Reducing Fraud in Head Start Essay -- Legal Issues, Fraud, Abuse

Allegations of fraud and abuse involving two Head Start nonprofit grantees have been documented in the Midwest and Texas. The strengthening of internal controls and performance measures can reduce the amount of fraud and increase quality services to the nation’s most vulnerable children and families. Head Start, an anti-poverty program that dates to the 1960s, provides preschool, social and health services to more than 900,000 children and their families. (Anderson 2010) It receives more than $7 billion in federal funding annually. (Anderson 2010) Undercover investigators have found evidence of fraud and abuse at federal Head Start preschool centers, including cases in which enrollment procedures were manipulated to put potentially ineligible applicants into slots reserved for needier children. (Anderson 2010) The Government Accountability Office reported to Congress that investigators posed as families to test whether Head Start centers in six states and the District of Columbia followed federal rules. In eight of 15 cases, the GAO found, staff members at the centers fraudulently misrepresented financial information from applicants. (Anderson 2010) "This leaves Head Start at risk that over-income children may be enrolled while legitimate under-income children are put on waiting lists," the GAO concluded. One D.C. center disregarded $9,600 in reported income to enroll a fictitious family of three. An associate at the center told undercover investigators: "We don't need any extra; we need to keep you low." (Anderson 2010) In contrast, behind every good Head Start program is a good grantee or public organization. In other words, Head Start programs do not exist in isolation, but depend upon the organizational infrastruct... ...evident, as a part of an effective management system. Performance measurement requires the executive through to operational staff to understand their own roles and particular contributions. Ideally, it should form a continuous thread that connects an organizational mission to its high-level outcomes and strategic objectives. Only then can an organization attempt to understand the level of cohesive planning that is required to implement a high quality Head Start program. In conclusion, Head Start programs do not exist in isolation, but depend upon the organizational infrastructures in which they are housed. They are products of governance, management and organizational leadership. The strengthening of internal controls and performance measures can reduce the amount of fraud and increase quality services to the nation’s most vulnerable children and families.

