SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing Bounce Fitness. Strengths are results-oriented approach to attracting and maintaining customers. A well researched, detailed health wellness program with along term focus and Intensively trained staff. Weaknesses are high costs associated with customized, personal service. The inability to work on a high volume business model and Significant costs involved in attracting a large corporate client. Opportunities are the potential to expand within a growing market. A large increase in clients if a single corporate company takes up the Bounce Fitness Program and the ability to leverage future quantitative analysis that supports the contention that long term wellness programs have a significant, positive impact on the company’s bottom line. Threats are a lack of immunity to an economic downturn. Potential competition from larger, well established competitors and a change in society where the individual begins to take far more responsibility for his/her health maintenance. The main competitors for Bounce Fitness are community fitness programs and school facilities which appeal to lower-income families and/or students who want accessibility and affordability from fitness facilities. Forever Fit gym services which targets motivated and dedicated individuals who work out five to seven times per week. Better Bodies which focus on for casual fitness-seekers who do not work out with a high intensity but still desire the status and recognition of belonging to a fitness centre. What are three barriers that could hinder the business development opportunities for Bounce Fitness?
Q: Piet, a truck driver, is transporting an abnormally heavy load on a busy city motorway. He hears a…
A: ReferencesBennett, J., & Hall, M. (2020). Risk management in logistics: Communication strategies…
Q: do fast
A: Step 1:
Q: I need help answering the following question. Base on, Ch. 18 to 19 of The Spirit Catches You and…
A: Approach to solving the question: Detailed explanation: Examples: Key references:The Spirit Catches…
Q: Case Study:Strategic Workforce Planning at DutchRailwayInfrastructure Manager- ProRail Traffic…
A: ProRail Traffic Control provides the control necessary to keep the Dutch Railway system running. The…
Q: I need typing clear urjent no chatgpt used i will give 5 upvotes pls full explain
A: Step 1:Here is the Free Body Diagram (FBD) of the mass ( m ) suspended by two vertical wires ( AB )…
Q: Define group conflict and discuss group conflict in organizations. Provide a real-life example.
A: To manage these conflicts effectively, organizations often employ several strategies:Ensuring that…
Q: What should a detailed description of an Annual Summer project "scope of work," include and any…
A: Explanation for the Question: What should a detailed description of an annual summer project's…
Q: Literature review on public sector human resource management practice evaluation with scholarly…
A: literature review on the evaluation of human resource management (HRM) practices in the public…
Q: Insurance Company How can I Determine the desired outcome as a result of the proposed change. How…
A: **1. Determining the Desired Outcome of the Proposed Change:**The desired outcome refers to the…
Q: Can you guys help me on this? Thank you! Question: Assume you will become a consultant in the…
A: If you need an answer to the question, here's my response:If I became a consultant in the service…
Q: The City of Cayman Islands Project is a multi-billion dollar investment in Grand Cayman, at the…
A: The Planning Function is crucial in any project as it involves setting the project's objectives and…
Q: Creating an effective Organizational Structure As a global company recognized worldwide, Coca Cola…
A: The divisional structure of Coca Cola is geographically organized, with each major region—such as…
Q: Peri-peri is the heart and soul of Nando’s. The following excerpt is from the Nando’s webpage.‘It’s…
A: Nando's has crafted a compelling global presence through its unique peri-peri chicken, blending…
Q: Mike is considering offering a new tennis shoe, but the prototype includes significant uncertainty…
A: Approach to solving the question:Freeform Detailed explanation: Mike's consideration of offering a…
Q: Can you guys help me on this? Thank you! Here's the case: Competition in the Bottled Water Industry…
A: The bottled water industry has experienced significant changes over recent years due to several key…
Q: Plot the temperature of deuterium (in K ) as a function of pressure from 100 kPa to 10,000kPa at a…
A: Approach to solving the question:To solve for the temperature of deuterium at a constant specific…
Q: Don't use chatgpt.....
