gisnas et al, 2008). Carnival Corporation and plc (Carnival Corporation) is the worlds largest operator of cruise ships. With 11 individual brands and a total fleet of 96 vessels, the organisation operates cruises in North America, Europe and Australia (Carnival, 2010). Whilst the global recession affected the travel and tourism industry significantly and also affected the revenues of the company to some extent, Carnival Corporation expects to grow significantly in the coming years, as recessionary forces weaken and individual and business spending starts moving upwards once again (Carnival, 2010). This specific analysis attempts to (a) examine the operations and mechanisms of the cruise industry, (b) analyse the strategies and operations of Carnival Corporation, and (c) recommend suitable future growth strategies for the company. 2. Overview of Cruise Industry 2.1. Brief history of Cruise Industry The first cruise route, historical records reveal, was established by British PO in 1882 with the introduction of S/Y Ceylon for pleasure cruising (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The ship operated on the western coast of Norway and was well known to wealthy UK citizens (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The most famous example of a cruise liner of those days is that of the Titanic, which sank on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, in April 1912, after a collision with an iceberg (Cartwright Baird, 1999). Whilst trans-ocean services between North America and Europe expanded greatly between the two great wars, the emergence of commercial aircraft after the closure of the Second World War led to the elimination of human transportation through ships (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The years that followed the closure of human transportation through ships however saw the emergence and the steady growth of pleasure and tourism oriented cruises (Cartwright Baird, 1999). The cruise market is currently dominated by three important organisations namely, Carnival Corporation (the subject of this study), Royal Caribbean International and Star Cruises. Whilst the industry was home to a number of players in the 1970s and 1980s, progressive mergers and alliances have led to the formation of oligopolistic market situation that is dominated by three strong entities (Gisnas et al, 2008). Carnival Corporation leads the business with a 45% market share, followed by Royal Caribbean (21%) and Star Cruises (10%) (Gisnas et al, 2008). Appendix 1 provides details of the capacities of the major cruise liners. The cruise market is divided into two main geographic segments, (a) the US market and (b) the European market. The US market, which includes North America and the Caribbean, forms 62% of the total market, whereas Europe accounts for 24% of cruise users (Kamery, 2004). The European market, whilst smaller than the US market, is growing swiftly and is expected to increase by more than 9% per annum in the coming years (Kamery, 2004). The UK market has until now been the dominant European market, even as the German, Scandinavian, Benelux, Austrian and Swiss markets are showing strong growth (Kamery, 2004). Cruises can be segmented into five main categories, namely contemporary cruises, budget cruises, premium cruises, luxury cruises and special cruises. Appendix 2 provides details of the different types of cruises. The industry can otherwise be segmented by languages, which surprisingly is an important point of differentiation (Gisnas et al, 2008). Individuals prefer to go on cruises with people who speak the same language (Gisnas et al, 2008). Important market segments are (a) American families, (b) senior citizens from the EU, (c) conferences and incentives, (d) themes and (e) adventure (Gisnas et al, 2008). In North America the target population for cruises companies comprises of adults, who are more than 25 years in age and earn more than 40,000 USD per annum (Gisnas et al, 2008). The target market includes (a) people who have cruised before, (b) vacationers who have not previously engaged in cruises and (c) non vacationers as well (Gisnas et al, 2008). The segment makes up practically 44% of the US population (Gisnas et al, 2008). Whilst the average age of passengers has come down to just below 45 in the US, The average age of passengers in the UK is also coming down significantly (Gisnas et al, 2008). The potential of the market is high because the existing penetration rate at 3% for North America, 1% for Europe and 2% for UK is very low. The main markets continue to be North America and Europe. The Asian market is however growing very slowly. Appendix 3 Provides details of passengers both by nationality and by origin. 3. Analysis of Carnival Corporation 3.1. Company Overview Carnival Corporation plc is the market leader of the cruise industry. Carnival Corporation was founded in 1972 by Ted Arison (Carnival, 2010). Both Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc have grown organically, as well as through mergers that have led to significant increases in organisational operations (Carnival, 2010). The present organisation came about from a merger between Carnival Corporation and PO Princess Cruises plc, wherein it was agreed that PO would be listed on the London Stock Exchange (Carnival, 2010). The organisation is thus dually listed on the London and New York Stock Exchanges and has head offices at Miami, USA, and at Southampton, UK (Carnival, 2010). The company has 11 cruise line brands, each of which controls a geographical location. To elaborate, AIDA cruises controls the German business, Carnival Cruise lines, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and the Seaborne Cruise Line operate in the United States, Cunard Line, Ocean Village, and PO Cruises service the UK market, Costa Cruises controls the Italian business, Iberio Cruises controls the Spanish business, and PO Cruises Australia controls the Australian business (Carnival, 2010). The organisation earned revenues of 13.1 billion USD in 2009 compared to 14.65 billion USD in 2008. It owns 93 ships, has a passenger capacity of 180,746, and employs 85,000 people. Carnival Corporation carried 8500 passengers in 2009 (Carnival, 2010). 