Supernatural

Annie (Lenore Critical) who Is an emotionally fragile ghost (Icemaker 35). All three of these supernatural monsters live In an apartment together In Bristol while trying to live normal lives (Icemaker 35). I think you should take out this whole sentence – However, their so-called normal lives conflict with their supernatural lives. The series shows Mitchell, George, and Annie trying to lead double lives by attempting to be a part of the human world as well as the supernatural world. Their human flaws however, become evident In their supernatural worlds.The characters are faced tit many challenges while managing to be a part of both worlds, through which they realize that they are actually being given a second chance at life. In Being Human UK, Mitchell, George, and Annie are creatures that are â€Å"fusions of a person with counterintuitive properties† (Petersen 94). Their supernatural lives are burdened with the flaws from their previous lives. Mitchell, as a human, to ok advantage of his good looks and used people. When he becomes a vampire, the ultimate user, and has the desire to drink blood and kill people, he realizes he needs to change.One of the first ways he tries to change is by refraining from drinking blood. He does not want to use people because only death will come from it. On the other hand, George, as a human, did not have any confidence and was socially awkward, especially around women. Becoming a werewolf allowed him to realize that he needs to stop being afraid of the outside world and develop enough confidence to be himself around others. Mitchell even states that George needs to be able to turn into a werewolf inside their house and accept who he is. Watch clip and cite quotation). Annie in her previous life had everything going for her. She went to university, met the love of her life Owen (Greg Chilled), and was happily engaged. She was determined to always get what she wanted. Now as a ghost, only Mitchell and George can see her and she is finding It difficult to accept that her fiance has moved on and she is no longer in control (Lowry 1). Through her ghostly existence, she starts to realize that she can be Independent and happy without Owens presence.All three of these characters â€Å"support each other In an effort to be as normal as possible† and are faced with conflicts because of their double lives (Lowry ). This BBC show allows viewers to witness the characters learning about second chances. Mitchell â€Å"double Identity and ‘normal' aspects of his personally are what attract us to his character (Petersen 105). Throughout the series he Is faced with situations that require him to decide which world he wants to be a part of. One of his struggles, as a vampire, is when he has to decide whether he wants to convert people because of another woman he converted.Here, Mitchell was perplexed by the choice of letting Laura die or saving her life by turning her into a vampire. George yells at Mitchell to do something because she is dying but Mitchell responds by saying â€Å"Not another one I can't† and allows Laura to die (Being Human 1. 1). Mitchell also does not want to seem suspicious, so he tries everything he can to be perceived as ‘normal'. In the second episode in season one Mitchell invites their neighbors over for tea to â€Å"participate and Join humanity' (Being Human 1. 2).In episode two season one, George's transformation is described in great detail and is compared to a human suffering a heart attack (show clip in class). Also, there have been several instances where George says he does not want anything to do with his supernatural life, showing that he is quite ashamed of it and would much rather be human. For example, he says, â€Å"l onto want to allow it into my life†¦. ‘ like to keep things separate, the house is the house and the thing that happens to me every month is something else. I transformed here last month and it doesn't belong here† (Being Human 1. 2).The house that they all live in is where George feels most comfortable with himself because he uses it as a coping mechanism to deal with his supernatural nature and to pretend he is still a part of humanity. When it comes to Annie, her conflicts with the supernatural world and with humanity reside in the fact that she â€Å"does not know why she remains trapped in the unman realm† and as a ghost she Just wants people to be able to see her (Lowry 1). Throughout the show, these characters are always struggling with living their double lives because all they want to do is be a part of the normal human world and be Just like everybody else.Nannies two worlds are colliding because she does not know why she is still haunting her ex fianceg's house and she constantly struggles with the fact that she is a ghost. She is miserable because she recently passed away due to falling down the stairs. The one thing that she wants more than anyth ing is to be able to live her life again and be with her fiance. A few things that Annie does to pretend that she is still â€Å"alive† involve continuing doing her daily â€Å"human† routine. For example, she makes tea everyday to make her feel like she is still alive.George comments and says, Mimi keep making tea, every surface is covered with mugs of tea no tea, it has all been made. And you can't even drink it. † Annie responds by saying â€Å"l like my routine, it makes me feel normal† (Being Human 1. 2). )(maybe show clip). Throughout many episodes Annie is always doing certain routines that she would have done when she was alive such as cleaning, catering to Mitchell and George's deeds, and making food for them. Another conflict that Annie faces involves trying to resolve why she is still a ghost and is still a part of the physical realm.It isn't until episode three season one, when Annie meets Gilbert, (Alex Price) a ghost from the ass's, that she finally uncovers the reason behind her prolonged existence. Overall, Mitchell, George, and Nannies supernatural lives give them a second chance to figure out something about themselves that they never resolved while they were still living as humans. Their supernatural lives are a â€Å"source of identification in which new grounds for selectors can be found† (Petersen 98). Mitchell realizes that he wants to become a better person and stops relying on his good looks to get him places.One of the victims that made him realize his personality faults was his co- worker named Lauren (giftedness). Mitchell mistakenly converted her to a life as a vampire. After watching her being so desperate to feed off people and watching her kill others, it made him realize he did not want his vampire existence to be like hers. Therefore, he learns by watching Lauren, that there is more to life then Just looks, and that people deserve to be treated with respect. George learns that it is possible t o have confidence in himself because of a werewolf named Tail(faded).When George found out that Tail was the one who turned him into a werewolf, he learned that he did not want to associate himself with other werewolves because they could not be trusted. By standing up to Tall, it gave George the courage he needed. This conflict with Tail allowed him to become a stronger person, and gave him the confidence to talk to women. Annie realizes with the help of Gilbert, that she is still around because there is something unresolved in her past life. When her memories start to mom back, she figures out she died because of her fiancà ©'s anger. (show clip in class).Her flange Owen treated her like property and is physically abusive. Unfortunately her fragility tells her that it is all her fault and that she had it coming. Nannies self realization shows that she was insecure and incapable of standing on her own two feet while she was with Owen. However, as a ghost she realizes that she can become independent and does not need Owen. Unfortunately, this realization does not allow her to move on to the next realm. Therefore she continues to exist with lessons still to learn. All three characters were given a second chance at life to redeem themselves so that they could become stronger and better beings.When it comes to Mitchell, George, and Annie as well as other supernatural beings, â€Å"the recirculation of recognizable constructions of them implies that we should consider them as culturally successful and possibly impacting on our thoughts† (Petersen 105). All of us can relate to Mitchell, George, and Annie because we have experienced some sort of arrogance, awkwardness, and self doubt. Matt Insist argued that science fiction and fantasy films â€Å"attack reason, sell reenactment's fantasies, and undermine appreciation for science and supernatural horror transcends simple-minded repudiations of science(Collocation).