A: Step 1: Step 2:
Q: do fast
A: Step 1:Step 2:Step 3:
Q: What are positive organizational change that will help Samsung sustain a competitive advantage in…
A: I explained about the positive organizational changes that could help Samsung stay strong in the…
Q: Clean handwriting answer it okkk must handwriting thanks. Don't use chat gpt answers okk I use chat…
A: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4:
Q: do fast only system digram not paper diagram
A: Step 1:Given dAB=20mmdCD=25mmdEF=40mmτallow=60MPa. Step 2: Now from static analysis we…
Q: Based on Microsoft's operations globally, research its internationaloperations by conducting a…
A: 1. **Strategic Partnerships and Alliances** - Microsoft has leveraged strategic partnerships and…
Q: 1: Why are behavioural variables a better indicator of purchasing behaviour than other consumer…
A: 1. Why are behavioral variables a better indicator of purchasing behavior than other consumer market…
Q: In 1998 Michael Porter wrote an article - The Competitive Advantage of Nations. To this day,…
A: The Competitive Advantage Matrix, also known as Porter's Diamond, is a model that is used to analyze…
Q: What information do people primarily rely upon in face-to-face negotiation that makes it such a rich…
A: Face-to-face negotiation is often considered a rich and preferred method of communication because it…
Q: How does project risk change as a project progresses? What changes are made to the risk assessment…
A: 1. **Project Risk Evolution Over Time** - **Early Stages (Initiation and Planning)**: - During…
Q: do fast
A: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:
Q: what can you expect to learn in the class MIS540 Innovation Through Technology
A: In MIS540 Innovation Through Technology, you'll dive deeply into how technology acts as a catalyst…
Q: Describe Situational Leadership (according to Hersey and Blanchard) in terms of leadership style vs.…
A: **Leadership Styles:**Hersey and Blanchard define four leadership styles based on the amount of…
Q: Case Father and Son PizzeriaShould the Owner of a Pizzeria Remodel and Expand, Move to a New…
A: • A. Discuss four (4) strategies that Carlos could have utilized to enhance creativity which will be…
Q: do fast
A: a) Calculate the price elasticity between point A and B.Price elasticity of demand (PED) is…
Q: Case ScenarioDouglas and Associates Construction Limited is a privately owned construction firm…
A: Here's a Leadership Development Plan tailored for Douglas and Associates Construction…
Q: Identify the area of organisational change affected by the change being implemented; - strategic…
A: Strategic Change and Its ImpactStrategic change involves a fundamental shift in the direction or…
Q: Derive the relation between the stress component of Cartesian stress components with the stresses at…
A: summary
Q: The concept that each element within a cycle is results-oriented and becomes an input into the next…
A: Full Explanation: **Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle:**The PDCA cycle, also known as the **Deming…
Q: Can you guys help me on this? Thank you! Describe reactions to class activities such as cases,…
A: Approach to solving the question: In coming up with these suggestions for improvement, I considered…
Q: do fast.
A: a. The quantity demanded at a price of $20The demand equation is:Q=50−2P.To determine the quantity…
Q: formulate responses to the following questions. You are to answer ALL the questions. You are the…
A: Fo Official Company-Wide Email:rmulating Responses to Staff AnnouncementsAnnouncement 1: Tracking of…
Q: Clean handwriting answer it okkk must handwriting thanks. Don't use chat gpt answers okk I use chat…
A: Step 1:Step 2:DomainDefinition: The domain of a function is the set of all possible input values…
Q: Write a few sentences describing the crises with the Boeing 737 program. In particular describe the…
A: The Boeing 737 MAX crisis began with two fatal crashes within five months, Lion Air Flight 610 in…
Q: do fast correct answer and diagram only system diagram and not use paper diagram
A:
Q: Question: Consultant in the Service Sector: Assume you will become a consultant in the service…
A: As a consultant in the service sector, the primary focus would be on customer experience (CX)…
Q: CustID Cust Type City PostalCode SalesOrderNum ProductID OrderQty LineTotal ProductName ProductLine…
A: The question asks us to identify all columns that belong to the theme: PRODUCT. The theme PRODUCT…
Q: Below shown is a logical representation of an index table built on columnA SearchKey Record Location…
A: Let's give it a try. To provide precise answer, I believe further reference is necessary, but I will…
Q: Strategic management Give a detailed SWOT evaluation for Sibanye and discuss in detail its…
A: SWOT AnalysisStrengthsIndustry Leadership and Market Share: Following the Lonmin acquisition,…
Q: Case studyZutshwa TrustZutshwa Salt project, operated by the Qhaa Qhing Conservation Trust, is in…
A: The Porter’s Five Forces Model is a strategic tool used to analyze the competitive environment of an…
Q: You have been invited to deliver the keynote address at a local conference for businesspersons and…
A: Today, I want to delve into these questions and outline not just what a global manager is, but how…
Q: What is nonverbal communication? Where do you see this in the workplace? How does it impact…
A: I hope these suggestions and recommendations help you with your assigned tasks. Have a great day…
Q: Choose the incorrect option: “The SCAMPER Method…” a. It is based on the concept of “Addressing…
A: The SCAMPER method is a creative problem-solving technique that helps to generate ideas for new…
Q: How to turn down a job offer income respectifully
A: Before you turn down a job offer, make sure you have thoroughly considered your decision. Weigh the…
SWOT Analysis
The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company, and describes the opportunities and threats facing Bounce Fitness.