3.2. Operational Performance The operations and financial performance of the company suffered significantly in 2009 compared to 2008. The sales and net income figures for these two years are provided below. Year 2009 2008 Sales Million USD 5912 6550 Percentage Movement (10%) Net Profits Million USD 885 1090 (19%) Net Profit Ratio 0.15 0.16 Whilst the company management states that they have been able to cushion the impact of the recession effectively, the financial analysis of key performance indicators reveals a different picture. Both sales and profits have come down sharply (Carnival, 2010). It also needs to be noticed that the sales of the organisation have come down by 10 %, even as the cruise industry overall contracted only by 3 % in 2009 (Carnival, 2010). Other operational and profitability ratios like ROI and have also come down in the wake of reduction in sales and profitability. 3.3. PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL frame works helps analysts to examine environmental factors in a methodical manner (Porter, 1980). The specific examination of political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors assist in understanding key change drivers and external influences on the working of organisations (Porter, 1980). A PESTEL analysis helps organisational managements in aligning organisational strategies with environmental realities and work towards ensuring that organisations do not purposely follow strategic rules that are at variance or in opposition to environmental forces (Porter, 1980). With cruise lines essentially being international in the nature of their operations, their working can be significantly affected by terrorism related conditions (Porter, 1980). Increase in terrorism activities invariably leads to stricter immigration laws and to reduction in tourism enthusiasm (Porter, 1980). Apart from terrorism, cruise activity can also be affected by political instability in geographical locations that are part of the cruise network, as well as by tourism related taxation policies in different countries (Porter, 1980). Tourism, being an essentially discretionary activity is strongly influenced by changes in global economic conditions (Porter, 1980). The last two years have seen reduction in tourism business and cruise activity. Apart from the economic environment, the movement of exchange rates can also affect tourism and consequently cruise activity. Whilst tourism is currently going through a difficult phase, (having reduced by 4% in 2008 and 2009, and expected to grow by 0.3% in 2010) a post recession boom is likely considering that tourism contributes approximately 10.6% of global GBP. Social and cultural features play important roles in the cruise industry (Porter, 1980). The majority of cruise customers come from affluent and western social segments and place great stress on lifestyle quality (Porter, 1980). The market for cruises has until now been dominated by customers from the advanced western nations. Cruise liners are constantly investing in technology to make their ships more customers friendly as well as easier to operate. Internet sales enable customers to reduce costs through elimination of intermediaries (Porter, 1980). The tourism industry, because of the associated travel costs, is strongly associated with emission of green house gases. Any sort of rationing of petroleum products can as such lead to significantly adverse effects upon the tourism and cruise sector. The cruise business can also be influenced to some extent by trade laws and customs procedures and regulation. The existing global visa regime is tremendously skewed in favour of the inhabitants of rich countries and this can affect the growth of cruise customers from the emerging nations. 3.4. Critical Success Factors Analysis of available information leads to the conclusion that success in the shipping industry will depend essentially upon economies of scale and degree of differentiation (Gisnas et al, 2008). Extending this concept to the cruise industry, the critical success factors in the industry can be narrowed down to the four following factors (Gisnas et al, 2008). Exploitation of scale economies: Economies of scale can be achieved in different operational areas like vessel size, maintenance programmes, and economies of hotel operations Product Differentiation: This can be achieved through the conceptualisation and implementation of different types of cruises. Generation of Customer Loyalty: This will enable companies to obtain higher shares of repeat customer business Management of Strategic Investments: This will enable an organisation to get infrastructural advantage through optimisation of investments, both in terms of money and costs. 4. Strategic Recommendation Carnival Corporation is currently experiencing difficult environmental conditions because of the global recession that was triggered off by the housing collapse and the subprime crises in the USA (Porter, 1980). With the economies of affluent North American and European countries, wherein the brunt of the crises, global tourism was significantly affected during the past two years (Porter, 1980). The bulk of the cruise industry services the citizens of the United States, the UK and other affluent European nations and a sharp economic downturn in these nations will expectedly have significantly adverse on the sales and operational performance of the members of this sector (Porter, 1980). The strategic growth plans for carnival Corporation must accordingly incorporate the impact of the extra ordinarily difficult current environment (Porter, 1980). Whilst the current economic environment is challenging the companys operational and financial capabilities, it is also providing significant