STANDARD 1 Contextual Factors

Elaine Segner

Classroom Information
Mrs. Cs First Grade Classroom
Contextual Factors
Mrs. Cs classroom is located at an elementary school in St. George, Utah. Her classroom
is a first grade class composed of twenty four children. There are twelve females and twelve
males as indicated by figure 1.1. Eleven of the students in the classroom are six years of age, and
thirteen of the children are seven years of age as indicated by Figure 1.2.

Gender

50%

50%

Age

Females
Males

Figure 1.1

46%
54%

Six
Seven

Figure 1.2

Out of the twenty four students, eight of them would be considered high-level learners,
eleven of them are on-level, and five are currently below-grade level in overall content including
math and reading. Each of the five students that are below-grade level are receiving services
based on their needs. Whole group interventions also occur every three weeks for all students in
their specific areas of need.
The students were recently tested in the middle of the year on their basic literacy skills
with the DIBELs test. Seventeen out of twenty four students were on core. Four students were
strategic and three students were marked as intensive (Figure 1.3). The strategic and intensive
students are provided Leveled Literacy Instruction, Success Maker, and intervention groups and

Assessment Application and Analysis Report

are progress monitored every two weeks in order to note growth or improvement. By the end of
the first grade year students should be reading on a guided reading level of I. Currently ten
students are reading above an I and fourteen students are currently under the benchmark.

Students DIBELs Scores

20
15
10
5
0
Core

Strategic

Intensive

Students DIBELs Scores

Figure 1.3

The classroom is comprised of two English language learners (ELLs). One of those
students is a female and is currently at WIDA level two, and one student is a male who is
currently at WIDA level three. The chart below indicates what a student at WIDA level two and
three can do as defined by the WIDA Consortium (2012).

Assessment Application and Analysis Report

Both ELLs perform well in the classroom environment. The male ELL student is high in
reading and is on grade level in every other subject. The female ELL is low in reading and is
currently receiving Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Instruction and an intervention group
focusing specifically on phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. She is below in writing but
on grade level for every other subject. Languages that are present in the students home
environments are English, Spanish, and Filipino. No students with an Individualized Education
Plan (IEP) are present in Mrs. Cs classroom. Although no students with an IEP are identified,
one child gets pulled out with an intensive interventions group specifically dealing with reading
as well as speech services. No gifted students are present in the classroom, but four children have
been identified as high-level learners especially in reading. The four children are currently
reading well above grade level. The classroom is mostly Caucasian. Out of twenty four students
twenty students are Caucasian, two students are African American, one child is Asian, and one
child is Hispanic (Figure 1.4).

Ethnicities
25
20
15
10
5
0
Caucasian

African American

Asian

Hispanic

Figure 1.4

Two students have been identified for certain behavior problems. One child has difficulty
paying attention. He has a short attention span and does not complete the majority of his work.
He also has a hard time staying on his spot on the rug and crawls around the classroom. He can

Assessment Application and Analysis Report

be defiant. This child is on grade level but could have more growth if he stayed on task. Another
behavior child is very outspoken. He has a difficult time remembering to raise his hand on the
rug and shouts out. He is also very aggressive and has a difficult time remembering to keep his
hands and feet to himself. This child is a high level learner and performs well on academic tasks
in the classroom. Both behavior children are friends and they feed off of each other. Both
students have behavior plans that have been developed in collaboration with myself as well as
the classroom teacher. Behavior plans have been in place currently for one month.
The elementary school is not a Title One school. The elementary school socioeconomic
status is middle class families. The classroom has a very positive friendly atmosphere. The
students have good relationships with all of the students in the classroom as well as the teachers.
The students have a voice in the classroom and are given opportunities to share their ideas and
interests in the classroom.
The classroom is set up in a group setting. There are about six children at a group of
tables. The classroom has a reading table and also has a sink and a large counter top. The
classroom is mostly carpet, but it does have a small stretch of tile. The classroom also has a large
rug area with a white board right next to it. Most of the large group learning activities occur on
this rug. The classroom has an extensive library area that is the perfect size for a small group.
The classroom has a door that leads directly outside of the classroom into the playground. The
classroom has a limited amount of technology. The only available technology in the classroom
are computers, a projector, a c-d player, and an e-beam. The classroom is safe and has a lot of
pictures, childrens work, and objects on the walls and ceiling.

Assessment Application and Analysis Report

Throughout this teacher work sample the following subgroups will be used for
differentiation and accommodation within the unit as well as to compare data to assess learning.
The subgroups are English language learners (ELL), High-level learners (HL), Behavior (B), and
Below-level learners (BLL). Accommodations and modifications will be made throughout the
unit to provide the students with the resources and the materials that they need in order to have
success. The ELLs in the classroom will need visuals, hands-on materials, and other resources to
help aid learning and increase engagement in the lesson. In order for the high level learners to
receive the support that they need, a variety of questions will be given to the students to increase
higher-order thinking and extend learning for higher level thinking. I will focus on using
engagement strategies during whole group instruction to help behavior learners stay on task and
participate in the lesson. Scaffolding instruction will help aid the below-level learners. I will
provide below-level students with visuals, teacher support, and hands-on manipulatives to
provide them with the resources they need to be successful.