Gun Control Proposal Essay

2013 has been embossed by recent incidents such as a Vegas shooting that ended the lives of three people, four gruesome murders in Orange County in California, and many more tragedies. It is estimated that there are 300 million guns in personal hands in the US today, many legally owned and others not (Neyfakh). Every year, close to four million guns find their way into the market (Nicolas and Nelson). This level of gun infiltration is alarming; it means that even the Supreme Court would find it hard to locate or seize these guns. Gun related violence has caused many to review their stances on the issue. In essence, gun violence is at an all-time high in the United States, as referred to by President Obama in the State of the Union Address; therefore, Unites States government should require criminal background checks for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that currently are exempt. Besides being at the top of Obama’s agenda, gun control is also an issue that has received enormous emphasis in the media. In his address, the president sought extensive support for comprehensive background checks to buy guns, an interdiction on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons. According to President Obama, the proposal will diminish the rampant gun violence in the country. This new plan aims to do the following: to seal background check escape routes to keep out guns out of the reach of criminals; to completely ban high-capacity magazines and military assault weapons, as well as other necessary steps to minimize gun violence; to guard schools and other public environments; and to improve access to psychological health services. Statistics reveal that up to forty-five percent of all households in the US have a gun in their possession (ProQuest Staff). This shows that guns are too easy to access and their abundance in the US ought to concern many Americans. Many of those who advocate for gun control measure want a total ban. They would prefer the United States to become more like her neighbor Canada. There are few guns per capita in Canada and all guns have to be registered with the national government. This approach to the ownership of firearms has many adv antages. Most of all, Canada’s rate of firearm homicide is a sixth to that of the US (Nicholas and Nelson). However, it is useless to argue for the application of the Canadian approach in the United States. Circumstances are extremely  different. It is difficult to determine whether, and to what extent, American values and culture can yield to embrace the characteristic benefits derived from Canadian-style gun control. Clearly, Americans should embrace the White House’s resolution to the propagation of gun-related bloodshed in the US. Many voters concur with the president with regards to the proposals, especially on universal background checks and harsher penalties for wrongful gun purchases. The president’s take is synonymous with that of Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leaders, who has a positive rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA). To reiterate his position on the need for gun control measures, the president cited a string of mass shootings, which have happened during his tenure. Those who listened to the State of the Union Address comprised groups of people who had been directly or indirectly affected by gun violence. Though background checks are required in the US., due to the still-increasing rates of gun violence have proven them to be ineffective because of the various loopholes which put these lethal weapons in the hands of criminals and people who suffer from mental disabilities. With the current method, anytime someone buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer, the dealer is required to run a check on the buyer by submitting the name to the federal database. That database consists of criminal records and mental health records as provided by federal and state courts and agencies (Feldmann). Convicted felons and those determined by the courts to be dangerously mentally ill are prohibited by federal law from buying firearms. Also, states have added their own categories of who is prohibited from buying a gun. The downside is that there are loopholes in the current federal background check system. Forty percent of all firearms purchased in the United States are sold without background checks because the guns aren’t purchased from a federally licensed firearms dealer (Neyfakh). Any purchases that fall under this category are processed without proper background checks. Despite the objections to this proposal, the rate of gun violence is increasing at such a rapid rate that the American people must prioritize in order to help prevent such tragic and avoidable events such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. They must put into perspective which of the following is more important to defend: the prevention of devastating mass  shootings that have led to the homicide of over 8,583 people in 2012 through the use of extensive background checks, or the possible violation of citizens privacy (Neyfakh). This idea is already accepted by over ninety-two percent of Americans, according to a poll taken by the Huffington Post in January 2013*. If an extensive background check on Adam Lanza’s mother-the owner of the guns he used to commit the shootings of twenty-six children and teachers-the government might have been aware that her son, who has autism, may gain access to her military-grade weapons. Any skeptics must put into consideration that more time than not, public safety is more important than personal privacy in regards to gun violence prevention. In conclusion, universal and extensive background checks may be the single most important gun violence prevention measure that the government could adopt. This plan closes the loopholes which have greatly contributed to the extreme amount of gun violence in the United States. It will prevent criminals and mentally ill people from gaining access to them. Approving this form of background checks is necessary because gun violence is at an all-time high in the United States; therefore, Unites States government should require criminal extensive background checks for all gun sales, including those by private sellers that currently are exempt. Past attempts at preventing this type of violence have been proven to fail due to the various loopholes and the ever-increasing rate of gun-related deaths. It is time for the American people to take action to significantly decrease-and eventually eliminate-gun violence in the United States. Works Cited Edwards-Levy, Ariel. â€Å"Gun Poll: Background Checks Supported By 92% Of Americans.†_The Huffington Post_. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Feldmann, Linda. â€Å"Key Omission from Obama’s State of the Union Address: Gun Control.† _The Christian Science Monitor_: 15. Jan 26 2011. _The Christian Science Monitor; Los Angeles Times; National Newspapers Core._ Web. 13 Feb. 2013 . Neyfakh, Leon. â€Å"Who Guns Really Kill.† Boston Globe. 20 Jan 2013: K.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Feb 2013. Nicholas, Peter, and Colleen McCain Nelson. â€Å"Obama Urges Action on Expansive Agenda.† Wall Street Journal. 13 Feb 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Feb 2013. ProQuest Staff. â€Å"Topic Overview: Gun Control.† ProQuest LLC. 2013: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Feb 2013.

