Homeschooling versus Public Schooling
When you look at academic achievements only, homeschooled children seem to advance quicker than their counterparts in public schools. A report published by the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) shows that homeschool test scores were exceptionally high and well above that of public and private schools. They found that homeschool students in the 8th grade are four years ahead of their peers in public or private schools.
In a study conducted by Dr. Lawrence Rudner, he discovered that learners who were being homeschooled their entire school career, achieved the highest out of all the children.
Interesting information that came from this research was the difference that homeschooling made to the achievements of different race groups. There was very little difference found between the scores of white, black and Hispanic children in homeschooling. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between the achievements of different race groups attending public schools. Eight grade public school learners scored on average at the 58th percentile in math, where black children scored at the 24th percentile. White students scored at the 57th percentile in reading and Hispanic students at only the 28th percentile.
Dr. Ray, in his book, Strengths of Their Own, came to another interesting conclusion. The amount of money spend on tuition had no effect on the achievement of the child. In fact, the cheaper homeschooling option had better results than the far more expensive public schooling. In his research, based on statistics from 1998, he found that a homeschooled child cost parents on average $546 compared to the $5 325 for a public school learner. The average score for the homeschooled child was at the 85th percentile, where the score for the public school learner was averaged at the 50th percentile.
These research studies were done in a number of the states and in all the results the findings were the same. The homeschooled child scored on average 20-25 percentile points higher than their counterparts in public schools.
The research also found that the qualifications of the parent responsible for the schooling had no real affect on the achievement of the student.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
CRM software: is yours a cash cow or a white elephant?
CRM software: is yours a cash cow or a white elephant?
IN THE realm of business software, few — if any — class of product is as criminally under-utilized as customer service management solutions.
A properly integrated CRM system should be able to:
– Track and organize existing client and customer contacts, as well as prospective clients and customers;
– Provide information about customer and client interactions;
– Improve services provided to clients customers;
– Track client contacts as they move jobs, with a view to leveraging new business from existing relationships; and
– Provide information to inform targeted marketing campaigns.
Why is CRM seen as glorified Rolladex?
So why is it that following CRM installation and promotion by in house stakeholders, do so many firms’ employees use it as a glorified Rolodex — if they use it at all? The answer could lie in recent Forrester research showing that “organizational cooperation and coordination remains a major impediment to the success of CRM initiatives”.
In 79 per cent of companies that have reported a negative return on their CRM investments, cultural issues within the enterprise are cited as the cause, the report reveals. CRM guru is needed to drive customer relations ?The study concludes that to execute a CRM strategy effectively, businesses must appoint a senior-level CRM guru who coordinates all CRM activities and reports to the CEO.
But there are further barriers to CRM uptake. In traditional vertical corporate structures - typically where line managers lead teams - the guru approach could work well. But in sectors where the senior employees are partners rather than managers, even a dedicated guru is unlikely to shake firms free of CRM inertia.
Partners in CRM crime
The reason is the partner model is a flat corporate structure; partners co-own the firm, and enjoy equal status. In such an environment, a CRM guru would find him or herself answering not to a CEO able to drive CRM measures through the chain of command, but a panel of 50 partners — all acutely mindful of their time and all ferociously protective of their contacts.
But this partner structure, and the partner mentality, is damaging the profitability of tens of thousands of companies worldwide.
Andy Haven is a US-based legal marketing consultant, and a former chief marketing officer for a major corporate law firm, and has watched CRMs withering on the vine in the legal sector.
“CRM for lawyers and law firms shouldn’t be different than for other businesses. In fact, CRM for lawyers should be easier, as I don’t know of a single one who doesn’t track their time by quarters or tenths of hours in order to be able to bill.”
Partner-owned firms missing out on CRM benefits
Although each day a torrent of valuable CRM information flows through partner-owned firms, partners are disinclined to use this to their firm’s advantage.
“They could provide truly rich data about what kinds of work is producing the most profit, the most referrals and the least amount of administrative waste,” says Havens. In so doing, he points out, such firms could identify the most efficient and effective areas for business development.
IN THE realm of business software, few — if any — class of product is as criminally under-utilized as customer service management solutions.
A properly integrated CRM system should be able to:
– Track and organize existing client and customer contacts, as well as prospective clients and customers;
– Provide information about customer and client interactions;
– Improve services provided to clients customers;
– Track client contacts as they move jobs, with a view to leveraging new business from existing relationships; and
– Provide information to inform targeted marketing campaigns.