Strengths are results-oriented approach to attracting and maintaining customers. A well researched, detailed health wellness program with along term focus and Intensively trained staff.
Weaknesses are high costs associated with customized, personal service. The inability to work on a high volume business model and Significant costs involved in attracting a large corporate client.
Opportunities are the potential to expand within a growing market. A large increase in clients if a single corporate company takes up the Bounce Fitness Program and the ability to leverage future quantitative analysis that supports the contention that long term wellness programs have a significant, positive impact on the company’s bottom line.
Threats are a lack of immunity to an economic downturn. Potential competition from larger, well established competitors and a change in society where the individual begins to take far more responsibility for his/her health maintenance.
The main competitors for Bounce Fitness are community fitness programs and school facilities which appeal to lower-income families and/or students who want accessibility and affordability from fitness facilities. Forever Fit gym services which targets motivated and dedicated individuals who work out five to seven times per week. Better Bodies which focus on for casual fitness-seekers who do not work out with a high intensity but still desire the status and recognition of belonging to a fitness centre.
What are three barriers that could hinder the business development opportunities for Bounce Fitness?
AI-generated content may present inaccurate or offensive content that does not represent bartleby’s views.
Unlock instant AI solutions
Tap the button
to generate a solution
Click the button to generate
a solution
- What forecasting techniques are used in the management of technology and innovation?Create a Group Control System Step 1 Form into groups of three to five students. Each group will assume that another student group has been given an assignment of writing a major paper that will involve research by individual group members that will be integrated into the final paper. Each group member has to do his or her part. Step 2 Your assignment is to develop a list of rules and identify some statistics by which to control the behavior of members in that group. Brainstorm and discuss potential rules to govern member behavior and consequences for breaking those rules. Step 3. first, select the five rules that you think are most important for governing group member behavior. Consider the following situations that rules might cover: arriving late for a meeting; missing a meeting; failing to complete a work assignment; disagreements about desired quality of work; how to resolve conflicts about paper content; differences in participation, such as one person doing all the talking and someone else talking hardly at all; how to handle meetings that Start late; the use of an agenda and handling deviations from the agenda; and any other situation that your group thinks a rule should cover that your group thinks a rule should cover.Chris Dykstra, responsible for loss prevention at Electronics took a deep breath before he launched into making his case for the changes that he was proposing to the company's shoplifting policy. He knew that convincing Ross Chenoweth was going to be a hard sell. Ross, the president and CEO was the son of the founder of the local, still-family-owned consumer electronics chain based in Phoenix, Arizona. He'd inherited not only the company, but also, his father's strict moral code. "I think it's time to follow the lead of other stores," Chris began. He pointed out that most Other retailers didn't bother calling the police and pressing charges unless the thief had shoplifted merchandise worth more than $50 to $100. In contrast, Westwind currently had a zero-tolerance policy toward theft that Ross's father had put in place when he started the business. Chris wanted to replace that policy with one that prosecuted only individuals between IS and 65 who had stolen more than $20 worth of goods, and who had a previous history of theft at Westwind. In the case of first-time culprits under IS or over 65, he argued for letting them Off With a strict warning, regardless of the value of their ill-gotten goods. Repeat offenders would be arrested. "Frankly, the local police are getting pretty tired Of having to come to Our stores every time a teenager sticks a CD in his jacket pocket," Chris pointed out. "And besides, we just afford the costs associated with prosecuting everyone." Every time he pressed charges against a shoplifter who'd made Off with a $10 item, Westwind lost money. The company had to engage a lawyer and pay employees Overtime for their court appearances. In addition, Chris was looking at hiring more security guards to keep up with the workload. Westwind was already in a losing battle at the moment with mass retailers who were competing all too successfully on price, so passing on the costs of its zero-tolerance policy to Customers wasn't really an option. " Let's concentrate on catching dishonest employees and those organized-theft rings. They're the ones who are really hurting us," Chris concluded. There was a long pause after Chris finished his carefully prepared speech. Ross thought about his recently deceased father, both an astute businessman and a person for whom honesty was a key guiding principle. If he were sitting here today, he`d no doubt say that theft was theft—that setting a minimum was tantamount to saying that stealing was acceptable, just as long as you steal too much. He looked at Chris. "You know, we've both got teenagers. Is this really a message you want to send out, especially to kids? You know as well as I do that there's nothing they like better than testing limits. It's almost an invitation to see if you can beat the system." But then Ross faltered as he found himself glancing at the latest financial figures on his desk—another in a string of quarterly losses. If West-wind went under, a lot of employees would be looking for another way to make a living. In his heart, he believed in his father's high moral standards, but he had to ask himself: Just how moral could Westwind afford to be? Continue Westwind's zero-tolerance policy toward shoplifting. It's the right thing to do—and it Will pay Off in the end in higher profitability because the chain's reputation for being tough on crime Will reduce overall losses from theft.
