...School Environment Analysis Charlene N. Vance Grand Canyon University: EDA-575 October 29, 2014 School Environment Analysis Identifying the needs of a school can be very perplexing and daunting for those in leadership. There can be a variety of issues and there must be a systematic approach to solving them. Churchman (1979) suggested that analysis of a system ought to determine whether influences on the system are environmental, systematic, or neither, for such influences are potential growth and survival factors. The leadership must assess each component and how they are to show growth and improvement in their school. At Spring Mountain Elementary School, there are a large number of issues that overwhelm the environment of the school. In my opinion, these factors are what prohibit the school from making any strong gains in the community and with student achievement. There are factors ranging from the staff’s perception of bullying, the stress of teachers and how it impacts the learning environment, and having enough physical activity for students. Considering the factor of the perception of bullying by staff members at Spring Mountain, there is a tainted image of bullying and the approach to such possibilities is not addressed. At Spring Mountain the teachers are very loving and supportive of the students. I have seen many incidents of students who were having meltdowns or issues from home or other problems being nurtured and taken care of by their teachers or...
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...Running head: SCHOOL CULTURE ANALYSIS School Culture Analysis Lisa Mack Grand Canyon University EDA 529 Dr. Tony Elmer July 21, 2009 School Culture Analysis The term school culture describes the environment that affects the behavior of the entire school community. School culture can be defined as the quality and character of school life. It is based on patterns of school life experiences and reflects norms, goals, values, relationships, teaching, leadership practices and the structure of the organization. Several studies have concurred that student performance is directly related to school climate. Students in schools with a positive school culture have higher achievements. Therefore, creating and maintaining a positive school culture should be essential to the role of school administrator. Good schools depend on a strong sense of purpose and leadership (MacNeil & Maclin, n.d.). Principals must steer their staff, students, and community in a common direction in an effort to establish a set of norms, goals, and objectives that describes their vision of learning and the overall objective of the school. A school administrator has a strong influence on shaping a schools culture (MacNeil & Maclin). Once a strong school culture is established, it tends to act as a powerful socializer of thought and programmer of behavior (MacNeil & Maclin). Yet, shaping and creating such a culture does not just inexplicably happen. It requires a negotiation...
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...School Environment Analysis Vanessa Kawa Grand Canyon University * * * * * * Phillis Wheatley Elementary school is located in Miami, Florida and is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public School system. The school is located in the center of Overtown, one of the most poverty stricken communities in Miami Dade County. The majority of people that live in the community live in government subsidized housing. According to Urban Mapping (2011), Overtown is made up of 75% African Americans, 20% Hispanic, and 3% Caucasian. The average income per family is approximately $13,355 and the crime rate is 27% higher than the actual city of Miami (Urban Mapping, 2011). The buildings are dilapidated, graffiti and trash is ramped, and many vagrants live along the streets. Phillis Wheatley Elementary school is one of one hundred and eight schools that are a part of the Education Transformation Office (ETO). ETO is a support team that is committed in growth and improvement of schools that are deficient in the state assessment test. They use data to drive instruction, send curriculum support specialists on a weekly basis to provide guidance, and provide academic resources for our school, such as technological resources, books, equipment, and so on. The students at Phillis Wheatley Elementary school have many social/emotional issues related to their life outside of school. The students come to school angry, hungry, unkempt, poor hygiene, and academically...
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...School Environment Analysis Essay Grand Canyon University: EDA-575 February 8, 2012 School Environment Analysis No school is a utopia. Each presents unique problems and challenges, and with that comes opportunities for change and successes. Many times it takes a giant collaborative effort to bring about change, and there are times where it seems that the challenges are insurmountable. I work in a public inner city high school in Syracuse, NY. There are issues within the school including a high drop-out rate, incidences of bullying, little parent involvement, lack of technology, and old school materials. This high school is in a high poverty area, and the surrounding community is not very active or involved with the school. All of these factors combined with many newer teachers in the school and some new members of the administration lead to a school requiring assistance in many areas. In this essay, I will explain many of the environmental and contextual factors and describe some potential solutions to address these factors. One environmental factor influencing my school is the high rate of poverty in the surrounding area of the school. Students are often unprepared for school with proper materials. Education is not been a major priority for many students since it was not very important to their parents or guardians. If students have a little extra money, they will quickly spend it on snacks on their way to school instead of making sure they are prepared...