opportunities to strong existing players (Porter, 1980). The growth recommendations for Carnival Corporation have been based upon the information obtained from the PESTEL analysis, the utilisation of strategic theories like Porters generic growth strategy and Ansoffs growth matrix, the critical success factors for members of the industry and the opportunities and threats that exists in the current environment (Porter, 1980). Michael Porter, in his seminal contribution towards corporate strategy forwarded the theory that companies can achieve competitive advantage only through the adoption of specific strategies, namely cost leadership, differentiation, or niche occupation (Porter, 1980). Porter went on to state that whilst many organisations feel the need to adopt more than one of such strategies, such an attitude was essentially faulty, and the desire by company managements to adopt essentially distinct operational strategies could lead to loss of focus, confusion in growth objectives and engagement in contradictory and self destructive actions (Porter, 1980). Carnival Corporation has constantly followed a strategy of differentiating of products from that of its competitors. Whilst the organisations growth is also due to its origin and operations in the extremely strong US and British markets, the company has constantly differentiated its offerings through innovation in the types and lengths of cruises to its customers. The company is otherwise strongly focused on sustainability and is taking action to reduce its carbon footprint through the lowering of energy use on its ships, preserving clean air, and reducing operational waste. The PESTEL analysis reveals that whilst the industry is vulnerable to global terrorism actions and the political instability of countries that form part of the operational area of the industry (Porter, 1980). Apart from such political factors, the industry is vulnerable to economic downturns. It is however becoming obvious that the downturn has possibly bottomed out and that western economies are moving towards recovery (Porter, 1980). Whilst recent economic developments in Greece and Spain are disquieting, broad economic indicators show the possibility of some economic improvement in 2010 and firm upward economic movement in 2011. This situation provides abundant opportunities to the companys growth plans. Whilst 2009 has seen a dip in the companys sales and profitability, financial reports reveal that the company has a very strong cash position and comfortable leverage ratios. With its considerable financial ability and its experience in growth through buyouts and acquisitions, the current economic circumstances should provide significant opportunities for the company to acquire smaller and financially weaker organisations, who would be finding it difficult to survive in the present circumstances. Igor Ansoffs model of growth stipulates that companies move in their growth curve from selling currently available services in existing markets through various phases to selling new products in new markets (Tutor2u.net, 2009). Ansoffs growth model is provided in appendix 4. Carnival Corporation should clearly follow a carefully formulated strategy of external and internal growth. External growth should be targeted through the search and acquisition of attractive cruiser lines whose operations and viability has suffered because of the crises. The corporate management should aggressively scout for acquisition and use its strong financial resources to good effect. Such a strategy will also lead to better scale economies and will of course need efficient management of strategic investments (Tutor2u.net, 2009). The company, in accordance with Ansoffs model should steadily pursue strategies for differentiating their services through the conceptualisation and implementation of different cruise themes. It is also opportune for the company to seriously look at the emerging Asian tourism sector, preferably through the acquisition of a local cruise operator. The Asian economy is fairing much better than the European economy and significant accretion is occurring in the upper middle class segments of China and India. Such population segments are totally unexposed to cruise vacations and provide fertile ground for Carnival Corporation to thrust their Asian operations. Carefully conceived strategic plan of organic and acquisitive growth will enable the company to consolidate its leadership position and exploit current environmental opportunities (Tutor2u.net, 2009). 5. Conclusions

The Underrepresentation of Women in Academic Leadership in the United S

The literature review for this study examines various researches imperative to understanding the context, nature, and extent of the problem of underrepresentation of women in academic leadership in the United States. Gender inequality still exists in leadership positions in U.S academia; â€Å"women are still struggling to be at the leadership table despite the progress the U.S. has made in recent times through the process of eliminating discrimination in the workplace† (Lapovsky & Slaner, 2009). The review also pulls resources from literatures dealing with assessing the root causes of underrepresentation of female Leaders in the United States, with regards to employment discrimination, societal roles etc. From this review, some notable topics emerged that pulls an in depth analysis of the various factors that influence the underrepresentation of women as leaders in the United States academia. Consequently, research has shown that the number of female presidents have not chang ed in the last 10 years (Lapovsky & Slaner, 2009). Keywords: women and leadership, Academic Leaders, US Academia, Leadership Characteristics. Are women underrepresented in leadership role in the U.S Academia? A Literature Review A report written in the American Association of University Professors, states that as women pursue academic leadership advancement, the lower the percentage of women in