- Chris Dykstra, responsible for loss prevention at Electronics took a deep breath before he launched into making his case for the changes that he was proposing to the company's shoplifting policy. He knew that convincing Ross Chenoweth was going to be a hard sell. Ross, the president and CEO was the son of the founder of the local, still-family-owned consumer electronics chain based in Phoenix, Arizona. He'd inherited not only the company, but also, his father's strict moral code. "I think it's time to follow the lead of other stores," Chris began. He pointed out that most Other retailers didn't bother calling the police and pressing charges unless the thief had shoplifted merchandise worth more than $50 to $100. In contrast, Westwind currently had a zero-tolerance policy toward theft that Ross's father had put in place when he started the business. Chris wanted to replace that policy with one that prosecuted only individuals between IS and 65 who had stolen more than $20 worth of goods, and who had a previous history of theft at Westwind. In the case of first-time culprits under IS or over 65, he argued for letting them Off With a strict warning, regardless of the value of their ill-gotten goods. Repeat offenders would be arrested. "Frankly, the local police are getting pretty tired Of having to come to Our stores every time a teenager sticks a CD in his jacket pocket," Chris pointed out. "And besides, we just afford the costs associated with prosecuting everyone." Every time he pressed charges against a shoplifter who'd made Off with a $10 item, Westwind lost money. The company had to engage a lawyer and pay employees Overtime for their court appearances. In addition, Chris was looking at hiring more security guards to keep up with the workload. Westwind was already in a losing battle at the moment with mass retailers who were competing all too successfully on price, so passing on the costs of its zero-tolerance policy to Customers wasn't really an option. "Let's concentrate on catching dishonest employees and those organized-theft rings. They're the ones who are really hurting us," Chris concluded. There was a long pause after Chris finished his carefully prepared speech. Ross thought about his recently deceased father, both an astute businessman and a person for whom honesty was a key guiding principle. If he were sitting here today, he`d no doubt say that theft was theft—that setting a minimum was tantamount to saying that stealing was acceptable, just as long as you steal too much. He looked at Chris. "You know, we've both got teenagers. Is this really a message you want to send out, especially to kids? You know as well as I do that there's nothing they like better than testing limits. It's almost an invitation to see if you can beat the system." But then Ross faltered as he found himself glancing at the latest financial figures on his desk—another in a string of quarterly losses. If West-wind went under, a lot of employees would be looking for another way to make a living. In his heart, he believed in his father's high moral standards, but he had to ask himself: Just how moral could Westwind afford to be? Adopt Chris Dykstra's proposed changes and show more leniency to first-time offenders. It is a more cost effective approach to the problem than the current policy, plus it stays close to your father's Original intent.Chris Dykstra, responsible for loss prevention at Electronics took a deep breath before he launched into making his case for the changes that he was proposing to the company's shoplifting policy. He knew that convincing Ross Chenoweth was going to be a hard sell. Ross, the president and CEO was the son of the founder of the local, still-family-owned consumer electronics chain based in Phoenix, Arizona. He'd inherited not only the company, but also, his father's strict moral code. "I think it's time to follow the lead of other stores," Chris began. He pointed out that most Other retailers didn't bother calling the police and pressing charges unless the thief had shoplifted merchandise worth more than $50 to $100. In contrast, Westwind currently had a zero-tolerance policy toward theft that Ross's father had put in place when he started the business. Chris wanted to replace that policy with one that prosecuted only individuals between IS and 65 who had stolen more than $20 worth of goods, and who had a previous history of theft at Westwind. In the case of first-time culprits under IS or over 65, he argued for letting them Off With a strict warning, regardless of the value of their ill-gotten goods. Repeat offenders would be arrested. "Frankly, the local police are getting pretty tired Of having to come to Our stores every time a teenager sticks a CD in his jacket pocket," Chris pointed out. "And besides, we just afford the costs associated with prosecuting everyone." Every time he pressed charges against a shoplifter who'd made Off with a $10 item, Westwind lost money. The company had to engage a lawyer and pay employees Overtime for their court appearances. In addition, Chris was looking at hiring more security guards to keep up with the workload. Westwind was already in a losing battle at the moment with mass retailers who were competing all too successfully on price, so passing on the costs of its zero-tolerance policy to Customers wasn't really an option. " Let's concentrate on catching dishonest employees and