School setting and context
Culture and Community Context:
The Lab School For Creative Learning is a K-5 school in Fort Collins Colorado that focuses on student learning through experience. Their teaching philosophy focuses on providing an educational experience that shows students how to make connections between the classroom and the outside world. This school emphasizes the importance of developing intellectual creativity through hands-on experience. Creating an open-minded and accepting atmosphere where kids are encouraged to be kids is something the Lab school excels at.
The Lab School is a publically funded elementary school however, it is not a neighborhood school, it is a “school of choice”. “School of choice” means that instead of where a family lives in proximity to the school determining their student’s enrollment, families make the choice to send their students here. Parents fill out a school of choice application through the school district. Acceptance is determined by the availability of space available at the school instead of neighborhood boundaries. The school itself is located about ten minutes from The Colorado State University Campus. Because it is located so close to a university with over 30,000 students, the neighborhood surrounding the Lab school consists mainly of rental properties inhabited by university students in their 20’s. While there are families who live in the surrounding neighborhood, the clear majority is young, single, college students who are only living here temporarily.
Demographic Characteristics:
Below is a breakdown of the demographic characteristics of the Lab school. For more information regarding the demographics of this school visit:http://test.psdschools.org/about-us/psd-profile/psd-demographics.
ETHIC BREAKDOWN
Revenue: $205,764,758
Classroom Environment and Students:
I have been assigned to help run the art portion of Alicia’s 4/5 grade classroom. What I have found most interesting about my time in the classroom is how the lack of traditional formality has influenced student-teacher interactions. Students call all their teachers by their first name in order to support a more open relationship between student and teacher. Before being in the classroom I imagined that a less formal relationship could potentially be very problematic, especially in regards to classroom management. However, I have been pleasantly surprised. This lack of emphasis on formality has created a classroom atmosphere where students are excited to share accomplishments with their teachers as well as their peers. Students are comfortable asking questions to me as well as each other. Overall, the classroom environment I have experienced at the lab school has been one that respectfully encourages students to express individuality and discover their world as a team.
STUDENT 1 : This student is a very resilient learner with the ability to successfully work through tough learning challenges. Always ready to help teachers or other students when asked, he is a pleasure to have in class.
STUDENT 2 : This student has a lot of energy, which sometimes makes it hard for him to sit quietly and listen. Once he is engaged in an activity he is able to work diligently to complete it. However, it is figuring out how to engage him that tends to be the challenge. Regardless, he is a great student who has demonstrated high-level drawing skills and creativity.
STUDENT 3 : This student genuinely loves learning in art class. With every lesson we teach it is clear that he makes the extra effort to get as much as possible out of class by performing to the best of his ability.
STUDENT 4 : This student is quietly natured, however she is far from shy. It seems as though she works best by keeping to herself a bit and speaking when there is something she wants to share or ask. She is always responsive to the questions we ask and has no problem discussing her work or discoveries.
STUDENT 5 : This student is a social learner. She is never disruptive or loud but she is always engaged with other students while working.
STUDENT 6 : This student is a good student but seems to be less interested than his peers in art class. He can at times be bit disruptive and seems distracted during work time. Once we get him working he is always able to finish his projects.
STUDENT 7 : While sometimes he can be a little chatty, this student is very creative and seems to enjoy art class. He is a very social learner who works through problems with conversation. He can be a bit disruptive at times but he makes a clear effort to be respectful of teachers while they are speaking.
STUDENT 8 : This student is very bright with a great propensity for logically thinking through complex ideas. As one of the advanced students in this class she is great at considering all components of a problem while figuring out how to solve it.
STUDENT 9 : I have never seen this student with anything other than an air of calm positivity. Ideas and solutions seem to come to her naturally. She is very sure of her decisions, allowing her to make them quickly and calmly without hesitation. Creative problem solving is a strength of hers yet she seems blissfully unaware that she is doing it.
STUDENT 10 : This student learns far more through self-guided experience with trial and error than being taught directly. This student tends to work as though there is a list of steps that need to be completed. He prefers to work completely though the completion of one component of an idea at a time, focusing all his attention on solving the problem directly in front of him before tackling another.
STUDENT 11 : This student gets easily overwhelmed in social settings. She enjoys discussing things one-on-one but often prefers to work on her own.