higher leadership roles become. For instance, the representation of woman in leadership roles are as follows: Fifty percent of women are lecturers and instructors, forty six percent are represented in Assistant professor positions, thirty eight percent and twenty three percent are college presidents (ACE, 2007). Furth... ...rative literature review: Guidlines and examples. Human Resource Development Review, 4(3), 356-367. doi: 10.1177/1534484305278283 Kiamba, J. M. (2008). Women’s activism for gender equity in Africa, women and leadership positions. Social and cultural barriers Due Billing, Y., & Alvesson, M. (1989). Four ways of looking at women and leadership. Scandinavian journal of management, 5(1), 63-80. doi.10.1300/J111v32n03_08 Fernandez, J. Race, (1998). Gender and rhetoric: The true state of race and gender relations in corporate America. New York: McGraw Hill. Recruitment, retention, and professional development of women faculty a report from the academic issues subcommittee of the provost's committee on the status of women. Informally published manuscript, John Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. Retrieved from http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/reports/womenfac/report.html

Full Day Kindergarten Essay

Full day kindergarten should be mandatory and of no extra cost for all of the elementary schools. This will boost the children’s academic achievement. The children that are exposed to full day kindergarten will learn more in literacy and mathematics than those in half-day kindergarten. The students that are in a full day program get to spend more time on their math, writing, and reading activities. The full day students also get the advantage of being able to participate in gym, art, and music classes. The half-day students do not get to experience gym, art, or music class. I have seen results first hand because I chose to put my son in a full day kindergarten versus the half-day. I chose to bring my son to a school that is located in Fridley so that he could receive the benefits of the full day kindergarten. The half-day program that Blaine offers has a very undesirable schedule for parents who work. The half-day schedule for Blaine elementary school is full days Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday. I think that the earlier the educational intervention begins the higher the impact and the more likely the effects will be retained. Other than the health of a child, I think that nothing should be more important than their education. Giving children the opportunity to be in a full day kindergarten program gives them opportunities that the half-day students do not receive. One of the opportunities is being able to spend more time on reading, writing, and math. The teachers also have more time to sit one on one with each student one or in small groups and work on these skills. They also have a different theme for each month that they focus on. Some examples of the themes are the solar system, U. S. residents, maps, and the celebrations around the world. Children also absorb things more easily when they are younger. Being a mother of a full day kindergarten student, I see the results of the extra reading, writing, and math that the teacher does with him. My son is one of the youngest in his class and he is reading at a first grade level. As for his writing, he attempt to write big words using phonics. For example, I came home one day a few months ago and he had written on his dry erase board â€Å"I see a red ladebug†. He also brought home a worksheet that he had written about his favorite fruits. On this worksheet, he had written â€Å"watrmlon†. As far as his math goes, he is always measuring things in the house with a kid’s yard ruler. The themes that they work on each month give the students the ability to know what is going on in the world around them. My son came home from school one day and told me that there was a planet that was not considered a planet anymore. I did not know this and I was in complete awe. According to Debra Ackerman, â€Å"Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. Full-day kindergarten advocates suggest that a longer school day provides educational support that ensures a productive beginning school experience and increases the chances of future school success. In both full-day and half-day programs, kindergartners spend most of their class time working on reading, language arts, and math activities, but the total number of minutes teachers devote to specific subjects differs. For example, 80 percent of full day but only about 50 percent of half-day programs devote more than 30 minutes each day to mathematics instruction. Sixty-eight percent of full day but only 37 percent of half-day classrooms dedicate at least 60 minutes to reading instruction each day. Perhaps most striking, 79 percent of full-day teachers read aloud to their students every day, compared to 62 percent of half-day teachers. Reading aloud is a critical activity in helping to develop children’s reading skills. Additional research shows children’s literacy learning is enhanced in full-day programs, as the full-day schedule provides a more intensive, ongoing, enriched language and literacy experience for the young child. (Ackerman) Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. I asked my son’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Janssen, what the average for reading was for her class. Ms. Janssen stated that the majority of her students are already in the first grade reading level as of the end of the second trimester. As said by the Indiana Association of Public School Super Intendants, â€Å"Full day kindergarten programs are associated with greater reading achievement gains during the kindergarten year than half day programs†. Plucker, 6) The students are graded on their writing and math abilities as well. According to the Kalamazoo Public Schools reports, â€Å"The group of kindergartners advanced in 2010 to first grade at Kalamazoo Public School, where 60 percent tested at or above the 50th percentile in reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills last April. That’s a 7-point increase compared to Kalamazoo Public School first-graders tested in April 2009, Rice said. On the Iowa Test Basic Skills math test, 52 percent of first-graders tested a t or above the 50th percentile last spring, a 12-point jump over spring 2009. