GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

STUDENT TEACHING EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE (STEP)

STANDARD 1, PART I

Student Teaching Evaluation of Performance (STEP) is the process for preparing and implementing a unit of instruction.

By understanding the community and school environment and the makeup of the classroom, you will be able to strategically meet the overall needs of your
students. In the first two weeks of student teaching, you should focus on learning about the students you will be working with. You are expected to teach the
unit you are preparing by the end of week 8.

Review the geographic, district, and school demographics of your student teaching classroom. Utilize the district or school website, your cooperating
teacher/mentor, or school administrator for this information. You may also use your state Department of Education website for statistical data on community
and school demographics.

Complete STEP Standard, 1 Part I that includes:

A. Geographic Location
B. District Demographics
C. School Demographics

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected. This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to
become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin.

Please note, that in order to submit this assignment, you must:

1. Complete each section of the STEP Standard 1, Part II as directed in the course syllabus.
a. Note: Closing your internet browser before the signing process is completed will result in a loss of your work. If you will be completing this
document in multiple sittings, it is highly recommended to save and back up your work on another document. When you are ready to make
your final submission, copy and paste your responses into this document. The data from this electronic document will not be saved until you
complete the signing process.

2. Complete the signing process by entering your name, selecting “Click to Sign”, and entering your email address.
 An initial email will be sent to you to confirm your email address.
 A completed copy of the document will be emailed to you within minutes of confirming your email address.

3. Submit a completed copy to the appropriate LoudCloud submission space for grading.

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
STUDENT TEACHING EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE (STEP)

TEACHER CANDIDATE INFORMATION:

Teacher Candidate Teacher Candidate Student ID:
First Name:
Suzanne
Last Name:
Brinton 20446715
Email Address: Phone: 4805001863 State:
suzibrinton@gmail.com AZ- Arizona
Program of Study:
B.S. in Elementary Education

STANDARD 1, PART I: COMMUNITY, DISTRICT, SCHOOL, & CLASSROOM FACTORS

A. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
Cooperating School State: If “Other” School State Cooperating School
AZ- Arizona Selected, Specify: City: Casa Grande

Population of City: School Classification: If “Other” Classification

57,232 Public Selected, Specify:
Facility Setting: Stability of Community: Perception of the Level
Urban State of Growth of Community Support: High

 Discuss the possible effect these characteristics could have on planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
 Cite the references used for this information.
Casa Grande is a small city between 2 major cities and state Universities. It has grown tremendously since the year 2000. The city continues to attract residents because of its
mild winter climate and growing economic industry with large businesses and companies being developed such as LUCID cars and Phoenix Mart. Because of a recent trend in
charter schools being developed within the city, public school registration has been lower than expected for the past couple years. My cooperating school is in a higher income
part of town so it continues to have high attendance with full classrooms. The school district is the second largest in the county and has over a 50 million dollar plus budget to
spend each year. Because of this, the classroom I work in is well equipped with the latest technology and facilities. The class size is constant with 23 kids and will see some
growth throughout the year because of transfers from the charter schools. My cooperating school is quite established and I plan to finish up my student teaching there straight
until December.

References:

District. Retrieved from https://www.cgesd.org/district

(2019, June 25). Economic Development. Retrieved from https://casagrandeaz.gov/economic-development/
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Casa Grande city, Arizona. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/casagrandecityarizona

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 B. DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHICS
District Name: Casa Grande Elementary School District District Grades Served:
Pre-school - 8th grade

Number of Schools in Number of Students Percentage of Students in

District: 13 Enrolled in District: 6500 the District Receiving Free 57 %
or Reduced-Price Lunch:
 Describe the district demographic data, including statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it, for your cooperating school
district.
The district is 47% White, 42% Hispanic, 7.1% American Indian 4.7% Black, and 1.2% other. The median household yearly income is: $45,813.91. Number of people below
poverty level: 12,242 and people above poverty level: 55,531. Families getting food stamp benefits: 30%. Language other than English spoken at home is 24.6%. High school
graduates 25 years old and up: 83.9%. Persons who have completed a bachelor's degree: 16.5%. House ownership: 55%, rented: 45%. Households with 2 parents: 52 %.
Households with single mom: 33% and households with single dad is 15%.

 Discuss the possible effect these characteristics could have on planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
 Cite the references used for this information.
The district has a substantial percentage of ELL students. We currently have 2 ELL students in the first grade classrooms that I am working in at my cooperating school. This
means I may have to put together some ELL lesson plans. There is a high percentage of students on free lunch and food stamps at home. My co teacher and I hand out snacks
daily and make certain that if there are students who don't bring a lunch to school, they will have something free for them in the cafeteria. There is a high percentage of
households with 2 parents which usually means better success in the classroom. My co teacher and I feel comfortable handing out homework nightly with high expectations
that parents will support their children. There is a high percentage of people who own their house so that means that students may not be transient. Our class size should stay
stable. There is a high percentage of adults who completed a high school diploma which means they will support their child with academics. With all of the above mentioned
accounted for, the planning and delivery of my instruction should stay stable and constant. There may be times when I have to change lesson plans due to students missing
school or new ones coming in, but for the most part, things should be pretty stable.

References:

Casa Grande Elementary District Demographics. Retrieved from https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/AZ/Pinal-County/Casa-Grande-Elementary-District-

Demographics.html
Search for Public School Districts - District Detail for Casa Grande Elementary District (4446). Retrieved from
https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=0401710&DistrictID=0401710
Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/Programs/Edge/ACSDashboard/0401710

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 C. SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS
Cooperating School Desert Willow Elementary School Cooperating School Title One (I):
K-5th Yes
Name: Grades Served:
Number of Students Percentage of Students in Academic Achievement B
Enrolled in School: 600 the School Receiving Free 40 Ranking/Label of the
or Reduced-Price Lunch: School:
 Discuss the possible effect these characteristics could have on the planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
 Cite the references used for this information.
The school has high enrollment so class sizes will remain substantial and large. An average class is 25 plus students. This requires plenty of planning, grading and varied
delivery lesson methods. The more students there are the more a teacher needs to diversify to be sure each child gets the instruction they need. There is a medium percentage
of kids receiving free lunch which means they are coming from lower income families. Sometimes students from low income families do not receive much academic support
from home because of working parents, single parent and so on. The ranking level of the school is a B. This is a substantial difference from two years ago when it was a "D"
rating. This is due to the fact that the school hired 2 coaches for math and reading from Title 1 funds who helped pull the standards and grades up. The school also switched to
higher level reading and math programs designed to boost test scores and proficiency. This should help me in delivering lessons because the resources at the school are
available for me to use. As mentioned the school receives title 1 funding which means more paraprofessionals, more money to invest in technology and more resources all
around for the entire school to use.

References:

News. Retrieved from http://casagrandedwes.ss8.sharpschool.com/news

Desert Willow Elementary school staff meetings.

AGREEMENT AND SIGNATURE

I, the above named, GCU student attest this submission is accurate, true, and in compliance with GCU policy guidelines, to the best of my ability to do so.
NOTE: The data entered into this document may be audited for accuracy. Students who engage in fabricating, falsifying, forging, altering, or inventing information
regarding clinical practice/ student teaching may be subject to sanctions for violating GCU academic integrity policies, which may include expulsion from GCU.

Teacher Candidate Date:

E-Signature: Suzanne Brinton
Suzanne Brinton (Aug 24, 2019)
Aug 24, 2019

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.