those organized-theft rings. They're the ones who are really hurting us," Chris concluded. There was a long pause after Chris finished his carefully prepared speech. Ross thought about his recently deceased father, both an astute businessman and a person for whom honesty was a key guiding principle. If he were sitting here today, he`d no doubt say that theft was theft—that setting a minimum was tantamount to saying that stealing was acceptable, just as long as you steal too much. He looked at Chris. "You know, we've both got teenagers. Is this really a message you want to send out, especially to kids? You know as well as I do that there's nothing they like better than testing limits. It's almost an invitation to see if you can beat the system." But then Ross faltered as he found himself glancing at the latest financial figures on his desk—another in a string of quarterly losses. If West-wind went under, a lot of employees would be looking for another way to make a living. In his heart, he believed in his father's high moral standards, but he had to ask himself: Just how moral could Westwind afford to be? Adopt Chris Dykstra`s proposed changes, but with a higher limit than the proposed $20 amount (say, $50 or $100), but which is still less than the cost of prosecution. In addition, make sure that the policy isn't publicized. That way, you'll reduce costs even more and still benefit from your reputation for prosecuting all shoplifters.Cousins Jeri Lynn De Bose, Tish Hoover, and Josephine (Joey) Parks looked forward to meeting up during the Christmas holidays to compare notes on the results of midyear teacher evaluations. All were public school teachers in districts scattered over the state. In the pressured search for new levels of teacher accountability demanded by legislators, the state department of education joined 16 other States in implementing a new teacher evaluation system. The goal is to hold teachers account-able for student learning progress in the classroom. Under the guidance of the National Council for Teacher Quality, criteria varies by State, but in most cases, 40 percent of each teacher's accountability score would be based on the principal's evaluation and ranking based on personal observation, 30 percent would be based on personal observation by a master teacher from outside the district, and the Other 30 percent would be based on student test score gains. The state department of education would set a performance goal each school district, and the principal would set a performance goal for each teacher. In preparation, the State conducted intensive training sessions for principals and designated master teachers who would conduct the evaluations based on four class observations per teacher Officials used standardized achievement tests to derive value-added scores that measure student learning over the year. Teacher ratings were 1-5, with I am being the lowest and 5 representing near perfection. The publication of the first year's evaluations stirred interest and controversy, particularly among teachers who worried about the possible long-term effects on job retention and tenure. Now, with the first-year evaluations in hand, the three cousins pored over their experiences. The three represented different types of school systems within the state. Jeri Lynn worked for a metropolitan system in the state capital. The system included many low-income students whose first language was nor English, and several schools within the system were teetering on the brink of State takeover if improvement in student scores didn't materialize this school year. Tish worked in a county System dominated by upper-income residents, and Joey taught in the rural community in which all three grew up. The rural community had high unemployment, and a low percentage of graduates went on to college. As a result, the cousins came to the table with differing teaching experiences. "The numbers are all over the place," Jeri Lynn remarked as she studied the pages. "The whole system is flawed, and they need to make changes," Joey said. "It's too subjective. The principal and master teacher observations are subjective because there are personal factors that affect a true outcome." "Yeah, look at the numbers from your upper-income district," Jeri Lynn said to Tish. "How can 60 percent of the teachers score 5s?' Tish chuckled. "Yeah, lucky us. Our schools are overflowing with children from wealthy families. These are the kids who will apply to Ivy League schools. I can tell you that the principals are going to avoid confrontation on all fronts. No principal is going to give any indication that their students are receiving an education that's less than perfect, and that means cramming the rankings with 5s. They claim a higher level of motivation for students, and thus the selection of an elite team of educators. So with those pressures, I don't think we get personal feedback that is accurate." "At the other end of the spectrum, we have my rural district," Joey said. "The big problem is that the principals know everyone and have longstanding relationships with everyone in the county, so I think scores are based on personal history. We could almost predict who would get high or low scores before the observations. For principals, it can go back as far as 'his daddy and my daddy hated each other in high school, and now I get to evaluate his daughter "I think that in