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills are administered in schools nationwide and is a norm-referenced test, which means scores are based on how students perform compared to other test-takers. The Kalamazoo Public School results show that 60 percent of Kalamazoo students are in the top half of first-graders nationwide in reading and 52 percent are in the top half in math. † (Mack) Children who are in full day kindergarten have better social and behavioral effects than those who are in half-day kindergarten. When children are in school for the full day they have more time to get to know the other students. They get more time to interact together socially and they are learning while they are interacting. The students also get to go to specialists and they go with their classmates. Some of the specialists that Hayes Elementary offers are music, art, Spanish, and gym. Going to the specialist is something that the full day kindergarteners get to do and the half-day kindergarteners do not get to do. These students also get to spend more time with the teacher. This means that they will be less hesitant to approach their teacher. According to Clark, â€Å"Some researchers have examined social and behavioral effects. According to researchers, a clear relationship emerged between the kindergarten schedule and children’s behavior. Teachers rated children in all-day kindergarten programs higher on 9 of the 14 dimensions; there were no significant differences on the other 5 dimensions. Other researchers who have studied social and behavioral outcomes found that children in all-day kindergarten programs were engaged in more child-to-child interactions and they made significantly greater progress in learning social skills†. Clark) In the kindergarten classrooms of Hayes Elementary, the students get into groups called centers. During this center time, the teacher takes a group of five students to a table to do independent reading and the rest of the students go to a center. The centers are groups of three or four students and the students get to interact socially while doing something educational. Some examples of the centers are writing center, listening center, leapster center, and art center. The writing center is where the students can write freely. The listening center is where the students put on headphones, listen to directions, and write down what they hear. The leapster center is where the students get to play a handheld learning game that integrates math, reading, and spelling in the games. Finally, the art center is where the students get to draw and color what they want. When the time is up the students clean up as groups. A full day of learning offers many social and emotional benefits to kindergarteners. As stated by NEA, â€Å"They have more time to focus and reflect on activities, and they have more time to transition between activities. When children are taught by qualified teachers, using age-appropriate curricula in small classes they can take full advantage of the additional learning time—social, emotional, and intellectual— that a full day allows. Further, research finds that children adjust well to the full-day format. † (NEA) The full day kindergarten teachers plan and use the extra time in class well. The time in class is spent differently in both the full day kindergarten and the half-day kindergarten. According to the research that the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å"The research provides evidence that time in full day kindergarten programs is different both quantitatively and qualitatively from how time is used in half day programs† (Plucker, ii). Full day kindergarten offers benefits to teachers. Teachers prefer the full day program to the half-day program. If there is a child that is struggling with something, the teacher has the ability to find time to help that student. There is also more time to finish activities. According to Ms. Janssen, â€Å"With the full day program I am able to get through four reading groups versus two reading groups in one day. With the full day program we are able to go more in depth on our unit that we focus on in class. † (Janssen) According to the NEA, â€Å"Switching to full-day kindergarten gave teachers more time to plan the curriculum, incorporate a greater number of thematic units into the school year, and offer more in-depth coverage of each unit. (NEA) In the half-day programs there is less time for multiple activities. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Many kindergarten teachers favor full day kindergarten because they find it difficult to balance cognitive activities and affective social activities in the short kindergarten day. † (Martinez, 2) Teachers also prefer full day kindergarten because there is more instructional time than that of a half-day kindergarten program. As stated by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å" Across all of the schools in the Indiana sample, the proportion of instructional time is similar across program types, resulting in much greater instructional time in full day programs, representing approximately 40-50% more instruction in full day programs than half-day programs†. (Plucker, ii) Teachers also have the benefit of getting to know the students and their parents better. