UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Student:​ Maria Medina School: Tioga Elementary School Pre-K-5th ​ Term: ​EDUC 1100

Your site visit experience offers you the opportunity to learn how schools operate as a large community promoting the growth of a
learner. School environment is determined by the school’s culture, its history, its belief in how to do things and what is worth doing.
Become familiar with the school environment by completing the table below. Accomplish this by using the host school’s website, the
Illinois Public K-12 School Rankings based on the Report Card and school personnel interviews.

Demographics
The following elements look at the demographic information of a school.
The demographic information of a school can provide an excellent look at the diversity of the school environment.
What is/are the… Answer Resource for the Answer: Person’s
name and title, document or website.
Current school enrollment 775 Illinois Report Card
2,157 Tioga Elementary School
Website District
Percentage of various races and ethnicities White (20.3%) Illinois Report Card
Black (4.6%)
Hispanic (67.5%)
Asian (4%)
American Indian (0%)
Two or More Races (3.6%)
Pacific Islander (0%)
Number of males and females as per school
report card
Percent of low income students 68.5% Illinois Report Card

Percent of students with IEPs 18% Illinois Report Card

Percentage of English Language Learners 43.7% Illinois Report Card

Composite percent of students who meet 94 Illinois Report Card
and exceed state standards
# of FTE (full time equivalency) teachers 163 Illinois Report Card
School Organization
The following elements identify various aspects of the organization of the school.
By understanding the school organization, teachers can better plan their lessons and their day.
School Mission Statement Maximize the unique potential of Tioga Elementary School
each child by honoring a natural Website District
curiosity and igniting a desire to
learn
Length of school day for students 174 Illinois Report Card

Length of school day for contracted

staff
Number of minutes per class or time Mathematics 75 Illinois Report Card
allotted for each subject Science 26
English?language Arts 180
Science 24
Number of minutes for “specials”
Art, P.E., Music, etc.
Elective classes offered English Tioga Elementary School
Language Arts & Literacy Website District
Health Education
Math
Physical Education
Science
 Social Science
Music
Art
Speech
Extracurricular activities offered STEM Lab Tioga Elementary School
Applied Math & Robotics Website District
Instrumental Music
Foreign Language
Choral
Fine Arts
Curriculum, Instruction &
Assessment
Spanish
Speech
Types of duties which teachers are
assigned
Types of communication between Via Emails, Phone Calls and also Tioga Elementary School
the school, home, and community teacher-parents conference Website District
Types of all-school or grade level PK-5th Grade Tioga Elementary School
assemblies Website District
School colors and mascot Red, Blue Tioga Elementary School
Website District
Student and faculty dress code Students​ are expected to present Students-
a modest appearance that is Tioga Elementary School
appropriate for school that does Website Distract
not disrupt nor distract from the
educational process or interfere
with the maintenance of a positive
teaching/learning climate.
Clothing that promotes the use of
drugs or alcohol, has violent
images, displays inappropriate
language or identifies gang
affiliation is prohibited. The
principal is the final authority
for judging the appropriateness of
a student’s appearance.
Teachers
Assistance
The following elements identify various types of assistance available to students and faculty.
Identifying and understanding the various types of assistance available to students and teachers provides a teacher with a greater
sense of community.
Student intervention plans such as There are two overarching goals of Tioga Elementary School
Response to Intervention (RTI) RTI. The first is to deliver Website District
evidence-based interventions and
the second is to use students’
responses to those interventions
as a basis for determining
instructional needs and intensity.

Special education decisions can be

a product of these efforts, but
not the primary goal. Using RTI as
the database for making that
decision, special education
services are determined by the
student’s rate of response to
intervention and the size of the

Provisions for students so that they
can participate in extracurricular
activities (e.g. transportation)
Types of technology available for
teachers
Types of technology available for
students
Types of professional development
available to staff
The following elements provide a greater understanding of the policies that exist in a school environment.
Read and summarize the School’s
digital etiquette policy for students.
Staff credentials to sponsor
extracurricular activities
Philosophy of the school library or
learning center
Study hall policies for students and
teachers
Lunchroom policies for students and
teachers
gap that exists between the
student and the benchmark. As a
result, identification is not
about the student’s label, but
rather about determining what
interventions are most helpful in
closing the gap in a timely
manner.
School Bus Tioga Elementary School
Website District
Laptops,iPads Tioga Elementary School
District 2's one-to-one Chromebook Tioga Elementary School
program gives all students in Website District
Grades 2-8 access to Chromebooks
to use at school throughout each
day.
Chromebooks, laptops, and iPads.
Policies
The learning center is an Tioga Elementary School
essential component of the Website District
instructional program. A District
Librarian ensures a high-quality
library media program, and works
with two learning center
assistants at each school to
oversee the day-to- day operation
and management of the learning
center. Students have access to a
varied and engaging book,
magazine, and video collection, as
well as updated technology to
reinforce media and information
literacy for all students. The
District also employs a Media
Specialist and a Technology
Specialist whose focus is
collaborating with classroom
teachers to effectively integrate
21st Century learning and teaching
into the instructional program. An
Instructional Technology Assistant
provides additional support at
each building
Hallway policies: during class time
and between classes
School discipline policy
Emergency procedure plans (fire,
tornado, evacuation, and lockdown)
The goals and objectives of this Tioga Elementary School
policy are to provide effective Website District
discipline practices that: (1)
ensure the safety and dignity of
students and staff; (2) maintain a
positive, weapons-free, and
drug-free learning environment;
(3) keep school property and the
property of others secure; (4)
address the causes of a student’s
misbehavior and provide
opportunities for all individuals
involved in an incident to
participate in its resolution; and
(5) teach students positive
behavioral skills to become
independent, self-disciplined
citizens in the school community
and society.
Fire and disaster drills are Tioga Elementary School
carefully planned at each school. Website District
Students frequently practice the
drill so they become familiar with
the routine. The schools cooperate
with the fire and civil defense
groups in planning for disaster
drills. If there is severe weather
at or near dismissal time, the
children will be kept until the
danger has passed and parents will
be notified through the emergency
phone message system, the email
alert, and social media.