STUDENT 12 : This student is very creative and a great worker. His positive, social personality can sometimes lead him to get distracted by his peers but he is never the instigator of disruption. His ability to seamlessly switch from a light-hearted social engagement to intense concentration is a gift.
STUDENT 13 : This student loves art and gets very excited to share her discoveries with the teacher. She does not always understand that other students need attention from the teacher as well and has a tendency to demand attention at times when it is not appropriate.
STUDENT 14 : This student is another I would describe as quiet, but not shy. She enjoys discussing her work but does not offer comments unless asked.
School wide Policies for Management, Safe Schools, Conflict Resolution and Student with Special Needs:
Like all schools in the Poudre Valley School district, The Lab School follows the Poudre Valley school districts code of conduct. In this code of conduct the School district has listed the official policies on how to handle situations such as bullying, drug prevention, emergency, special education policies, and school management.
For the districts complete code of conduct visit: https://www.psdschools.org/department/school-safety-security
At the Lab school the doors remain locked during school hours. There is an intercom system that allows visitors to talk to the front office reception desk before entering the building. All visitors must sign in upon entering and sign out when they leave. Also the school principal Mr. Gawronski is present every morning at the crosswalk helping direct traffic to keep students safe.
The Lab School For Creative Learning is a K-5 school in Fort Collins Colorado that focuses on student learning through experience. Their teaching philosophy focuses on providing an educational experience that shows students how to make connections between the classroom and the outside world. This school emphasizes the importance of developing intellectual creativity through hands-on experience. Creating an open-minded and accepting atmosphere where kids are encouraged to be kids is something the Lab school excels at.
The Lab School is a publically funded elementary school however, it is not a neighborhood school, it is a “school of choice”. “School of choice” means that instead of where a family lives in proximity to the school determining their student’s enrollment, families make the choice to send their students here. Parents fill out a school of choice application through the school district. Acceptance is determined by the availability of space available at the school instead of neighborhood boundaries. The school itself is located about ten minutes from The Colorado State University Campus. Because it is located so close to a university with over 30,000 students, the neighborhood surrounding the Lab school consists mainly of rental properties inhabited by university students in their 20’s. While there are families who live in the surrounding neighborhood, the clear majority is young, single, college students who are only living here temporarily.
Demographic Characteristics:
Below is a breakdown of the demographic characteristics of the Lab school. For more information regarding the demographics of this school visit:http://test.psdschools.org/about-us/psd-profile/psd-demographics.
ETHIC BREAKDOWN
- Asian: 3.04%
- Black/African American: 1.36%
- Hispanic/Latino: 17.29%
- Native American: 0.54%
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: .12%
- White: 74.47%
- Two or More: 2.62%
- Participating in Free/Reduced Lunch: 31.46%
- Special Education Programs: 8.17%
- Gifted and Talented Programs: 10.08%
- English Language Learner Programs: 8.84%
- Total Staff: 3,289
- Licensed: 1,785 (average 11 years of experience)
- Administrators: 100
- Support Staff: 1,404
- 68.3% hold a Masters Degree or higher
- PSD staff members have received:
- Fulbright-Hays Scholarship
- Colorado School Nurse Advocate of the Year
- Rotary Teacher of the Year
- Colorado Counselor of the Year
- Dropout Rate: 1.33%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- 8.9 out of 10 graduates completed at least one post-secondary class prior to graduation
- Graduates earned $33 million in scholarships in 2011
- Students performed 8-18% higher than students around the state in all subjects and in all 27 areas tested on the 2012 Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP)
- Third Grade Reading Proficiency - 83.9% of 3rd graders scored proficient on CSAP
- Annual Academic Growth - 73.8% in Reading, 71.9% in Writing, 72.6% in Math
- Post Secondary Readiness - 72.3% in English, 53.7% in Math, 57.9% in Reading, 43.7% in Science
- Successful Transitions - 94.2% average attendance rate
Revenue: $205,764,758
- Local - 79.9%
- State - 46.8%
- Federal Stimulus - 3.3%
- Instruction - 55.4%
- Support Services - 19.8%
- School Administration - 6.9%
- Instructional Support Staff - 6.0%
- Student Support - 5.9%
- Charter Schools - 5.6%
- Other - 0.4%
Classroom Environment and Students:
I have been assigned to help run the art portion of Alicia’s 4/5 grade classroom. What I have found most interesting about my time in the classroom is how the lack of traditional formality has influenced student-teacher interactions. Students call all their teachers by their first name in order to support a more open relationship between student and teacher. Before being in the classroom I imagined that a less formal relationship could potentially be very problematic, especially in regards to classroom management. However, I have been pleasantly surprised. This lack of emphasis on formality has created a classroom atmosphere where students are excited to share accomplishments with their teachers as well as their peers. Students are comfortable asking questions to me as well as each other. Overall, the classroom environment I have experienced at the lab school has been one that respectfully encourages students to express individuality and discover their world as a team.