many cases, principals feel pressure to align scores with state expectations. The stare expected my district to have high scores and expected rural schools such as yours to be lower," Tish said. "But isn't that partially offset by lower goals for the rural school distracts responded Joey. "The key to the accountability system is the principal in each school," Jeri Lynn suggested. "With several of the schools in Metro teetering on the edge of state takeover by the end of the year, we had lots of strict principals who wanted to hold our feet to the fire with lower scores." "I thought the whole idea was to provide the teachers With feedback so that we would know the areas where we need improvement," Tish said. "The principals were supposed to conduct two observations in the fall and two more in the spring," Jeri Lynn said. think that's asking too much of them when they already have so much on their plates. I think a lot of them are skimping on their visits. know I only had one observation last semester, and I'm sure Mr. Talley just faked the second set of numbers. The master teachers make only two observations a year, which may be more objective but counts for less." "I'm wondering, too, how a principal measure performance in a course area outside his area of expertise, such as math," Joey said. "If the guy has a phobia about math, anything the teacher says or does is going to 100k brilliant-thus a 5." Tish and Jeri Lynn looked at each other and laughed. "Maybe we picked the wrong subjects," Tish said. "My question is one of perception," Jeri Lynn said. "A large percentage of my students are ELL. That affects their scores. How do you measure a 3 in my situation against a 5 for Tish? At the end of the school year, little Carlos is thrilled that his reading in English has improved, but there`s no Big Bang here. a slow steady improvement that may not actually show up in big strides for a couple of years: "So, the question is how do they create a system that is fair?" Tish asked. "And accurate," added Jeri Lynn. How might the state control the accuracy of principals who are conducting teacher evaluations? Explain.
- Create a Group Control System Step 1. From into groups of three to five students. Each group will assume that another student group has been given an assignment of writing a major paper that will involve research by individual group members that will be integrated into the final paper. Each group member has to do his or part. Step 2. Your assignment is develop a list of rules and identify some statistics by which to control the behavior of members in that group. Brainstorm and discuss potential to govern member behavior and consequences for breaking those rules. Step 3. First, select the five rules that you think are most important for governing group member behavior. Consider the following situations that rules might cover; arriving late for a meeting: missing a meeting: failing to complete a work assignment; disagreements about desired quality of work; how to resolve conflicts about paper content; differences in participation , such as one person doing all the talking and someone else talking hardly at all; how to handle meetings that start late; the use of an agenda and handling deviations from the agenda; and any other situation that your group a cover. Step 4. Now consider what statistics could be developed to measure the behavior and outcome of the group pertaining to those five rules. What kinds of things could be counted to understand how group is performing and whether members are the following rules? Step 5. Discuss the following questions. Why are rules important as a means of control? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having many rules (hierarchical control) versus few rules (decentralized control) for a student group? How can statistics help a group ensure? appropriate behavior and a high-quality product? Step 6. Be prepared to present your conclusions to the Class.Cousins Jeri Lynn DeBose, Tish Hoover, and Josephine (Joey) Parks looked forward to meeting up during the Christmas holidays to compare notes on the results of midyear teacher evaluations. All were public school teachers in districts scattered over the state. In the pressured search for new levels of teacher accountability demanded by legislators, the state department of education joined 16 other States in implementing a new teacher evaluation system. The goal is to hold teachers account-able for student learning progress in the classroom. Under the guidance of the National Council for Teacher Quality, criteria varies by State, but in most cases, 40 percent of each teacher's accountability score would be based on the principal's evaluation and ranking based on personal observation, 30 percent would be based on personal observation by a master teacher from outside the district, and the Other 30 percent would be based on student test score gains. The state department of education would set a performance goal each school district, and the principal would set a performance goal for each teacher. In preparation, the State conducted intensive training sessions for principals and designated master teachers who would conduct the evaluations based on four class observations per teacher. Officials used standardized achievement tests to derive value-added scores that measure student learning over the year. Teacher ratings were I —5, with I am being the