Facebook and Loneliness Essay

With over 955 million active Facebook users worldwide, Facebook has definitely taken over the internet, and many people’s lives. With a simple click of a button many people can communicate with each other in the blink of an eye. Being able to add however many friends one may want, or talk to how ever many people one may want would make someone assume many people are less lonely today than they were 100 years ago. However, that is not the case. In recent years, the number of chronically lonely people worldwide has gone up significantly. Why one may ask? Research has shown a direct connection to loneliness and the frequent use of Facebook. Facebook, like many other social media sites gives individuals a way to communicate with friends, family, and other individuals through the internet. Throughout the years Facebook has become a worldwide phenomenon that people have become quite obsessed with. One would think that since Facebook makes communication quicker, and easier for many people that it would make people less lonely. However, it is doing the opposite. Today, lonely people use Facebook as an outlet to run to while other things in their lives aren’t going as planned. Loneliness lies deep inside someone, and cannot be cured by â€Å"fake† communicating with an individual over Facebook. While individuals flee to Facebook to try to alleviate the pain of being lonely, it only leaves them less happy. The more these people try to be happy, the less happy they will be. It was shown that the more narcissistic one is, the more likely they are to be using Facebook. These types of people have an inflated sense of their own importance of oneself. Facebook is a perfect outlet for them to create this great self-image for oneself, while forgetting about all other aspects of life. Facebook also intrigues lonely people as a way to feel more connected to other individuals, however these other individuals over Facebook are like a dog, or a book, they are not real things to become completely intimate with. This leaves people with a sense of loneliness in the long run. Personally, I was shocked to see the statistics about how Facebook is making individuals lonelier then not. This is because I definitely thought Facebook  was bringing people less loneliness then anything by offering the service to talk to people whenever one desires. However, after reading the article I completely understand how to opposite trend is now taking place. Facebook is a perfect outlet for lonely people to run to, and it does nothing but hurt them. Though it is not Facebook alone that is making people lonely worldwide, Facebook is definitely contributing to the increasing number yearly. Since Facebook started offering one-click communication methods and the ability to talk to anyone, at any time people have become less engaged in real life and more engaged in cyber-life. Individuals struggling with family or other relationships run to their fantasy world on the internet while leaving more important issues behind them for a quick second. In a world with so much technology, and advancements in communication one would think that this would make us less lonely, but we can all see now that this is not the case.

Learning Organization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning Organization - Research Paper Example Thereby it decided to bring about a change in its working structure so as to make the production processes more efficient and to improve the weak points that were reducing its optimal functionality. The initial step the company took was to make an analysis of the black and white film department. It made them aware of the practices that were infringing upon the efficiency of the process along with working processes that could be improved to boast productivity. Moreover the evaluation report highlighted the processes which had become outdated over the period of time and required replacement. After finding out these issues, Kodak formulated a team by the name of Team Zebra, whose function was to make these issues their objectives and devise solutions for them. The prime purpose of the team was to cut down the inefficiencies of work practices and eliminate obsolete processes. As mentioned previously, learning organizations give companies an insight into the external environment and this is what the Zebra Team intended to do. It studied the environment the company was operating in, making an assessment of the technologies available. From the results, the Team was able to chalk out a plan for introducing best practices which would shorten the production lifecycle, prevent delays in delivering orders and improve the service provided to the customers (Barker & Camarata, 1998). The plan was essentially focused on a process known as the flow. Each employee of the organization was no longer employed in a conventional department; rather they worked as part of the flow and were called Zebras. They had meetings, in which they were apprised of the finances of the company. Such a measure allowed for the development of a sense of belonging in them (Dennis, Detering, Santos, Leonard & Norman, n.d.). Moreover, they were divided into different groups

