Author: chris

Due Week 6 and worth 300 points

Refer to the Scenario for Assignments 1-3. Build on the same pilot curriculum you identified in Assignment 1 for this assignment.

Write a six to seven (6-7) page paper in which you:

1. Summarize the following aspects of Assignment 1:
   1. Describe the specific curriculum area and grade level(s) for the pilot curriculum
   2. Provide four (4) core instructional goals for the curriculum.
2. Describe the approach to curriculum development (i.e., behavior, systems, humanistic) you will use to shape curriculum design, providing a rationale for your selected approach that is consistent with the core instructional goals of the planned curriculum.
3. Describe the philosophical / theoretical approach to curriculum development (idealism, realism, etc.) you will use to shape the curriculum design, providing a rationale for your selected philosophy that is consistent with the core instructional goals of the planned curriculum.
4. Describe the psychological motivational approach to curriculum development you will use to shape the curriculum design, providing a rationale for your selected approach that is consistent with the core instructional goals of the planned curriculum.
5. Discuss one (1) cultural influence that has the greatest impact on the school district and provide a rationale for the impact it has on the district.
6. Recommend at least one (1) effective way to integrate the cultural influence into the planned curriculum that is consistent with the core instructional goals of the planned curriculum.
7. Develop a strategy for incorporating critical thinking skills (appropriate to grade level) into the planned curriculum using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives.
8. Provide a rationale for your strategy that is consistent with the core instructional goals of the planned curriculum. (Note: A brief description of Bloom’s Taxonomy may be found at Center for Teaching and Learning located at http://teaching.uncc.edu/articles-books/best-practice-articles/goals-objectives/blooms-taxonomy-educational-objectives.)
9. Use at least six (6) relevant, scholarly references published in the last seven (7) years (three [3] new in addition to the three [3] identified in Assignment 1). (Note:Wikipedia and other non-government Websites do not qualify as scholarly resources. Review the supplementary readings list on the first page of the course guide for possible references.)

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identify the key elements of curriculum design and development.
• Compare the philosophical foundations of curriculum.
• Consider how psychological foundations play a role in the development of curriculum.
• Analyze the relationship of social foundations to K-12 curriculum.
• Develop the strategies and techniques to support curriculum planning.
• Design curriculum plan for a current or future school setting.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in curriculum planning.
• Write clearly and concisely about curriculum design and development using proper writing mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Mark Davis has been charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) for reckless driving, speeding, four counts of felony assault, and one count of involuntary manslaughter as the result of a crash that occurred on a night out with his friends. Mark has been out on bail and pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned. The Judge set a date for Mark’s trial and his defense team has been working to collect information about the technology used by the Highway Patrol to reconstruct the crash.

District Attorney O’Malley offered Mark a plea bargain, but Mark chose to take his chances at trial. Mark’s attorney, Mr. Chen Long, advised Mark that accepting the plea offer was completely up to Mark, although Mr. Long advised against accepting it because the defense planned to highlight mistakes made by law enforcement during the investigation that could create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors.

The trial begins and during the voir dire of potential jurors, several individuals are excused because they have previous knowledge of Mark’s case from the media. Two individuals stated that they could not be impartial because they had loved ones killed in alcohol related crashes as well. Eventually, two men and ten women were seated in Mark’s trial.

District Attorney O’Malley presented the State’s case clearly and concisely depicting a night on the town full of heavy drinking, which ultimately resulted in Mark’s actions causing the death of one individual and injuring four others. Highway Patrolman Green explained to the jury that he immediately suspected alcohol when he arrived on scene because Mark appeared to be intoxicated when they spoke. Following the Judge ruling that it was admissible and not prejudicial, Sergeant Rodney Monroe, from the Highway Patrol Reconstruction Team presented their reconstruction complete with a high-tech computer animated reenactment of the crash. During the cross examination, Defense Attorney Long challenged the reconstruction because the Defense Crash Reconstruction Expert had discovered errors in the mathematical calculations for vehicle speed. The jury appeared to have liked the reconstruction very much regardless of the errors highlighted by the defense.

Mark was convicted of DWI, four counts of felony assault, and one count of involuntary manslaughter; however, he was acquitted of reckless driving and speeding. The Jury said they could not convict Mark of those offenses because of the mistakes made by law enforcement officers during the investigation.