lowest and 5 representing near perfection. The publication of the first year's evaluations stirred interest and controversy, particularly among teachers who worried about the possible long-term effects on job retention and tenure. Now, with the first-year evaluations in hand, the three cousins pored over their experiences. The three represented different types of school systems within the state. Jeri Lynn worked for a metropolitan system in the state capital. The system included many low-income students whose first language was nor English, and several schools within the system were teetering on the brink of State takeover if improvement in student scores didn't materialize this school year. Tish worked in a county System dominated by upper-income residents, and Joey taught in the rural community in which all three grew up. The rural community had high unemployment, and a low percentage of graduates went on to college. As a result, the cousins came to the table with differing teaching experiences. "The numbers are all over the place," Jeri Lynn remarked as she studied the pages. "The whole system is flawed, and they need to make changes," Joey said. " It's too subjective. The principal and master teacher observations are subjective because there are personal factors that affect a true outcome." "Yeah, look at the numbers from your upper-income district," Jeri Lynn said to Tish. "How can 60 percent of the teachers score 5s?" Tish chuckled. "Yeah, lucky us. Our schools are overflowing with children from wealthy families. These are the kids who will apply to Ivy League schools. I can tell you that the principals are going to avoid confrontation on all fronts. No principal is going to give any indication that their students are receiving an education that's less than perfect, and that means cramming the rankings with 5s. They claim a higher level of motivation for students, and thus the selection of an elite team of educators. So with those pressures, I don't think we get personal feedback that IS accurate." "At the other end of the spectrum, we have my rural district," Joey said. "The big problem is that the principals know everyone and have longstanding relationships with everyone in the county, so I think scores are based on personal history. We could almost predict who would get high or low scores before the observations. For principals, it can go back as far as his daddy and my daddy hated each other in high school, and now I get to evaluate his daughter "I think that in many cases, principals feel pressure to align scores with state expectations. The stare expected my district to have high scores and expected rural schools such as yours to be lower," Tish said. "But isn't that partially offset by lower goals for the rural school distracts responded Joey. "The key to the accountability system is the principal in each school," Jeri Lynn suggested. "With several of the schools in Metro teetering on the edge of state takeover by the end of the year, we had lots of strict principals who wanted to hold our feet to the fire with lower scores." "l thought the whole idea was to provide the teachers With feedback so that we would know the areas where we need improvement," Tish said. "The principals were supposed to conduct two observations in the fall and two more in the spring," Jeri Lynn said. think that's asking too much of them when they already have so much on their plates. I think a lot of them are skimping on their visits. know I only had one observation last semester, and I'm sure Mr. Talley just faked the second set of numbers. The master teachers make only two observations a year, which may be more objective but counts for less." "I'm wondering, too, how a principal measure performance in a course area outside his area of expertise, such as math," Joey said. "If the guy has a phobia about math, anything the teacher says or does is going to 100k brilliant—thus a 5." Tish and Jeri Lynn looked at each other and laughed. Maybe we picked the wrong subjects," Tish said. "My question is one of perception," Jeri Lynn said. "A large percentage of my students are ELL. That affects their scores. How do you measure a 3 in my situation against a 5 for Tish? At the end of the school year, little Carlos is thrilled that his reading in English has improved, but there's no Big Bang here. a slow steady improvement that may not actually show up in big strides for a couple of years: "So, the question is how do they create a system that is fair?" Tish asked. "And accurate," added Jeri Lynn. What do you see as the major strengths and flaws in the feedback control system used in the schools in this scenario? What changes do you recommend to overcome the flaws?Cousins Jeri Lynn DeBose, Tish Hoover, and Josephine (Joey) Parks looked forward to meeting up during the Christmas holidays to compare notes on the results of midyear teacher evaluations. All were public school teachers in districts scattered over the state. In the pressured search for new levels of teacher accountability demanded by legislators, the state department of education joined 16 other States in implementing a new teacher evaluation system. The goal is to hold teachers account-able for student learning progress in the classroom. Under the guidance of the National Council for Teacher Quality, criteria varies by State, but in most cases, 40 percent of each teacher's accountability score would