Accounting as the Production of Financial Data in an Organization Essay

Accounting as the Production of Financial Data in an Organization - Essay Example This paper describes such authoritative sources required in the field of accounting. Among the four source genres, professional associations or credentialing associations often stand out as the most credible and authoritative sources of information on accountancy. This comes as a result of these associations offering membership to several professionals in the accounting field. In addition, these associations set the professional and ethical standards required of all the individuals in the field of accountancy. Professionals associations involve themselves in enlightening members through seminars, conferences and workshops. Moreover, many of these associations produce publications such as scholarly journals and periodicals made available to members of the association and to the general public. Therefore it becomes evident that even though all genres serve as credible sources of information on accounting, professional associations stand out more. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is a professional association of Certified Public Accountants. This association stands out as an authoritative source of information on accounting due to various reasons. First, AICPA’s history runs back many years to its founding year in 1887. Therefore, its existence spans 125 years (AICPA website). Having existed for such a long period of time makes the association credible since a record of the association’s activity for all those years prove its authority over other associations whose lifespan is shorter. AIPCA boasts its large membership of around 386,000 Certified Public Accountants. The body gets acclamation as an international body since members of the association consist of individuals from 128 countries around the world. In addition, the members of the association are associates in a  variety of disciplines, among them student affiliates, education, government, public practice, and international associates. This proves that AICPA hosts a very diverse group of associates.  

Can educational inequalities be explained by children and young Essay

Can educational inequalities be explained by children and young people's social economic and cultural background - Essay Example Antoine defines this phenomena as â€Å"a situation in which individual groups in a society do not have equal social status, social class, and social circle.† (THE INEQUALITY PROJECT). Such social stratification is known to exist in the form of income groups and cultural backgrounds. Research and case studies provide further evidence to the sociologist’s claim that social class has an impact on educational opportunity. The disadvantage that a student faces as compared to other students can be explained as an extension of the disadvantages he or she may face as a result of belonging to a certain social group. Thus, a strong positive relationship can be drawn between social class and educational opportunity – the higher the social class is, the higher the quality of education achieved, and vice versa. Based on credible research and scholarly work, educational inequalities can be explained through the social economic and cultural background of the individual, making the attainment of education a process highly influenced by social factors. To understand educational inequality, it is important to first look into the factors that cause such inequalities to exist in the first place. Sociologists identify three main influences in this respect, namely, the income, gender and ethnicity group an individual belongs to. The correlation between poor income households and poor education has been proven through multiple researches. A Research report by Michael Holzman titled â€Å"A Rotting Apple† focuses on educational inequalities in New York City. It reveals that districts with high rates of poverty have a generally low quality of education, with teachers that are less experienced and schools having limited access to resources such as computers and internet as compared to schools in high income localities (SCHOTT FOUNDATION, 2012). This may be explained by the fact that households belonging to low income strata of the society may be not be able to afford sending their children to schools that offer better education with skilled teachers. As a result, the children in these low income area schools, when compared to those from high income areas, achieve less academic success. This supports the point that educational inequality is caused by differences in the income levels of the household the students belong to. Another factor that influences educational inequality is the cultural advantage students for middle class households have as compared to those from working class families. Basil Bernstein explains how children from varying backgrounds develop different codes, or forms of speech, during their early lives, which affect their subsequent school experience.† (GIDDENS, 1996) Bernstein classified the speech of working class families and middle class families as represented by a restricted code and elaborated code respectively. Working class parents are most likely to instruct or explain values and lessons to their chil dren using the minimum of words, and assuming that certain things are understood. On the other hand, middle class parents are most likely to explain and instruct their children by giving them elaborate explanations and reasons about why something is good or bad (BERNSTEIN,1977). In schools, teachers use the elaborated