Contextual Factors #2: Description of School

-detailed statistics about the school
According to statistics found on nces.ed.gov, Claggett Creek is a Title I school with 469 students eligible for free lunch and 99 eligible for reduced-price lunch. There are 928 total students, about 51% male and 49% female. The 6th grade class has 307 students, 321 in the 7th grade, and 300 in the 8th grade. The racial and ethnic breakdowns are as follows: 465 white, non-Hispanic; 309 Hispanic; 29 Asian/Pacific Islander; 16 American Indian/Alaskan Native; 7 Black, non-Hispanic. There are 50 teachers in the school; the student-teacher ratio is 18.4, compared to the national average of 15.5 students per teacher (http://nces.ed.gov)

According to data on the Oregon Department of Education website, Claggett Creek met AYP 2008-2009, but didn’t meet AYP in 2007-2008 due to performance gaps for students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency. The school did not meet AYP in 2005-2006 either, this time with the addition of economically disadvantaged students. In failing years, the conditions were usually met for participation and attendance, but not met in language arts, math, academic status, or academic growth (http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx).

-detailed description of the school facilities
The school is brand new, with smart boards and document readers in almost every classroom. The walls are covered with inspirational quotes, reminding students to work hard and stay motivated. There is a student-friendly entrance on the left side of the school, which leads into the cafeteria and common social areas. The doors on the right sight of the school lead to the main office, attendance, and counseling services. The gym is also on the first floor, next two a wing of classrooms. The second floor holds a great central library and most of the classrooms. There are computers in several of the classrooms, as well as computer labs throughout the school. The third floor is strictly classrooms. There are “Emergency” signs outside of the small hallways that lead to the faculty rooms on each floor; just inside the door there is a button people can push to call for help. There is easy wheelchair access and a central elevator.

-detailed description of the school support personnel
I perceive most of the school staff to be white. Several of the instructional aides are younger women of color or older white women, and a couple of the security personnel are men of color. There are mostly women working the administrative assistant positions, mostly men working janitorial positions, and there’s a good balance of genders represented in the library. There was a huge send-off for one of the security officers, Jesse, during the last school assembly. It seems that he was loved and widely respected by faculty, staff, administration and students.

-description of the atmosphere and “feel” of the school
The school definitely has a new feel, and I haven’t gotten the sense that there is as much of a collective identity as I felt at the high school. Most of the teachers have been there for fewer than five years, which really has an impact on the feeling of legacy and tradition. I attended an assembly and could feel a genuine excitement and school spirit, as difficult as it might be to define specific aspects of that pride. The faculty seem to love teaching there, and many of them are young, recent graduates from Masters programs.

-discussion of how this context influences my thinking about my students and my teaching
All of this information is encouraging to me, saying that the energy and resources are available to meet achievement goals and create a positive experience for students in the school. What worries me is the tendency for English language learners and students with disabilities to be falling behind in AYP. This could be due to any number of things: lack of attention, extenuating circumstances inside and outside of the classroom, lack of relevant and appropriate material, etc. What it tells me is that I need to be creating lessons that take the needs of my learners into account. I need to meet students where they are, and pay close attention to when and where students are falling behind. I will encourage my students to support each other and lift each other up.

I also need to learn how to take advantage of the technology in the classroom! I might as well get some experience with it while I can, because the same technology is not available to me in my student teaching site. I see a lot of potential to save time and resources with the smart board, and it could be a great way to capture students’ attention and interest during lessons. I will also take advantage of the diversity of experiences my students bring to the classroom, providing opportunities for them to explore their individual realities and share that with the rest of the classroom. There is a lot I will not know or have had a chance to see before, so I will have to put a lot of faith in my students to help me along.