Bryan Eldridge

EDU 450

Baker

Contextual Factors Analysis: Park Avenue Elementary School, Auburn ME

Auburn is a city located in Androscoggin County, in the upper Southern Maine region.

Surrounding Auburn are the cities of Turner, Lewiston, and Poland. The city currently holds an

estimate population of around 23,000 residents, with a majority of the political climate belonging

to the Democratic party, according to a 2012 analysis of voter registration (Wikipedia). The city

provides homes to a predominantly white racial

background with a small percentage of at least two or

more other races being present as well, according to a

2016 statistical chart (City Data). Due to the diversity

that is present in the area, Auburn’s education system is

able to house a wide and diverse range of students and

ultimately educate a student population consisting of at

least 10% non-white students, ranking fourth in the state

for overall diversity (Niche). This statistic alone allows me to understand the various

backgrounds and language differences that may be present within the community. In

understanding this I can cater my lessons and teaching to better suit the needs of my students

with appropriate accommodations or modifications such as ELL services or providing multiple

means of receiving the information.

 Economically, the city of Auburn has a median income of approximately $47,000

according to a 2017 analysis, and the unemployment rate for the city is around 4% (city data).

While this number has decreased over the years, it’s still leaving roughly 3,300 residents living

in poverty and struggling to

provide for their families

(city data). Due to this

struggle, far more students

are eligible for free and

reduced lunches provided

by the schools. While

approximately 58% of students in the Auburn schools are eligible for free or reduced lunch,

(niche) schools such as Park Avenue Elementary are actually seeing increases in the amount of

eligible students as the years go on, as evident in the graph above (public school review). This

high percentage of growing eligibility helps me to understand the economic needs and

difficulties that are presented by my students but also creates opportunities for me to further

shape my instruction and day to day planning around ensuring my students are fed with

opportunities available outside of class for them to meet their basic human needs. Some of these

opportunities may include incorporating more lessons in which classroom materials are used for

everyone or on the opposite end, bringing in outside materials that can be used and kept by all

students. With the socio-economic status of Auburn being what it is, the poverty overcoming

many families in the community ultimately affects the students and will in turn shape and change

their desire and motivation to learn in the classroom. Knowing this, I can further create more

engaging and grade level appropriate activities that not only keep my student’s interest but
enhance their learning along the way through enhancing, lowering or maintain the level of

difficulty as needed for my lessons.

I am currently teaching within the Auburn School district which has a total of 10 schools

as well as two local community colleges for secondary education. The Auburn school district

currently has approximately 3,500 students with an average graduation rate of around 73%

(niche). Based on the provided data and

Auburn students at or above test
level as of 2018 (niche) knowing that the school district

generally achieves high ratings for the

state regarding their annual testing

scores, I know to better shape my

instruction and lesson planning around

the advancement of the student’s

Reading Scores Math Scores testing. In addition to their high testing

scores, the Auburn school district has an annual expenditure average of around $41,000,000 with

approximately 63% of their finances going towards educational instruction (niche). In knowing

this information, I am better equipped to understand the high level of importance and value that

the district places on not only testing but also on overall success in class instruction. This means

that my district is more accessible and at an appropriate learning level for its students with the

resources and tools necessary for them to succeed being implemented into the classrooms. I will

be better able to use these resources to further shape and mold my time in the class to suit the

individual needs of my students as well as use a variety of tools to achieve success and assist

with their learning.

 Teaching within a district that has schooling ranging from pre-kindergarten through

secondary education allows me to further understand the high population of people that reside

within the district. With approximately 23,000 people living within the Auburn school district,

the second highest for the area, (town charts) the high number of students isn’t surprising but in

fact makes it harder to maintain the appropriate ratio of teachers to students within the schools.

With an average ratio of 13 students to every teacher, compared to the national average of 17:1,

(niche) the school district is able to have a fairly manageable and appropriate ratio for classroom

management within the schools. This allows me to understand the high number of students that I

may encounter on a daily basis, but also provides an understanding of how I should better shape

my curriculum and classroom lessons to reach a higher number of students. Doing this may

include incorporating more group-based assignments or allowing for more pairings during their

work time, but ultimately works as a management tactic to better instruct the students on a

regular basis.

The school that I am working at as a student teacher this semester is Park Avenue

Elementary School. Park Avenue is located on a back road in Auburn, near Eastern Maine

Community College as well as Saint Mary’s Medical Center. The school is situated in what’s

considered the heart of Auburn, with a wide range of businesses surrounding the school nearby

within only a couple of minutes. Local businesses including the community college, the hospital

and the various restaurants and stores within the Auburn mall allow for a lot of traffic and busy

residents. In knowing this, I can also adjust my classroom management and lesson planning

around the idea that many of my students most likely come from a family that works within one

of the many high employment businesses in the area. Auburn’s busy and modern business

centers allow not only for multiple employment opportunities but also instills a high sense of
 understanding amongst the students within Park Avenue regarding specific industries that are

available for career options.