Because Mark pleads not guilty, but was convicted during trial and had two prior DWI offenses, he was sentenced to ten years in the State Prison. Defense Attorney Long immediately notified the court of an impending appeal that would be filed by the defendant. In a report, using external sources to support your claims, answer the following:

1. Compare and contrast the roles of the Judge, Jury, District Attorney (Prosecutor), and Defense Attorney. What are their primary functions and purposes in the courtroom Workgroup?
2. Discuss the rights of the defendant in your state during the trial phase of the criminal justice process.
3. Discuss the rights of the victims and/or their families in your state during the pre-trial and trial phase of the criminal justice process. Would it be unusual for the family of a deceased victim to become angered by a slow criminal justice process or one where they are not permitted by law to be given information about the facts or evidence in the case by the District Attorney’s Office before the trial?
4. Compare and contrast plea-bargaining versus going to trial. Historically, opponents to plea bargains have claimed that they are used to alleviate heavy workloads of prosecutors (district attorneys). Prosecutors argue that plea-bargaining is a necessary part of the criminal justice process for several reasons. Where is the future of the criminal justice process headed in this regard?
5. Analyze how the Highway Patrol’s computer animated reenactment might have related to the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) effect in the courtroom.

Submission Details:

1. Save the final Microsoft Word document as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.doc.
2. LASA 2 Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 300 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

Imagine that you are an office manager and you have been tasked with the job of coordinating and heading the dismissal meeting for an employee layoff.

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Propose three (3) ways that a manager can cope with any negative emotions that may accompany an employee layoff.
2. Describe a step-by-step process of conducting the dismissal meeting.
3. Determine the compensation that the fictitious company may provide to the separated employee.
4. Using Microsoft Word or an equivalent such as OpenOffice, create a chart that depicts the timeline of the disbursement of the compensation.
5. Predict three (3) ways that this layoff may affect the company.
6. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Formulate HRM strategies and policies to recruit, select, place, and retain the most efficient and effective workforce.
• Develop effective talent management strategies to recruit and select employees.
• Design processes to manage employee performance, retention, and separation.
• Analyze laws governing employment and how organizations can ensure ethical practices.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in strategic human resource development.
• Write clearly and concisely about strategic human resource development using proper writing mechanics.

Grading Rubric below

Please remember to use passive voice when writing.

rading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Accommodating Religious Practices in the Global Workplace

Countries have different approaches to religious practices in the workplace. In the Unites States, for example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 expressly prohibits discrimination against applicants or employees based on their religion. Still, there might be exceptions that can favor the employer.

Instructions:

Research a recent (2011 or later) case where an individual claimed religious discrimination as a basis for his or her being fired. It is preferable if you choose a case that occurred in the country in which you currently work or plan to work.

1. State the facts of the case.

1.  Identify any relevant laws (these may be social, traditional, or legal) utilized by the court/authority in considering or determining the outcome of the case.

2. Define applicable legal/social doctrine or customs, provisions of the law or custom, and elements of a specific course of action.

Then, address the following:

1. Are there exceptions to the doctrines or customs named above that give employers an advantage in hiring and firing employees? Explain your answer.

1. What is the responsibility of employees with regard to their religious behavior in the workplace?

How might an employer avoid a religious discrimination lawsuit or issue? Provide three points on proactive religious policy in the workplace in the country you have chosen to study for your case.

Your paper should be well written and 3 pages in length, not counting the required title and reference pages.

Writing APA Format Required.

Include two scholarly references not assigned for this module that support your positions

12 Font double space Times roman In text Citations should be cited right

3 pages

Compare and contrast the significant similarities and differences among the theories of goal setting, self-efficacy, and reinforcement. Specify the theory that you believe most closely aligns with your current or future approach to motivating employees. Support your response with at least one (1) example that demonstrates your approach to employee motivation.

• After the Civil War, the United States became a much more industrialized society. Between 1865 and 1920, industrialization improved American life in many ways. However, industrialization also created problems for American society. Consider events that took place after the Civil War and discuss ways that industrialization affected the U.S. between 1865 and 1920.

  Part 1:

  1. Write a thesis statement that is one to two (1-2) sentences long in which you:
     1. State your thesis on how industrialization after the Civil War influenced U.S. society, economy, and politics. Justify your response.