Why is CRM seen as glorified Rolladex?
So why is it that following CRM installation and promotion by in house stakeholders, do so many firms’ employees use it as a glorified Rolodex — if they use it at all? The answer could lie in recent Forrester research showing that “organizational cooperation and coordination remains a major impediment to the success of CRM initiatives”.
In 79 per cent of companies that have reported a negative return on their CRM investments, cultural issues within the enterprise are cited as the cause, the report reveals. CRM guru is needed to drive customer relations ?The study concludes that to execute a CRM strategy effectively, businesses must appoint a senior-level CRM guru who coordinates all CRM activities and reports to the CEO.
But there are further barriers to CRM uptake. In traditional vertical corporate structures - typically where line managers lead teams - the guru approach could work well. But in sectors where the senior employees are partners rather than managers, even a dedicated guru is unlikely to shake firms free of CRM inertia.
Partners in CRM crime
The reason is the partner model is a flat corporate structure; partners co-own the firm, and enjoy equal status. In such an environment, a CRM guru would find him or herself answering not to a CEO able to drive CRM measures through the chain of command, but a panel of 50 partners — all acutely mindful of their time and all ferociously protective of their contacts.
But this partner structure, and the partner mentality, is damaging the profitability of tens of thousands of companies worldwide.
Andy Haven is a US-based legal marketing consultant, and a former chief marketing officer for a major corporate law firm, and has watched CRMs withering on the vine in the legal sector.
“CRM for lawyers and law firms shouldn’t be different than for other businesses. In fact, CRM for lawyers should be easier, as I don’t know of a single one who doesn’t track their time by quarters or tenths of hours in order to be able to bill.”
Partner-owned firms missing out on CRM benefits
Although each day a torrent of valuable CRM information flows through partner-owned firms, partners are disinclined to use this to their firm’s advantage.
“They could provide truly rich data about what kinds of work is producing the most profit, the most referrals and the least amount of administrative waste,” says Havens. In so doing, he points out, such firms could identify the most efficient and effective areas for business development.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Customer Service is the Start of Success
Customer Service is the Start of Success
Participant in the major and proactive forums. Obviously, there are many resources stating that participating in the forums is a great way to generate free traffic to your website. However, with this affiliate marketing ideas, I highly recommend you to choose the forums before joining those forums; even they are free to join.
There are some factors for your concerns when you join the community. For example, a number of members in the forums, how active forums are, and what kind of topics there are in those forums. My experiences show that you have to be in the active forums along with the proactive members and a great discussion. With those stuffs, you are in a great position to be socialising with them and ensure that the opportunities to generate more traffic are opened. The great place to start joining is the Warrior forums. There are a lot of proactive members and great discussion over there.
Everybody dreams to make some easy money just working in the comfort of their own home. Affiliate marketing is literally the easiest way to make that possible, being one of the best methods to make money on the internet.
Although some marketing informational programs try to make you think you’re going to start earning money the minute you get involved in this kind of industry, it’s going to take time and work until you’ll start earning some serious cash.
The fact that anyone can be an affiliate marketer has made affiliate marketing one of the fastest growing industries today. Just by promoting a product that can be bought on the internet you can get a commission from that sale.
Participant in the major and proactive forums. Obviously, there are many resources stating that participating in the forums is a great way to generate free traffic to your website. However, with this affiliate marketing ideas, I highly recommend you to choose the forums before joining those forums; even they are free to join.
There are some factors for your concerns when you join the community. For example, a number of members in the forums, how active forums are, and what kind of topics there are in those forums. My experiences show that you have to be in the active forums along with the proactive members and a great discussion. With those stuffs, you are in a great position to be socialising with them and ensure that the opportunities to generate more traffic are opened. The great place to start joining is the Warrior forums. There are a lot of proactive members and great discussion over there.
Everybody dreams to make some easy money just working in the comfort of their own home. Affiliate marketing is literally the easiest way to make that possible, being one of the best methods to make money on the internet.
Although some marketing informational programs try to make you think you’re going to start earning money the minute you get involved in this kind of industry, it’s going to take time and work until you’ll start earning some serious cash.
The fact that anyone can be an affiliate marketer has made affiliate marketing one of the fastest growing industries today. Just by promoting a product that can be bought on the internet you can get a commission from that sale.
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