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...Running head: School Environment 1 School Environment Stacy Paris Grand Canyon University: EDU 575 September 10, 2014 School Environment School Environment Analysis 2 The environment of a school is very complex. There are many elements to consider such as; student demographics, school climate, community environment, geographic location and political climate, and the instructional program. All of these are areas that deserve careful consideration as they influence the perceptions of a school and weather learning does or does not take place in that school. School leadership must use data to identify problem areas, develop possible solutions for these problems, analyze the feasibility and then apply these solutions. Adjustments must be made along the way to ensure that progress is continual. In the case of the target school, more careful consideration is needed in the areas of its instructional program, the school climate, and the political environment. In the following paragraphs, each element will be examined and possible solutions to problem areas will be identified. Environmental and Contextual Factors The target school is a free, public charter school in its fourth year. It consists of two campuses located roughly two miles apart. The primary campus houses one class of 3K (private pay), one class of 4K (private pay) and four classes of 5K students. The elementary campus is made up of four first grade classrooms, four second grade classrooms, four third...
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...School Environment Analysis Chimere Washington Grand Canyon University: EDA 575 February 13, 2013 Abstract Education today has multiple contextual/environmental factors that affect the students, school, and community. Educators need to analyze these factors and seek out innovative ways to create positive changes. Students are molded by the world around them socioeconomic status, cultural diversity, geographical location, and the community. These factors play a significant role in academics and behavior. When working with children these factors must be addressed to assist in giving all students an equitable education. There are many environmental and contextual factors that can affect the teaching and learning process within an educational community. Environmental factors need to be taken into key consideration by teachers, the community, school, and district, as well as the classroom and students. There are multiple environmental factors that can affect a school. In the case of this school the main environmental factors include geographic location, socioeconomic status, the support of the surrounding community and the stability of the community. This is a small school within a rural community. The school consists of 469 students the majority of the students are white and black with an eight percent Hispanic population. This school is located in central Florida surrounded by orange groves. The majority of the families make their living either working in the orange...
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...This week’s readings talked a lot about the Prison School Pipeline, and the education system. After reading the articles I found myself questioning the education system, and how we educate children and young adults from kindergarten to graduate school. Herbert discussed the prison pipeline, and how our youth is being broken down and mistreated. Children and young adults are being arrested and incarcerated, for doing things which in the past wouldn’t have led to police intervention. The consequences of the prison pipeline are endless, per Herbert we are creating criminals. Herbert stated that after forcing children into the criminal justice system for small misdemeanors, they experience a prefatory course in behavior that is criminal. Thus,...
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...School Systems Mentality Within the political cartoon, “School Begins Soon for American Students” there is a classroom of different countries labeled by their shirts, while the kid that represents the USA in in the back yelling about having to start school. This cartoon is given the strong political effect by including symbolism, labeling, and exaggeration. Symbolism is shown by the “USA” in the background yelling while everyone else is working. This symbolism is used to portray that the USA expects things to be their way and easy. This gives the other countries sitting and working more respect and dignity. Looking at the cartoon there is lots of labeling, the labeling includes different countries on their shirts, everyone looks very similar,...
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...The Data overview field experience which was completed in ITEC 7305 Data analysis and School Improvement is the artifact that establishes the expectations for modeling and facilitating the effective use of digital tools and resources to systematically collect and analyze student achievement data, interpret results, communicate findings, and implement appropriate interventions to improve instructional practice and maximize student learning. The purpose of this artifact was to obtain data from Roswell High School and prepare a presentation using graphs and charts to analyze and explain data results. The presentation helped faculty see the weak areas in student performance and that is needed to improve. Even though Roswell High School is one of the top schools in Georgia there are areas in student achievement that need attention. Especially the achievement gap among the demographic groups that are part of the school. The first step for the creation of the Data Overview presentation was to locate and review the demographic and student...