  For the first part of this assignment you will create a thesis statement. A thesis statement is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your main idea to the reader. The body of the essay organizes the material you gather and present in support of your main idea. Keep in mind that a thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. (Note: Please consult the Purdue OWL Website with tips on how to construct a proper thesis; the website can be found at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

  Part 2:

  For the next part of this assignment you will create an outline of the main points you want to address in this paper. This outline will serve as the basis for your Assignment 1.2 Final Draft. (Note: Please use the Purdue Owl Website to assist you with this assignment; this website can be accessed at:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/55/

  2. Write a one to two (1-2) page outline in which you:
     1. List three (3) major aspects of industrialization between 1865 and 1920.  In your response, consider society, the economy, and politics.
     2. List five (5) specific groups that were affected by industrialization. Provide two (2) examples for each group describing how the group was affected. (Consider issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, child labor, etc.)
     3. List five (5) ways that industrialization affected the life of the average working American during this period.
     4. Use at least three (3) academic references besides or in addition to the textbook. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

  Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

  The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Identify and discuss the different ways that the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Industrialization after the Civil War have shaped America’s history.
  • Summarize and discuss the ways that formal policies of government have influenced the direction of historical and social development in the United States.
  • Recognize the major turning points in American history since the Civil War.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in contemporary U.S. history.
  • Write clearly and concisely about contemporary U.S. history using proper writing mechanics.

  This is the Second Assignment

   

  After the Civil War, the United States became a much more industrialized society. Between 1865 and 1920, industrialization improved American life in many ways. However, industrialization also created problems for American society. Consider events that took place after the Civil War and discuss ways that industrialization affected the U.S. between 1865 and 1920.

  You have already developed a thesis statement and developed an outline in which you identify three main points relevant to your topic. Now you will develop the final paper in which you explore your main points in detail.

  Write a three to five (3-5) page paper in which you:

  1. Introduce your paper with your previously crafted thesis statement.
  2. Discuss three (3) major aspects of industrialization between 1865 and 1920.  In your response, consider society, the economy, and politics.
  3. Identify three (3) specific groups that were affected by industrialization and provide two examples for each group describing how the group was affected. (Consider issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, child labor, etc.)
  4. Summarize how industrialization affected the life of the average working American during this period. Use specific examples and details.
  5. Use at least three (3) academic references besides or in addition to the textbook. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

  Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA style or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

  The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Identify and discuss the different ways that the heritage of slavery, the Civil War, the Reconstruction, and segregation have shaped America’s history.
  • Summarize and discuss the ways that formal policies of government have influenced the direction of historical and social development in the United States.
  • Recognize the major turning points in American history since the Civil War.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in contemporary U.S. history.
  • Write clearly and concisely about contemporary U.S. history using proper writing mechanics

Due no later than 11:55p ET on Sunday of Week 5

Purpose: The purpose of this two-step exercise is for you to conduct inductive and deductive research using qualitative methods.

Note: it is important that you conduct the observations as two distinct events during this class; ‘recalling’ past observations is not the same as purposefully observing your surroundings from a sociological perspective, and applying two different types of reasoning to one observation will not be ‘truthful’ or successful.

The purpose of this exercise if for you to observe one social setting or social artifact to begin to detect patterns in human behavior – observance of norms and potentially behaviors that deviate from the norm.  This week’s exercise includes two parts.  First, without any prep work, you will need to go to one public place (or conduct content analysis with your social artifact) and observe the people/artifact for 25 minutes.  Social Setting: Note people’s behavior, their demeanor, their reactions/interactions to/with each other.  Social artifact: from second to second (for TV), or page to page (for print), Note themes, sounds (i.. music), texture of page (i.e. ads in magazine), etc.  Second, you will develop a research design with research problem, hypothesis and operational definitions for variables; then you will conduct another 25 minutes of observations.

Part 1

1)      Choose whether or not you will be conducting non-participant observation in a social setting, or content analysis of a social artifact

a.       Social setting: this should be a public place such as a park, mall, restaurant, etc.

b.      Social artifact: this may be ads in a particular magazine; one television show, a time-block of commercials, etc.