be based on the principal's evaluation and ranking based on personal observation, 30 percent would be based on personal observation by a master teacher from outside the district, and the Other 30 percent would be based on student test score gains. The state department of education would set a performance goal each school district, and the principal would set a performance goal for each teacher. In preparation, the State conducted intensive training sessions for principals and designated master teachers who would conduct the evaluations based on four class observations per teacher. Officials used standardized achievement tests to derive value-added scores that measure student learning over the year. Teacher ratings were 1-5, with I am being the lowest and 5 representing near perfection. The publication of the first year's evaluations stirred interest and controversy, particularly among teachers who worried about the possible long-term effects on job retention and tenure. Now, with the first-year evaluations in hand, the three cousins pored over their experiences. The three represented different types of school systems within the state. Jeri Lynn worked for a metropolitan system in the state capital. The system included many low-income students whose first language was nor English, and several schools within the system were teetering on the brink of State takeover if improvement in student scores didn't materialize this school year. Tish worked in a county System dominated by upper-income residents, and Joey taught in the rural community in which all three grew up. The rural community had high unemployment, and a low percentage of graduates went on to college. As a result, the cousins came to the table with differing teaching experiences. "The numbers are all over the place," Jeri Lynn remarked as she studied the pages. "The whole system is flawed, and they need to make changes," Joey said. " It's too subjective. The principal and master teacher observations are subjective because there are personal factors that affect a true outcome." "Yeah, look at the numbers from your upper-income district," Jeri Lynn said to Tish. " How can 60 percent of the teachers score 5s?" Tish chuckled. "Yeah, lucky us. Our schools are overflowing with children from wealthy families. These are the kids who will apply to Ivy League schools. I can tell you that the principals are going to avoid confrontation on all fronts. No principal is going to give any indication that their students are receiving an education that's less than perfect, and that means cramming the rankings with 5s. They claim a higher level of motivation for students, and thus the selection of an elite team of educators. So with those pressures, I don't think we get personal feedback that IS accurate." "At the other end of the spectrum, we have my rural district," Joey said. "The big problem is that the principals know everyone and have longstanding relationships with everyone in the county, so I think scores are based on personal history. We could almost predict who would get high or low scores before the observations. For principals, it can go back as far as 'his daddy and my daddy hated each other in high school, and now I get to evaluate his daughter." "I think that in many cases, principals feel pressure to align scores with state expectations. The stare expected my district to have high scores and expected rural schools such as yours to be lower," Tish said. "But isn't that partially offset by lower goals for the rural school distracts responded Joey. "The key to the accountability system is the principal in each school," Jeri Lynn suggested. "With several of the schools in Metro teetering on the edge of state takeover by the end of the year, we had lots of strict principals who wanted to hold our feet to the fire with lower scores." "I thought the whole idea was to provide the teachers With feedback so that we would know the areas where we need improvement," Tish said. "The principals were supposed to conduct two observations in the fall and two more in the spring," Jeri Lynn said. think that's asking too much of them when they already have so much on their plates. I think a lot of them are skimping on their visits. know I only had one observation last semester, and I'm sure Mr. Talley just faked the second set of numbers. The master teachers make only two observations a year, which may be more objective but counts for less." "I'm wondering, too, how a principal measure performance in a course area outside his area of expertise, such as math," Joey said. "If the guy has a phobia about math, anything the teacher says or does is going to 100k brilliant—thus a 5." Tish and Jeri Lynn looked at each other and laughed. Maybe we picked the wrong subjects," Tish said. "My question is one of perception," Jeri Lynn said. "A large percentage of my students are ELL. That affects their scores. How do you measure a 3 in my situation against a 5 for Tish? At the end of the school year, little Carlos is thrilled that his reading in English has improved, but there's no Big Bang here. a slow steady improvement that may not actually show up in big strides for a couple of years." "So, the question is how do they create a system that is fair?" Tish asked. "And accurate," added Jeri Lynn. Is a 1-5 grading System by principals and master teachers a valuable part of a feedback control system for teachers? Why?
