Social Contexts: Standard V

(20% of course grade)

Goals

The purposes of the assignment are to

· learn about our future students before we even get to the classroom, based on our research about the city, the school district, and school

· research data on the city, school district, and school and interpret that data

· understand the implications of our findings and adjust our curriculum design, methods, classroom techniques, and family involvement strategies accordingly

Assignment

We will each research a school of our choice (perhaps the school where you would like to do your practicum or your student teaching, or the place where you yourself went to school or the place where you'd like to work someday) to get to know the structural conditions that may affect student performance in your classroom--and adjust your teaching accordingly. 

The assignment has three steps:

Step One: Research

Collect data on the city, the school district, and the school.  Minimally, you must collect this information, (comparing this data across city, school district, school, if applicable or meaningful):

>location within the state

>race/ethnicity breakdown city, school district, school

>economic data (including free- or reduced-priced lunch; median incomes; families below poverty line; state/local funding; unemployment rates; rentals, etc.)

>test scores

>other data or impressions that jump out at you

Length & form:

FINAL FORM:  3-5 charts/visuals of your own, re-presenting the data in digestible form. These graphs will, in turn, be linked into your write-up as Figures 1, 2, 3, etc.

Step Two: Interpret the Data

Which data potentially hold most import at your school?   Minimally, you must discuss SES,race/ethnicity factors, and test scores, but other factors may also be noteworthy, such as civic pride, church affiliation, political affiliation, history, local funding/state funding ratios.

Then, do your write-up with subheadings: i.e., CITY CONTEXT, SES FACTORS, TEST SCORES, etc.

FINAL FORM: about 1-2 pages, single-spaced, with line breaks between sections.

Step Three: Draw Conclusions

So what? CONCLUSIONS will be the last section heading. Draw 3-5 conclusions based on your data.

FINAL FORM: a numbered list at the end of your write-up.

Due Date for FINAL version:

Thursday, Sept 16, midnight in your wikispace

Rubric (revised 9/10/2010)

Each criterion rated check-plus, check, check-minus, or zero.  Please note: I grade holistically, so these criteria do not carry equal weight necessarily.

1. REQUIREMENTS You met all the minimum requirements for the assignment, including

>3-5 graphs/visuals;

>research (Census Bureau, city/district/school websites, OSPI);

>written interpretation of self-selected data;

>3-5 conclusions

>works cited list

>Your final report looks and sounds like a science report. Your language is formal and "objective," without personalization.

>Everything is posted and linked in your wikispace.* [handwritten graphs and visuals, or printouts, acceptable if you have extreme difficulties with linking these into your write-up).

2. VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS Your graphs/visuals convey the information clearly and telegraphically, with appropriate labels, legends, captions, etc. You chose the right kind of graph for each data set.

3. SELECTION The data you selected to visualize and/or discuss were key to understanding the social contexts of your future students. You were selective, but at the same time, comprehensive. You didn't leave out key data, but you didn't include random information either. Your data creates a snapshot of the school.

4. ANALYSIS Your interpretations and conclusions are insightful and convincing, given the data AND our reading and class discussion in class. They are also carefully worded, without overgeneralizations and without "deficit thinking" (talking about failing students only in terms of lack).