2)      For your inductive approach, you will simply choose a time and location/artifact for where you are going to conduct your observations

3)

a.       Social Setting: Go to the specified location and proceed with your observations.

i.      You must be a keen social observer; a ‘peeping Tom’ in the sociological sense.  Take handwritten (recommended) and/or mental notes of:

1.      details about your chosen location (time of day, lighting, furniture, plants, sounds, temperature, smell, vibe/energy, etc)

2.      the people around you, not only their behavior but general information about their sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, SES, etc);

3.      your thoughts and feelings while making observations

2. Social Artifact: At a specified time (i.e. when a particular show is), carefully observe your social artifact

i.      Content analysis provides a sustained, systematic way to observe and measure the portrayal of that reality, as opposed to the quick, impressionistic way that we normally read consume media.  Take handwritten notes of:

1.      Details about the setting in the images you see (lighting, furniture, background, vibe/energy portrayed); if audio-visual (note sounds such as pitch of voice, music, etc)

2.      Note details about the people portrayed, not only their behavior but general information about their sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, SES, sexuality);

4)      When you have returned from you observation, type up your notes.  Review your notes for patterns in behavior, socio-demographic characteristics, etc.

5)      Write-up your observations using ‘thick description’ of the location (i.e. building you were in (what is the architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of socio-demographic characteristics: age, race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status), sounds, smells, temperature, time of day and week, etc);

6)      Analyze trends you identified in your observations/content analysis.  What is a possible sociological/theoretical explanation for the trends you observed?  This is best done by using sources to provide credibility to your analyses.

Part 2

7)       Based on your initial observations and written analyses, develop a specific research problem/question to be further investigated (i.e. the variation in behavior of males versus females when entering a store with a glass store front)

8)      Identify the key variables you are going to be investigating, and develop an operational definition for each of them  (this should include at least two variables, but not more than four). Your operational definitions will help to provide parameters for how record variations in your observations.

9)      Write a hypothesis for what you expect to observe in your second round of observations.

10)  Repeat observations/content analysis

a.       Social Setting – this should be done at the same social setting at approximately the same time of day (if you can do this one week later on the same day, it would be great!)

b.      Social Artifact – this should be done at the same time (if commercial block), or with the same show, or with a different issue of the same magazine , etc.

11)  When you have returned from you observation, type up your notes.  Review your notes for patterns in behavior, socio-demographic characteristics, etc. and how they corresponded with your expectations/hypothesis

12)  Describe observations using ‘thick description’ of the location (i.e. building you were in (what is the architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of socio-demographic characteristics: age, race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status), sounds, smells, temperature, time of day and week, etc);

13)  Analyze your observations in terms of how they supported/did not support your hypothesis.

14)  What is a possible sociological/theoretical explanation for the trends you observed?  This is best done by using sources to provide credibility to your analyses.

15)  Discuss the differences between your inductive observations and your deductive observations.  How did the way you were observing change?  How did what you observed change?

16)  Briefly describe your thoughts/feelings in the two steps.  Did you prefer one approach to the other?  Why/why not?

This LASA assignment is a continuation of the scenario from M3: Assignment 2 LASA 1. Please reread the scenario from M3: Assignment 2 LASA 1 before starting this assignment.

Having successfully completed law school, you are now a second-year defense attorney with the state. You have been entrusted with the task of defending Abby, who has been charged with illegal farming of marijuana with intent to sell and illegal possession of firearms. Abby has never been charged with a crime before. The firearms possession charge is a misdemeanor in your state, and the marijuana charge is a felony. During the course of review of the case, you have been provided with the following information:

• The police report filed by Officer Edward, which contains all the information regarding the events leading up to the arrest of your client. The report also includes the observations of Edward’s former partner (who has since been promoted to detective).
• A search warrant for the home and subsequent documentation mentioning that drug paraphernalia and marijuana were found in the front room of the house. The documentation also mentions that a shotgun was found, bearing your client’s and her boyfriend’s fingerprints, under the couch in the same room.
• A copy of a statement by your client but not signed by her, which appears to be a confession that she made in the car on the way to the police station. In the statement, she claimed that she just needed to sell a little more marijuana to raise an additional $1,500 so she would have $10,000 to bail her boyfriend, Bobby, out of jail.

In addition, twenty marijuana plants were found in the basement of the house, along with $8,500 in cash and a receipt book filled with Abby’s handwriting.

When you interview your client, she states that she barely recalls that evening, because she was completely drunk at the time the police showed up. She tells you that she doesn’t even remember being in the police car and has no idea that she was told her rights, because she didn’t sober up until the following morning.

She denies any knowledge of the marijuana plants in the basement of the house but states that the other marijuana on the table was just there for a party she and Bobby were going to have later that night. She also tells you that she is about four months pregnant with Bobby’s child. You have Abby’s trial starting the next morning.

