The problem of homelessness essay
Today, the problem of homelessness is one of the main challenges to the stale social and economic development of the US. In this regard, the problem of homelessness has started to aggravated since the housing market crisis and economic recession of 2007-2008. The aggravation of the socioeconomic situation made many Americans homeless. As a result, they could not afford buying or maintaining their households that raised the rate of homeless Americans. Homelessness has become one of the major problems that affected the entire nation. In such a situation, the deterioration of the position of homeless Americans raised the problem of homelessness and the elaboration of effective public policy to minimize the negative effect of homelessness on the US society and homeless people along with the resolution of the problem of homelessness through the reintegration of homeless people into the community life by means of construction of public facilities providing shelter for homeless people, where they can live and work being engaged in public work.
Formulating a policy
The public policy aiming at the elimination of the problem of homelessness should focus on the development of the policy that helps homeless Americans to find a shelter and earn means for living. In this regard, the construction of public facilities that are destined for homeless Americans, where they can live, eat, and work. The construction of such facilities may involve homeless Americans as employees. They may participate in the construction and they may be employed for the maintenance of the facilities, where they will live and eat. Other homeless people, who can settle in those facilities may find employment in the public sector, for instance, they can be employed in the public cleaning sector maintaining public facilities and performing other low- or semi-qualified jobs in the public sector, whereas they will spend a part of their wages as the payment for the shelter and food, they receive on the regular basis, while the rest of their wages will be used for other needs. In such a way, they will have, at least, provisional shelter and work. In addition, they may receive some job training to get better job opportunities and find new, better employment, which may open the way for them to find a good job and purchase their own home in a long-run perspective.
Policy implementation
The implementation of the proposed policy should start at the state level and expand nationwide, in case of the success of the implementation of the program at the particular state. The policy should start with the elaboration of the plan of the construction of the public facilities for homeless people, recruitment of professionals for the implementation of the project, communication of the program to homeless people, their settlement in the constructed public facilities, and further employment in the local public sector. The program will also involve educators working in the public facilities for homeless people, who can provide them with basic training. These training programs can be managed by volunteers recruited in the course of the promotion of the program. The promotion of the program will involve key stakeholders, including educators, engineers, and other professionals required for the construction and maintenance of the facilities and training of homeless people. The public sector will offer jobs for homeless people, who decide to settle in the public facilities. Homeless people may learn about the program from public organization supporting homeless people, providing them with food, clothing, etc.
Policy evaluation
The policy has a considerable potential because it offers a long-lasting solution to the problem of homeless Americans at the state as well as federal level. The program will involve the wide involvement of the local and state government and local communities but, in a long-run the program will help to resolve the problem of homelessness.
Question 2
Reasons for the resistance to change the policy
Stakeholders may be resistant to the proposed policy change because they are accustomed to the existing policy and unwilling to change it, especially if they do not understand the new policy and its benefits. In such a situation, the local government and public organizations should unite their efforts to implement the program successfully and overcome resistance to change.
Steps to undertake to implement the policy successfully
The first and primary step to change the policy is to communicate the policy to key stakeholders, including community members, homeless Americans, and professionals involved in the program. The next step is the organization of the work of the team of professionals on the implementation of the project. The project team should be created and its leader will be responsible for outcomes of the project. Finally, homeless people may be involved into the project managed by the project team. In a long-run perspective, the program may be expanded nationwide through the creation of the network of public facilities for homeless people and applying the program to different states to resolve the problem of homelessness.
Question 3
Competency tests in mathematics, social studies, science, reading and writing to graduate from high school
I believe that competency tests are essential to graduate from high school because they show academic achievements of students upon their completion of the high school. Thus, tests will show what competencies students have and what they can perform well and what they cannot perform at all. Competency tests will help students to make their choice of their future career.
Advantages and disadvantages of competency tests
The major advantage of competency tests is the overall assessment of students’ achievements in key areas. In addition, competency tests help students to determine their academic strengths and weaknesses on the ground of which they can decide which career to choose.
On the other hand, one of the main disadvantages of the competency tests is their generalizability that means that they do not take into consideration individual specificities of each student. As a result, gifted students may fail the tests but they may be successful in their own way.
Compensating disadvantages
The disadvantage of competency tests can be eliminated through the diversification of tests and taking into account academic achievements of students in the course of learning. In such a way, the final score will be calculated as a combination of past academic achievements of students during their performance in the high school and the score gained during competency tests.
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