Running Head: SCHOOL COMPARE AND CONTRAST

School Compare and Contrast Paper Morgan Hunt Ivy Tech Community College

Running Head: SCHOOL COMPARE AND CONTRAST

My service learning site is at IPS 48, also named the Louis B Russell Junior School. IPS 48 is a public elementary school, as is the school I have chosen to compare and contrast it with, the Center for Inquiry. The reason I have chosen the Center for Inquiry as my second school is because it has many similarities and differences that I had not previously been aware of. I first selected this school at random after filling in the types of school chart definitions. This teaching method sparked my interest because I wanted to learn about a new type of schooling I had minimal prior knowledge of. I have had experiences with both public and private schooling however, the education I received throughout my time as a student has always been taught using the traditional learning style. IPS 48 is a non-magnet school that follows the same form of traditional teaching methods, whereas The Center for Inquiry is a magnet school with teaching techniques based off of an unfamiliar concept to me called inquiry-based learning. The center for Inquiry implements this teaching method into their curriculum which is designed to inspire children to use inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving skills to learn about our world and make it a better place. The IPS 48 mission statement reads: the staff, in partnership with the home and community, provides a nurturing atmosphere, striving to meet the educational, physical, social, emotional, developmental, and cultural needs of every child. This is both similar and different in comparison to the Center for Inquiry's mission and vision which is to develop a community of respectful, life-long learners who

Running Head: SCHOOL COMPARE AND CONTRAST

use inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving skills to be socially responsible contributors to change global society. I find this learning style to be a progressive method because it enriches the educational experience for the students when they can be more independent and exercise their own critical thinking and decision making skills. Both schools missions and visions put immense emphasis on equality among all students, creating life-long learners and a safe, positive learning environment. The Center for Inquiry employs an approach that is much more encouraging of independence and personal growth by means of inquisition, exploration, and analysis. IPS 48 and the Center for Inquiry are both public urban elementary schools that have many areas in common ranging from the student to teacher ratio to special programs and social economic status. Both of these schools are very closely related in their ratio of number of total students and teachers at the school. IPS 48 currently has 332 students enrolled and twenty-six full-time teachers, putting them at a twelve-to-one student to teacher ratio, and the Center for Inquiry has 338 students and twenty-five full-time teachers making their student to teacher ratio very similar at thirteen-to-one. Among the students at IPS 48 there is minimal ethnic diversity with 299 black students, 29 white students, three Hispanic students, and one Asian student. The Center for Inquiry has much more racial diversity among their students with 145 white students, 132 black students, twenty-one Hispanic students, and eleven Asian students. I believe that diversity is a vital quality for a school to possess because it fosters personal growth, acceptance,

Running Head: SCHOOL COMPARE AND CONTRAST

understanding, and prepares students for communicating effectively with those of various backgrounds. Both IPS 48 and The Center for Inquiry reported the social economic status of their students to be from low-income families. At IPS 48 254 students receive free lunches and thirty receive reduced-price lunches, and at The Center for Inquiry 152 student receive free lunches and thirty-one receive reduced-price lunches. The statistics from both schools are almost twice as high as the Indiana state average of 42% of students eligible for the free or reduced lunch price program per school. I found that both schools provide special programs for emotionally challenged students, as well as special education classes. They also both offer many various extracurricular activities, before and after school programs, and community partnerships. I believe programs such as these are essential for encouraging students to be productive by keeping busy and utilizing their free time in a positive, constructive manner. IPS 48 offers programs and activities such as basketball, band, boys drill team, YMC, Edna Martin Center, Tab Tutoring, Jump Start, and the Martin Luther King Center. They also offer speech and language pathologist programs for students struggling verbally or socially. The Center for Inquiry provides some of the same sports programs, however they do offer a broader range of extracurricular activities that are very unique and nontraditional, including basketball, volleyball, O-Ambassadors, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Art Club, karate, scouting, Action Kids, Robotics, Math Pentathlon, gymnastics,

Running Head: SCHOOL COMPARE AND CONTRAST

chess, folk-dancing, African Drumming, and Science-bound. They also provide humanities and arts classes implemented into the school day, which IPS does not. These activities are all in a combined effort to further create a sense of community within the school, keep students constructive, and help create positive relationships with others. IPS 48 and the Center for Inquiry have numerous similarities and differences. Although they may have different learning styles and teaching techniques, both schools strive to accomplish one universal goal, which is to provide their students with the education and resources that they rightfully deserve, as well as to set them up for success as life-long learners.

Running Head: SCHOOL COMPARE AND CONTRAST

References Retrieved from http://www.302.ips.k12.in.us/index.php?id=7265 Retrieved from http://www.48.ips.k12.in.us/ Retrieved from http://www.edumojo.com/publicschool/publicschooldetails/school/LOUIS+B+RUSSELL +JR+SCHOOL+++__INDIANAPOLIS__IN__180477000867 Retrieved from http://findgoodschool.com/school/180477001440-CENTER-FORINQUIRY-INDIANAPOLIS-IN