At-Risk Students free essay sample

Historical overview of education of socioeconomically disadvantaged children in U.S. Definition, changing social legal views, progressivism. Examination of trends in education and student behaviors, best practices and other aspects of education and curriculum development are vital to the success of students in the at risk population. There are many negative consequences associated with students who are deemed at risk. Many of these students are more likely to experience negative outcomes as a result of their status than students who are otherwise deemed ordinary with regard to the classroom setting. The section below will explore the trends, issues, best practices and other matters related to educating at risk students including instructional methods. There are many issues at stake for at risk students, the most statistically relevant of which is student drop out rates, which statistics suggest are approximately 30 percent for at risk students (Druian Butler, 2001). The drop at rates for students comprising the at risk population are much higher than the rates for other students. We will write a custom essay sample on At-Risk Students or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The statistic is alarming, and suggests that at risk students are not getting the support they need in order to excel and find satisfaction in the classroom environment. Findings also suggest that there is not at this time a relevant definition of what at risk students are or why the number of at risk students dropping out is increasing, however there is evidence to suggest that society will bear the financial burden for educating and supporting at risk students in the future (Druian Butler, 2001; Levin 1986). This suggests that the at risk population is likely very diverse in nature and comprised of students from multitudinous backgrounds and environments.

Raising Capital as a Corporation

Raising Capital as a Corporation Large corporations could not have grown to their present size without being able to find innovative ways to raise capital to finance expansion. Corporations have five primary methods for obtaining that money. Issuing Bonds A bond is a written promise to pay back a specific amount of money at a certain date or dates in the future. In the interim, bondholders receive interest payments at fixed rates on specified dates. Holders can sell bonds to someone else before they are due. Corporations benefit by issuing bonds because the interest rates they must pay investors are generally lower than rates for most other types of borrowing and because interest paid on bonds is considered to be a tax-deductible business expense. However, corporations must make interest payments even when they are not showing profits. If investors doubt a companys ability to meet its interest obligations, they either will refuse to buy its bonds or will demand a higher rate of interest to compensate them for their increased risk. For this reason, smaller corporations can seldom raise much capital by issuing bonds. Issuing Preferred Stock A company may choose to issue new preferred stock to raise capital. Buyers of these shares have special status in the event the underlying company encounters financial trouble. If profits are limited, preferred stock owners will be paid their dividends after bondholders receive their guaranteed interest payments but before any common stock dividends are paid. Selling Common Stock If a company is in good financial health, it can raise capital by issuing common stock. Typically, investment  banks help companies issue stock, agreeing to buy any new shares issued at a set price if the public refuses to buy the stock at a certain minimum price. Although common shareholders have the exclusive right to elect a corporations board of directors, they rank behind holders of bonds and preferred stock when it comes to sharing profits. Investors are attracted to stocks in two ways. Some companies pay large dividends, offering investors a steady income. But others pay little or no dividends, hoping instead to attract shareholders by improving corporate profitability and hence, the value of the shares themselves. In general, the value of shares increases as investors come to expect corporate earnings to rise. Companies whose stock prices rise substantially often split the shares, paying each holder, say, one additional share for each share held. This does not raise any capital for the corporation, but it makes it easier for stockholders to sell shares on the open market. In a two-for-one split, for instance, the stocks price is initially cut in half, attracting investors. Borrowing Companies can also raise short-term capital usually to finance inventories by getting loans from banks or other lenders. Using Profits As noted, companies also can finance their operations by retaining their earnings. Strategies concerning retained earnings vary. Some corporations, especially electric, gas, and other utilities, pay out most of their profits as dividends to their stockholders. Others distribute, say, 50 percent of earnings to shareholders in dividends, keeping the rest to pay for operations and expansion. Still, other corporations, often the smaller ones, prefer to reinvest most or all of their net income in research and expansion, hoping to reward investors by rapidly increasing the value of their shares. This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.