Park Avenue
Races present in Park Avenue (2019)
currently holds

approximately 380

students, with a

large majority of

their population

coming from a

predominantly

white background,
White Black Asian Hispanic Pacific Islander American Indian Other races

according to a 2019

analysis (great schools). In knowing this, I am better able to adjust my classroom style and

lessons to better suit and relate to the multiple backgrounds and ethnicities that are present within

the school as well as my classroom. In addition, the wide range of races that are present provide

more opportunities and options for me to better understand a variety of societal customs and

language diversity for me to take into my own classroom and beyond. In conjunction with the

various races at Park Avenue, the school currently has a student to teacher ratio of approximately

21:1, a wide difference to the 12:1 Maine state average (great schools). The fact that so many

students are allotted to each teacher shows not only the understaffing that is present but also the

type of classroom management that I will need to have within my class. By using more

consistent attention getting strategies and regularly enforcing behavior management strategies
such as seat movement and loss of certain privileges, the students will be able to be more

efficiently maintained as well as exist in a more suitable learning environment.

Financially, Park Avenue is currently educating students where about 63% are coming

from low-income families (great schools). One of the biggest factors that comes from this

statistic is the number of students that are eligible for free or reduced lunches. Even though

around 59% of students

(public school review)

would be eligible for free or

reduced lunches, Park

Avenue actually allows all

their students to have free

lunch based on the diverse population and high need for the area. This opportunity allows for

more well-fed students which will in turn allow more healthy bodies in which students are able

to be more available to learn. I am able to take this information surrounding the financial status

of the students at Park Avenue and better create more feasible lessons and learning environments

in which my students won’t be required to purchase anything and will all have the same learning

opportunities outside of school, regardless of living situations.

 Another important factor to consider at Park Avenue is the high number of students that

are present within each individual grade level. With approximately over 50 students in grades

such as 1st and 6th grade,

(public school review)

high classroom sizes are a

strong point to consider in

many of the classroom

settings. This factor affects

both classroom

management as well as lesson planning in ways such as modifying and adapting the classrooms

to better reach and support every individual learner. By using strategies that include more

assigned groups and rotation-based activities, students within each classroom will be better

suited to succeed and learn in the same manner.

I am currently working in a fourth-grade classroom at Park Avenue, teaching alongside

Ms. Pierce. Ms. Pierce has been a teacher at Park Avenue for over 10 years and spent at least 8

of those working in grade four. The classroom that I am working in has 18 students and is

situated on the second floor of the three-story building, surrounding by accompanying third and

fourth grade classes. I am teaching in a classroom that has smartboard capabilities that are

frequently integrated into the daily routine, along with individual iPads for students to use for

times such as testing, reading and math work. These capabilities allow for more modern support

and tools to be used as well as create more diverse lessons and opportunities for managing the

classroom. The routine for my class consists of starting the day with one of four “specials”
including gym, art, music or library, followed by content time with social studies or science. The

students move into math before working in reading and writing after lunch.

Within the academic areas of reading and math, I have students that fall within all ranges

of proficiency and understanding, ranging from above grade level competency and including at

grade level and below grade level competency. For math, my class is dividing into four groups

with two of which learning material at the same grade level of understanding, one being given

instruction above grade level for gifted and talented students and one group being given below

grade level instruction. The majority of our ELL and non-English speaking students are working

below grade level and are pairing their growing understanding of math with their English

understanding. This group of 6 is given more direct instruction following their group work,

allowing fore more guided and supported learning as necessary. The gifted and talented group of

5 students works both independently and with a teacher in a group to gain the additional support

they need to challenge their learning and progress in math as well, using resources that come

from both the classroom and enrichment teachers.

In reading, the students are divided into two sections of higher-level reading and lower

level reading, though the class itself has a wide range of learning and comprehension skills. The

majority of the class, 11 out of the 14 students, reads at the higher level and is given texts and

articles that are designed to push their vocabulary and comprehension strategies. The lower level

reading group is made up of the remaining 3 students and works with articles and texts that target

their current vocabulary and comprehension abilities using a lower Lexile. While all students are

tasked with the same response and writing assignments, more tiered support and guided learning

is given to the lower level reading students as well as individual students as necessary during

independent working times. This tiered learning support amongst the students allows for
continuous learning to occur while still reaching the academic levels of each student within the

classroom. The ranged learning differences allow for changes and accommodations to be made

in my planning as well as a variety of resources and strategies to eb introduced to best reach all

the needs of my students.

Statistically, of the 22 languages

Languages in the classroom spoken at Park Avenue, my classroom

consists of four different languages

amongst 9 out of our 18 students.