Utilizing APA guidelines, citing your sources in text, and creating a corresponding reference page, cite relevant case law and specific information from external sources, present a 6- to 8-page research paper to illustrate how you would defend your client. Please address the following issues specifically in your paper:

• Can any of the evidence found in your client’s home be suppressed? If so, why and on what grounds?
• Can any of the statements uttered by your client at the crime scene or in the patrol car be used against her? Can any of them be suppressed? Why?
• Can the state meet its burden of proof in this case? If not, why not? What can you argue to defend your client on the basis of the evidence listed in the case?
• Can your client’s best interest be served by engaging in trial? Or would it be better for her in the long run to make a plea. If so, what might your request be to the prosecuting attorney for a plea deal?
• Assuming your client is found guilty on felony charges stemming from the marijuana possession, what argument might you make to the judge and the jury regarding sentencing? What constitutional amendment supports your theory and why?

Submission Details:

1. Save the document as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.doc. All CJA papers should be submitted using APA format, i.e., Times New Roman 12, double spaced with title page and reference page. See the APA manual for an examples.
2. By Monday, February 8, 2016, submit your document to the M5: Assignment 1 LASA 2 Dropbox.

LASA 2 Grading Criteria and Rubric

This assignment is worth 300 points. Download this rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

This LASA assignment is a continuation of the scenario from M3: Assignment 2 LASA 1. Please reread the scenario from M3: Assignment 2 LASA 1 before starting this assignment.

Having successfully completed law school, you are now a second-year defense attorney with the state. You have been entrusted with the task of defending Abby, who has been charged with illegal farming of marijuana with intent to sell and illegal possession of firearms. Abby has never been charged with a crime before. The firearms possession charge is a misdemeanor in your state, and the marijuana charge is a felony. During the course of review of the case, you have been provided with the following information:

• The police report filed by Officer Edward, which contains all the information regarding the events leading up to the arrest of your client. The report also includes the observations of Edward’s former partner (who has since been promoted to detective).
• A search warrant for the home and subsequent documentation mentioning that drug paraphernalia and marijuana were found in the front room of the house. The documentation also mentions that a shotgun was found, bearing your client’s and her boyfriend’s fingerprints, under the couch in the same room.
• A copy of a statement by your client but not signed by her, which appears to be a confession that she made in the car on the way to the police station. In the statement, she claimed that she just needed to sell a little more marijuana to raise an additional $1,500 so she would have $10,000 to bail her boyfriend, Bobby, out of jail.

In addition, twenty marijuana plants were found in the basement of the house, along with $8,500 in cash and a receipt book filled with Abby’s handwriting.

When you interview your client, she states that she barely recalls that evening, because she was completely drunk at the time the police showed up. She tells you that she doesn’t even remember being in the police car and has no idea that she was told her rights, because she didn’t sober up until the following morning.

She denies any knowledge of the marijuana plants in the basement of the house but states that the other marijuana on the table was just there for a party she and Bobby were going to have later that night. She also tells you that she is about four months pregnant with Bobby’s child. You have Abby’s trial starting the next morning.

Utilizing APA guidelines, citing your sources in text, and creating a corresponding reference page, cite relevant case law and specific information from external sources, present a 6- to 8-page research paper to illustrate how you would defend your client. Please address the following issues specifically in your paper:

• Can any of the evidence found in your client’s home be suppressed? If so, why and on what grounds?
• Can any of the statements uttered by your client at the crime scene or in the patrol car be used against her? Can any of them be suppressed? Why?
• Can the state meet its burden of proof in this case? If not, why not? What can you argue to defend your client on the basis of the evidence listed in the case?
• Can your client’s best interest be served by engaging in trial? Or would it be better for her in the long run to make a plea. If so, what might your request be to the prosecuting attorney for a plea deal?
• Assuming your client is found guilty on felony charges stemming from the marijuana possession, what argument might you make to the judge and the jury regarding sentencing? What constitutional amendment supports your theory and why?

Submission Details:

1. Save the document as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.doc. All CJA papers should be submitted using APA format, i.e., Times New Roman 12, double spaced with title page and reference page. See the APA manual for an examples.
2. By Monday, February 8, 2016, submit your document to the M5: Assignment 1 LASA 2 Dropbox.

LASA 2 Grading Criteria and Rubric

This assignment is worth 300 points. Download this rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.

Students, please view the “Submit a Clickable Rubric Assignment” in the Student Center.

Instructors, training on how to grade is within the Instructor Center.

