General Linear Model Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

General Linear Model - Coursework Example The research question was "What factors seem to be related to whether or not a child is classified as SEN" This author hypothesised that the main factor related to whether or not a child is classified as SEN would be test scores (APS). A search of relevant scholarly literature found that other factors, particularly low social economic status, and cultural-linguistic factors has been shown to increase the proportion of students classified as SEN. The model used was a GLM log one. The two main variables from the hypothesis - APS and SEN - was completed in R 2.7.0 to model the expected relationship. Further analysis including charts and tables was done to examine the correlation between SES factors (such as being eligible for free school meals), and whether or not a child is classified as SEN. Additional work was completed to discover the relationship between whether or not a child is classified as SEN and socio-linguistic factors (Mother tonge and ethnicity). An important issue for this statistical analysis is understanding the variables and the effect of other factors (both available in the dataset and ones not contained within the dataset). Blindly plugging variables into a copied statistical model and performing an analysis based on those is of little to no practical or even theoretical use. The following two sections (2.1 and 2.2) provided some context and background research on factors affecting the mis-identification of students needing special education services. Such factors help explain why a correlation between one or more explainatory variables (i.e. test scores or school grades) and the response variable (in receipt of special education services) is not as strong as one would expect. 2.1 Low Achievement vs Learning Disabilities. One of the frequently occurring reasons why students are referred for special education services is for having a learning disability. "Learning disability (LD) is a condition characterized by the occurrence within an otherwise adequate level of intellectual functioning of one or more specific deficits in the cognitive processes that undergird learning." (Blair, C. And K. G. Scott, 2002). The diagnosis of having a learning disability has increased in the past few decades. In the United States the rate of identification and placement in special education services, has doubled between 1982 and 2002 (Lewit & Baker, 1996).Much of this increase can be attributed to the increased awareness and acceptance of this invisible disability as a real special need requiring special education services. (Formally, students were told "If only you'd apply yourself and try harder."). However, as mentioned above some of the increase in referral and identification is likely due to other, non-LD factors cau sing a mis-identification. Statistical analysis published in 2002 by Clancy Blair and Keith G. Scott "indicated that 30% of LD placements among boys and 39% of LD placements among girls were attributable to what can be considered low-SES markers." This section discusses the situation where low achievement (LA) from resulting from low social economic status (SES), results in students being misidentified as having a learning

Two Forks Medical Mystery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two Forks Medical Mystery - Essay Example She described the details of her older brother’s similar experience less than a month ago. It struck me then that the carrier who had infected Cam had possibly infected his older brother Cord. Nora was unable to listen to my reasoning as most cases of the Paratyphi-type are passed through visibly-uninfected carriers also known as ‘Typhoid Mary’. Since it was very early in the investigation (I had not yet interviewed the town’s people) it could not be ascertained that this was a case of ‘Typhoid Mary’ but nonetheless was a strong possibility. It appears that Cam Watanabe fell sick after possibly eating and drinking the food served at the restaurants on the fourth of July celebrations. Nick, one of Cam’s friends, accompanied Cam and their other friend Adam that very day. As he recollected in the County Sheriff’s car, he told Nora, the deputy and me what had happened. The boys went to a total of four eateries but I noticed Noraâ€⠄¢s frown when Nick mentioned Grapplin’ Bear. He noticed it too and abruptly ended the conversation. That gave me a hint as to selecting the most possible restaurant that gave Cam the bacterium.