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School Assessment

Comprehensive School Assessment

Jennifer Ortega
Arizona State University
February 6, 2016
Dr. Hesse
PPE 310

School Assessment

What are at least two strengths and two weaknesses of your

school?
There are many actions schools can take to promote healthy eating
and physical activities, making healthy eating choices and overall living
healthy lives. I think that Esperanza Elementary School K-5 has much
strength in terms of what I have seen happening in the school on a daily
basis. One of the strengths I have observed is the vast majority of parent
involvement. Esperanza is one of the most welcoming school environments

School Assessment

for parents, community members, and guest speakers as well as for

volunteers. Teachers at Esperanza Elementary strive to involve parents and
the community with school activities such as fieldtrips, fundraisers,
volunteering for school carnivals and much more. I believe my placement
has the foundation needed to promote and raise awareness for healthy
eating, diet, and exercise.

One of the activities I have observed in the school is when they do the
Walk to School Day which is a way that they promote physical activity
because students walk to school with parents and teachers instead of using
transportation like a car or a school bus. I think that is a great way to
promote physical activity. It was only done one time this school year so far,
which is great but I believe the school can promote this type of physical
activity more than once a school year. I also observed that at Esperanza
Elementary there is an excellent P.E. teacher that definitely gets the students
moving during the 40min. P.E time students have once and sometimes twice
a week. I have also observed some of the efforts the P.E. teacher implements
at our school to promote physical activity by offering students and teachers
afterschool exercises once a week for 45 minutes and the whole school is
always welcomed to join, as well as coaching for sports.

One weakness I have observed at Esperanza Elementary School is that

students do not receive other forms of physical activity during the school day

School Assessment

other than during lunch and when students have P.E. Another weakness is
the lack of healthy school lunches for students. A vast majority of the time
students eat unhealthy school lunches that are frozen foods. They only type
of healthy eating for student lunch is when students have their fruits and
vegetables.
There is also no signs around the school campus that promote healthy
eating of fruits and vegetables. Based on the results of the School
Assessment Tool, the school has an overall grade of an F. I believe the school
has an overall grade of an F because although there is some physical activity
and promoting of healthy eating habits, the school community is not
promoting enough of the daily physical activity and healthy eating and
nutrition education.

There are a few ways to begin to improve policies at Esperanza

Elementary School. One being that our school should definitely begin by
incorporating nutrition education and physical education into the school day.
School nutrition should begin with teachers having conversations and talking
to students about nutrition and by encouraging students to make healthy
choices and bring healthy foods to school. (Arizona State University, 2012).

Specially implementing physical activity during their lessons. Physical

activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle for children to begin
to practice and all teachers should practice it throughout the school day.

School Assessment

Such as teachers having students walk when thinking about a question or

when reviewing for a test and having students power walk during an activity.
(Arizona State University, 2012). Teachers should involve their students in
physical activity everyday aside from the 40 minutes of P.E. students have
once or twice a week. This will promote strong bones, active learning during
instructional lessons, achievement in test scores and overall school work,
and decrease the chances of obesity in children

The information obtained form the School Assessment Tool and

reflecting back what my schools strengths and weaknesses I can use the
information to support my potential topic for my signature assignment that is
family and community involvement in building a healthier schools/raising
health initiatives on school campuses. The information I obtained can help
me with thinking about ways to involve families and the school community in
constructing a healthier school environment. Many of the health and physical
activity challenges facing children today are different from those of the past
and it should be school wide goal to raise health initiatives to promote a
healthier school. My goal for my signature assignment is to implement some
kind of health, nutrition and physical activities and promote healthy eating
and exercises around the school campus.

The school I am currently placed in for my last semester of student

teaching is Esperanza Elementary School in the Isaac School District that is a

School Assessment

school located in the urban area of West Phoenix. According to School Digger
in 2014 there was an average estimate of 421 students. According to
information I received from the school principal Dr. Robertson the school has
an estimate average of 500 students attending the school this 2015-1016
school year with the vast majority of ELL population (English Language
Learners). Esperanza Elementary School is a K-5th grade title 1 public school.
It is also part of Beat the Odds, which is an initiative of the Center for the
Future of Arizona that improves student performance and academic
achievement at minority-intensive, low-income schools in Arizona. (Beat the
Odds Institute, 2016) There is a large population of Hispanic/Latino. The
enrollment graph shows data from 2014, shows the population of
Hispanic/Latino at an average of 98.1% population. I am placed in a 2nd
Grade mainstream classroom with a population of 25 students 16 girls and 9
boys with 95% Hispanic and 5% Caucasian. Most of the classrooms in the
school have an average of 25 students in each classroom. There is all free
and reduced breakfast and lunch. The school grade letter according the
Berkshire Hathaway Arizona website is a B rating = Above Average for the
2014-2015 school year.
Enrollment

School Assessment

Esperanza Elementary School. (2016)

% Free/Reduced Lunch

References

School Assessment

Arizona State University (2012). Comprehensive School Health Programs: A

theoretical Framework. Retrieved
from http://asuteacherscollege.wistia.com/medias/crt95tfyzi
Beat the Odds Institute (2016) (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
http://www.beattheoddsinstitute.org/
Esperanza Elementary School. (2016) (n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2016,
from
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AZ/schools/0396001542/school.aspx
Phoenix AZ School 2014 - 2015 Letter Grades. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06,
2016, from
http://www.samelam.com/Web/AR422641/CustomContent/index/52730
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School Assessment
Criteri
Exemplary: Points (5)
a
Assess A minimum of 2
ment
strengths and 2
weaknesses were
SCOR
described
E:
Assessment was

completed online and

posted to your
EPortfolio
Suggestions to
improve school
policies were clearly
stated
At least 2 suggestions
to engage stakeholders
were provided
School
Contex
t
SCOR
E:

School context
contained detailed
information on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores
AYP status
All of the following
are listed in the file
document name
submitted
Lastname.firstname.as
signment#.course#
This rubric was added
to the last page of the
document submitted

Proficient: Points (3)

A minimum of 1
strength and 1
weakness was
described
Suggestions to
improve school
policies were stated
but lacked sufficient
detail
At least 1 suggestion
to engage stakeholders
was provided
Assessment was
completed online and
not in your EPortfolio
School context
contained some
detailed information
on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores
AYP status
Most of the following
are listed in the file
document name
submitted
Lastname.firstname.as
signment#.course#
This rubric was added
but not at the end of
the document
submitted

Unsatisfactory: Points
(1)
Assessment was not
completed online or in
your EPortfolio
Strengths and
weaknesses were not,
or poorly described
Suggestions to
improve school
policies were not
stated
No suggestions to
engage stakeholders
were provided

School context
contained little
detailed information
on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores
AYP status
Few of the following
are listed in the file
document name
submitted
Lastname.firstname.as
signment#.course#
This rubric was not
added to the document
submitted

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