Case Study 1: Statistical Thinking in Health Care

Due Week 4 and worth 150 points

Read the following case study.

Ben Davis had just completed an intensive course in Statistical Thinking for Business Improvement, which was offered to all employees of a large health maintenance organization. There was no time to celebrate, however, because he was already under a lot of pressure. Ben works as a pharmacist’s assistant in the HMO’s pharmacy, and his manager, Juan de Pacotilla, was about to be fired. Juan’s dismissal appeared to be imminent due to numerous complaints and even a few lawsuits over inaccurate prescriptions. Juan now was asking Ben for his assistance in trying to resolve the problem, preferably yesterday!

“Ben, I really need your help! If I can’t show some major improvement or at least a solid plan by next month, I’m history.”

“I’ll be glad to help, Juan, but what can I do? I’m just a pharmacist’s assistant.”

“I don’t care what your job title is; I think you’re just the person who can get this done. I realize I’ve been too far removed from day-to-day operations in the pharmacy, but you work there every day. You’re in a much better position to find out how to fix the problem. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

“But what about the statistical consultant you hired to analyze the data on inaccurate prescriptions?”

“Ben, to be honest, I’m really disappointed with that guy. He has spent two weeks trying to come up with a new modeling approach to predict weekly inaccurate prescriptions. I tried to explain to him that I don’t want to predict the mistakes, I want to eliminate them! I don’t think I got through, however, because he said we need a month of additional data to verify the model, and then he can apply a new method he just read about in a journal to identify ‘change points in the time series,’ whatever that means. But get this, he will only identify the change points and send me a list; he says it’s my job to figure out what they mean and how to respond. I don’t know much about statistics — the only thing I remember from my course in college is that it was the worst course I ever took– but I’m becoming convinced that it actually doesn’t have much to offer in solving real problems. You’ve just gone through this statistical thinking course, though, so maybe you can see something I can’t. To me, statistical thinking sounds like an oxymoron. I realize it’s a long shot, but I was hoping you could use this as the project you need to officially complete the course.”

“I see your point, Juan. I felt the same way, too. This course was interesting, though, because it didn’t focus on crunching numbers. I have some ideas about how we can approach making improvements in prescription accuracy, and I think this would be a great project. We may not be able to solve it ourselves, however. As you know, there is a lot of finger-pointing going on; the pharmacists blame sloppy handwriting and incomplete instructions from doctors for the problem; doctors blame pharmacy assistants like me who actually do most of the computer entry of the prescriptions, claiming that we are incompetent; and the assistants tend to blame the pharmacists for assuming too much about our knowledge of medical terminology, brand names, known drug interactions, and so on.”

“It sounds like there’s no hope, Ben!”

“I wouldn’t say that at all, Juan. It’s just that there may be no quick fix we can do by ourselves in the pharmacy. Let me explain how I’m thinking about this and how I would propose attacking the problem using what I just learned in the statistical thinking course.”

Source: G. C. Britz, D. W. Emerling, L. B. Hare, R. W. Hoerl, & J. E. Shade. “How to Teach Others to Apply Statistical Thinking.” Quality Progress (June 1997): 67–80.

Assuming the role of Ben Davis, write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you apply the approach discussed in the textbook to this problem. You’ll have to make some assumptions about the processes used by the HMO pharmacy. Also, please use the Internet and / or Strayer LRC to research articles on common problems or errors that pharmacies face. Your paper should address the following points:

1. Develop a process map about the prescription filling process for HMO’s pharmacy, in which you specify the key problems that the HMO’s pharmacy might be experiencing. Next, use the supplier, input, process steps, output, and customer (SIPOC) model to analyze the HMO pharmacy’s business process.
2. Analyze the process map and SIPOC model to identify possible main root causes of the problems. Next, categorize whether the main root causes of the problem are special causes or common causes. Provide a rationale for your response.
3. Suggest the main tools that you would use and the data that you would collect in order to analyze the business process and correct the problem. Justify your response.
4. Propose one (1) solution to the HMO pharmacy’s on-going problem(s) and propose one (1) strategy to measure the aforementioned solution. Provide a rationale for your response.
5. Use at least two (2) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe how organizations use statistical thinking to be more competitive.
• Apply the basic principles of statistical thinking to business processes.
• Apply the SIPOC model to identify OFIs in business processes.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in business process improvement.
• Write clearly and concisely about business process improvement using proper writing mechanics