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...almost all kinds of education. I have been in public school, online charter, and private school education. Informally, many people have developed me into the person I am today, teaching me valuable life lessons that I should be grateful to have learned at such a young age. In public school, the level of education standards was unfortunate. It wasn’t the subjects that were covered, more of the unfriendly atmosphere that kept me away from focusing on my schoolwork. I was bullied enough in public school, that I transferred to a local private school on scholarships and grants. When first entering private school, I was shocked by the kindness I received. The teachers were understanding,...
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...Running head: School Environment Analysis Essay School Environment Analysis Essay Courtney A. Redford Grand Canyon University: EDA 575-Educational Leadership in a Changing World Facilitator: Dr. Audrey Donaldson Wednesday, July 4, 2012 Environmental and contextual factors affect my school and community on a daily basis. One of the most apparent issues would be the lack of parental involvement. This element influences both the school climate, as well as the community environment. In my years of teaching, I have found that students, who have parents that are detached from their school life, have difficulty remaining motivated and engaged in their education. Abstractly speaking, face to face bullying, as well as cyber-bullying also burden the demographics of my school. As teachers and administrators, we address the predictors of bullying and victimization on an ongoing basis, but the issue still exists. As a result of the lack of parental involvement and bullying/peer-pressure, teen pregnancy, within the district, has been on the rise. According to Gilbert, teen mothers are twice as likely to drop out of high school. This bit of research shows the increasing need to combat this issue. Within the context of this analysis, the factors mentioned above will be addressed and discussed. According to Colombo, research has suggested that the missing link in educational equity, in terms of educational achievement, is parental involvement. Community and parental...
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...For years there have been many arguments around the world debating whether schools should allow after school sports or not. Many people believe that academics should come before sports. Therefore, schools should not have sports in order to help students focus on their school work, cut costs, and increase standardized test scores. Games and practices may distract students from doing their work and learning. In the Scholastic News article “Should Your School Get Rid of Sports” written by Amanda Ripley, it states that “Distraction, however, may be the greatest cost of all” (11). She goes on to say that “Focus shifts away from learning. Players spend long hours practicing, and that commitment extends to the rest of the school” (Ripley 11). Learning...
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...shut down at least fifty Chicago Public Schools from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal. As stated in the Chicago Tribune, Emanuel said that he was voting to close these schools because they were “underperforming and underutilized” (Study Looks at Aftermath of Chicago School Closings in 2013). Schools that are underperforming are ones that are on probation, lack the student body needed, or show low test scores. Most of the schools closed are located in low-income communities where students majority are African-Americans or Hispanics. Therefore, elementary school closings in the South side of Chicago, which affect minority groups, are the greatest threat to justice in Chicago, because it’s a bigger struggle to...
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...In the school of Villa Duchesne, we pride ourselves on our goals, our criteria, and the mold that the administrators expect every girl to fill. This mold is their perfect student, in which they follow all of the hypocritical rules of the handbook, they represent the goals and criteria, they maintain perfect grades, and play sports. The school “thrives” on this mold. But the truth of the matter is, a percentage of the student body does not enjoy sports. The percentage does not have perfect grades and they do not follow all of the rules. And that is because students will live by the Goals before the rules. That is how I think about my school experience. I feel that specific rules in the student handbook do not reflect the goals and criteria...
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...During high school I have participated in various volunteer opportunities and have been a part in many school clubs. The one thing that I have done in high school that has had the hugest impact on me was partaking in Vacation Bible School, because during the two years that I volunteered I gained a great deal of experience in leadership, teaching, group work, and much more. The purpose of Vacation Bible school was to teach kids about the bible, while making it as fun as possible. During the two years I volunteered there, I helped with the bible room, which consisted of interacting with the kids through games, and with the dance room where I learned various dances, which I than taught the children. Personally, Vacation Bible School was so...
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