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers state that they have a chance to know children and parents better, to do more individualization of instruction, and to expand the curriculum horizontally. (Dr. Martinez) There are so many benefits for the children. A very important benefit is that the full day kindergarteners have the opportunity to an easier transition into the first grade because they are already used to the full day schedule. The time that the students get to spend with the teacher is a great benefit as well. The extra time that is spent with the teacher is as much beneficial for the teacher as it is for the students. According to the research from Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers thought children developed closer relationships and were more relaxed in the full-day program and felt more a part of the school. Teachers indicated they were able to give more individual attention to students and that children had more time to develop both academic and socialization skills. Teachers noted they could work more on the continuing development of each child and felt children showed more advancement. Teachers indicated they felt closer to the children and that they got to know both child and family better. Some indicated in the full day they felt more flexible, were more relaxed and spontaneous, and felt better prepared to meet with parents. † (Dr. Martinez, 6) The time that the students get to spend on activities is another great benefit. According to NEA, â€Å"in a study evaluating teachers’ views on full-day kindergarten, teachers reported a number of benefits for themselves as well as children and parents. Participating in full day eased the transition to first grade, helping children adapt to the demand of a six-hour day. Having more time available in the school day offered more flexibility and more time to do activities during free choice times. Having more time actually made the kindergarten program less stressful and frustrating for children because they had time to fully develop an interest in activities. Participating in he full-day schedule allows more appropriate academic challenges for children at all developmental levels. Children with developmental delays or those at risk for school problems benefited from having more time to complete projects and more time for needed socialization with peers and teachers. † (NEA) Full day kindergarten offers more benefits to the students that are at risk and children that come from educational and economical disadvantaged homes. If the full day kindergarten programs cost money, as most do, they cost around 3000 dollars per child for the year. The 3000 dollars is charged to the parents of the child. The children that come from the educationally and economically disadvantaged homes would not be able to attend because of the cost. These children are the ones that benefit from the program the most. According to the Indiana Superintendents, â€Å"Students at or below the poverty level enrolled in full day kindergarten scored statistically significantly higher in math and reading than their half day counterparts. Poor children enrolled in full day kindergarten programs tested statistically significantly above half day pupils on reading, spatial, and verbal skills, naming colors and letters, and identifying numerals. (Plucker, 6) Parents prefer full day kindergarten as well. I as a mother prefer the full day kindergarten program to the half-day program. One of the advantages is that I do not have to figure out childcare and who would bring my son to the childcare. Trying to figure out childcare and school between my job schedule would be undesirable. As said by Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Full-day kindergarten saves parents day-care problems, while providing children a comprehensive, developmentally-appropriate program. Parents said that children often feel more stress when they have to go from a school situation to a day-care environment, where different rules and philosophies apply. Therefore, parents favor a full-day program, which reduces the number of transitions kindergartners experience in a typical day. † (Dr. Martinez) Full day kindergarten also takes a huge cost out of many parents’ monthly budget including mine. Even though some people would be against this and say, â€Å"Why would I have to pay for your childcare? † I would say that many parents including myself pay taxes too. Their parents wanted them to have the best education that they could have gotten. Most importantly, I know that my son and many other children are getting the best out of their day while they are in school. They are having fun while they are learning. My son enjoys being in school. If he had a choice, he would go on Saturdays and Sundays. Children attending full day kindergarten spend the day learning instead of watching television or playing video games. Full-day kindergarten provides parents with better support for their children. According to NEA, â€Å"For parents who work outside the home, full-day kindergarten means that children do not have to be shuffled between home, school, and childcare. For all parents, there is more continuity and less disruption in the child’s day and more time for focused and independent learning. One study of parent attitudes found that after the second year of a full-day kindergarten program, 100 percent of full-day parents, and 72 percent of half-day parents noted that, if given the opportunity again, they would have chosen full-day kindergarten for their child†. (NEA) In conclusion, having full day kindergarten should be mandatory. There are many benefits of the full day kindergarten program. The benefits are not limited to the students. Teachers and parents also get great benefits out of the full day program. According to MaryBeth, â€Å"Research has shown that it is important to begin learning early in life. School systems that have implemented the academically based full day kindergarten are finding it to be successful. If I had to choose again if a child of mine was going to go to full day or half-day kindergarten, I would not even have to think twice. A child’s education should be one of the most important things to think about. These children will be the future and they need a great education to get there.