With two students speaking

Mongolian, one speaking with

language from the Philippines, five

Mongolian Phillippines Semolian Nepal speaking Simolean and one using

language from Nepal, my classroom has a wide range of language abilities and understanding of

the English language. In knowing this I am better able to identify the students that need more

assistance with English specific work and better create lessons that are more inclusive and don’t

always require the use of language to interpret and show their understanding. The various

languages also change in numbers in our math and reading courses when we rotate with the other

fourth grade classrooms to better reach students at their individual learning levels. Due to the

reading and math levels being spread throughout the three fourth grade classes, ELL students

from other classes also rotate into Ms. Pierce and I’s classroom for these subjects as well and

have their own individual challenges. Knowing this, I am able to not only suit my reading and

math lessons around the learning level of the current class but also integrate tools such as

classroom technology or assistive teachers to support all the student’s learning.

 Academically, my students are diverse in their learning styles and abilities with two of

my students receiving services for special education and seven students working with other

teachers under the gifted and talented program for reading and math. In addition to these

services, we also have an educational technician present in our class during our morning content

time and our reading time to support and assist our students that struggle with English and

deciphering the language. Understanding this allows me to create a classroom environment in

which I am creating more learning opportunities for all my students with support systems that

include technology integration, more individual expressions of understanding and group-based

work alongside outside assistance. The special needs and GT students in my classroom also

allow me to grow more as a professional by visiting more IEP meetings when opportune and

crafting new ways to reach the more gifted students in order to present a fair challenge and

learning opportunity for every student.

 In addition to the statistics that are present for my classroom, I conducted a learner’s style

survey with all my students to get a better understanding of how and where they learn best as

well as where they identify their own personal strengths

and weaknesses within school. The students were asked

to identify their individual enjoyment of reading and

writing, as well as pick one goal they want to work

towards throughout the school year. This survey allowed

for more individual expression and explanation from the

students, allowing a greater understanding on both their

end and mine as the teacher as to where I can best

facilitate their learning as we progress through the

semester.

After conducting this survey, I was able to reflect on the data and better shape my

planning for future lessons around the student responses. I discovered that out of my 18 students

there are 12 that are at least comfortable, if not happy with reading and 12 that are at least

comfortable with math. This information helps me to shape more of my lessons around math or

reading activities to better suit their personal enjoyment levels and ultimately promote more

successful learning. In addition, this information also allows me to create more engaging and

interesting lessons for writing, social studies and science classes to create more invested students

for these courses as well. This could be accomplished by using interactive lessons, using tangible

and educational rewards and allowing more choice into the learning environment. These factors

produce more successful learning and also more engaged students that are excited about school.
 When looking back on the data that I found surrounding my student teaching placement, I

found many useful facts that will ultimately play a role in my classroom and the way my students

learn. One of the more profound statistics that is repeatedly present throughout the analysis, is

the amount of diversity and varying racial backgrounds that are present. The diverse races and

languages provide a wider range of learning styles, more inclusive environments, larger students

in need of support and varying degrees of development amongst many other important factors.

Financially, in the city of Auburn as well as my school, Park Avenue, many residents are from

predominantly a low-income environment which in turn effects the opportunities available. For

the city, many are unable to afford certain resources or tools at home to further their student’s

learning. For the school, it leaves students unable to afford the meals they need for lunch but also

limits their ability to not only attain certain tools or resources to further their learning, but also

inhibits their ability to connect to and understand what those may be. The research and survey

that I did was beneficial in better understanding how to shape my learning and classroom

management, but also in understanding how I can better connect with my students. The

information I gathered helps me to use tools such as attention getting strategies already enforced

by Ms. Pierce, as well as integrate behavioral tactics including the card flipping to maintain the

students. In addition, my lesson planning is better able to cater to individual students based on

the technological opportunities available in the classroom, the preferred learning styles and

environments explained by my students and through the many other choices I am able to make

based on what I’ve discovered. This CFA has created a more informed and educated classroom

based on my newfound understandings and analysis.

“Auburn, Maine.” Crime in Pine Bluff, Arkansas (AR): Murders, Rapes, Robberies, Assaults,

Burglaries, Thefts, Auto Thefts, Arson, Law Enforcement Employees, Police Officers, Crime

Map, www.city-data.com/city/Auburn-Maine.html.

“Auburn, Maine.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Dec. 2018,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn,_Maine#Education.

“Auburn, Maine Education Data.” Camp Lejeune UT NC Demographics Data with Population from

Census, www.towncharts.com/Maine/Education/Auburn-city-ME-Education-data.html.

“Explore Park Avenue Elementary School in Auburn, ME.” Parenting,

www.greatschools.org/maine/auburn/2132-Park-Avenue-Elementary-School/#Low-

income_students.

“Park Avenue Elementary School Profile (2018-19) | Auburn, ME.” PublicSchoolReview.com,

www.publicschoolreview.com/park-avenue-elementary-school-profile/04210.

Senior, and Alum. “Explore Auburn School Department.” Niche, Niche, 7 Jan. 2019,

www.niche.com/k12/d/auburn-school-department-me/.