STUDENT 1 : This student is a very resilient learner with the ability to successfully work through tough learning challenges. Always ready to help teachers or other students when asked, he is a pleasure to have in class.
STUDENT 2 : This student has a lot of energy, which sometimes makes it hard for him to sit quietly and listen. Once he is engaged in an activity he is able to work diligently to complete it. However, it is figuring out how to engage him that tends to be the challenge. Regardless, he is a great student who has demonstrated high-level drawing skills and creativity.
STUDENT 3 : This student genuinely loves learning in art class. With every lesson we teach it is clear that he makes the extra effort to get as much as possible out of class by performing to the best of his ability.
STUDENT 4 : This student is quietly natured, however she is far from shy. It seems as though she works best by keeping to herself a bit and speaking when there is something she wants to share or ask. She is always responsive to the questions we ask and has no problem discussing her work or discoveries.
STUDENT 5 : This student is a social learner. She is never disruptive or loud but she is always engaged with other students while working.
STUDENT 6 : This student is a good student but seems to be less interested than his peers in art class. He can at times be bit disruptive and seems distracted during work time. Once we get him working he is always able to finish his projects.
STUDENT 7 : While sometimes he can be a little chatty, this student is very creative and seems to enjoy art class. He is a very social learner who works through problems with conversation. He can be a bit disruptive at times but he makes a clear effort to be respectful of teachers while they are speaking.
STUDENT 8 : This student is very bright with a great propensity for logically thinking through complex ideas. As one of the advanced students in this class she is great at considering all components of a problem while figuring out how to solve it.
STUDENT 9 : I have never seen this student with anything other than an air of calm positivity. Ideas and solutions seem to come to her naturally. She is very sure of her decisions, allowing her to make them quickly and calmly without hesitation. Creative problem solving is a strength of hers yet she seems blissfully unaware that she is doing it.
STUDENT 10 : This student learns far more through self-guided experience with trial and error than being taught directly. This student tends to work as though there is a list of steps that need to be completed. He prefers to work completely though the completion of one component of an idea at a time, focusing all his attention on solving the problem directly in front of him before tackling another.
STUDENT 11 : This student gets easily overwhelmed in social settings. She enjoys discussing things one-on-one but often prefers to work on her own.
STUDENT 12 : This student is very creative and a great worker. His positive, social personality can sometimes lead him to get distracted by his peers but he is never the instigator of disruption. His ability to seamlessly switch from a light-hearted social engagement to intense concentration is a gift.
STUDENT 13 : This student loves art and gets very excited to share her discoveries with the teacher. She does not always understand that other students need attention from the teacher as well and has a tendency to demand attention at times when it is not appropriate.
STUDENT 14 : This student is another I would describe as quiet, but not shy. She enjoys discussing her work but does not offer comments unless asked.
School wide Policies for Management, Safe Schools, Conflict Resolution and Student with Special Needs:
Like all schools in the Poudre Valley School district, The Lab School follows the Poudre Valley school districts code of conduct. In this code of conduct the School district has listed the official policies on how to handle situations such as bullying, drug prevention, emergency, special education policies, and school management.
For the districts complete code of conduct visit: https://www.psdschools.org/department/school-safety-security
At the Lab school the doors remain locked during school hours. There is an intercom system that allows visitors to talk to the front office reception desk before entering the building. All visitors must sign in upon entering and sign out when they leave. Also the school principal Mr. Gawronski is present every morning at the crosswalk helping direct traffic to keep students safe.