The Abortion Decision Making Process Essay - 1949 Words

Making unexpected decisions about health issues is often difficult; making decisions around an unplanned pregnancy is no different. For many women, an unplanned pregnancy can be one of the first times that they have had to deal with a decision about their health and the course of their life. If you experience and unplanned pregnancy you have three options: Continuing the pregnancy and raising the child, continuing the pregnancy and placing the child up for adoption or terminating the pregnancy by abortion. The influence of social norms, family, and friends play a large role, in whether women decide on having an abortion. The qualitative perspectives on abortion decision making among teenage women in Sweden states that â€Å"Without the†¦show more content†¦The author’s of the study state that â€Å" Some knew immediately that the pregnancy had to be terminated, believing abortion was the natural choice in their situation.† However, most women â€Å"found it d ifficult to be the one with the definitive task of deciding abortion.† Women turned to their partner, parents, and their own moral beliefs in helping them reach their decision. The problem women face when turning to their partner is that most men are unable to accept what happen. They turn away from it and choose to offer no emotional support. Men jump on the abortion â€Å"bandwagon† because they see it as an easy way out for them and make it clear that this is what should happen. The study indicates that regardless of the couples current relationship, the majority chose to tell their partner. However, the majority of the women did not tell their parents. Why is this? Parents are supposed to guide us through life, help us through difficult times and give advice when needed. An 18 year old woman from the study states â€Å"Since my parents are immigrants and Muslims, it was totally out of the question for me to tell them about the pregnancy.... They would have turned m e away if they’d known.† The teenagers religion and background play a leading role in determining why she did not tell her parents. However, most people become stressed or feel guilty when they hold something in. Hiding a pregnancy from your parents is a very stressful situationShow MoreRelatedTeen Pregnancy and Abortion971 Words   |  4 Pageshave set for themselves. Parental involvement is sometimes overlooked by the teen while deciding if abortion is the right choice. Most teenagers have access to obtain an abortion without their parents’ permission because some states consider a pregnant teen an adult. 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Young women young women have to deal with extreme fetal pain during an abortion process; there is also the probability that some can die right there on the table and have drastic changes in there hormones. Studies have proven that abortions can lead to an increased chance of breastRead MoreIs Abortion Morally Wrong?1704 Words   |  7 Pagestoday’s society is how the legalities apply to the process of abortion. In this debate, most people usually connect with either the â€Å"pro-life† argument, or the â€Å"pro-choice† argument. Before developing a position, it is important to understand both sides of the argument and weigh the consequences of each. The common ground between the two is often mistaken, making it difficult for people to find their position. People who support banishing legal abortions are usually referred to as â€Å"pro-lifers.† They usuallyRead MoreParenthood Of Central Missouri V. Danforth1174 Words   |  5 PagesMissouri v. Danforth recognized that the constitutional protection against unjustified state intrusion into the process of deciding whether or not to bear a child extends to pregnant minors, minors’ abortion rights have been circumscribed by parental notification and consent requirements. Early Supreme Court precedent like Danforth and Bellotti v. Baird justified circumscribing minors’ abortion rights in this way by appealing to the particular vulnerability of children, the importance of the parent-childRead MoreToday, One Of The Hottest And Most Dangerous Discussions1084 Words   |  5 Pagesand most dangerous discussions to have in the public square is about abortion. The polarizing viewpoints create emotionally charged arguments that often lead to nowhere. As society voices its op inion, it is the daily interaction of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the U.S. government that have and will impact abortion the most. The practice of abortion was completely changed and most influenced by the decisions of the judicial branch. Although America is constructed with different