UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Student:

School:

Term:

Your site visit experience offers you the opportunity to learn how schools operate as a large community promoting the growth of a
learner. School environment is determined by the schools culture, its history, its belief in how to do things and what is worth doing.
Become familiar with the school environment by completing the table below. Accomplish this by using the host schools website, the
Illinois Public K-12 School Rankings based on the Report Card and school personnel interviews.
Demographics
The following elements look at the demographic information of a school.
The demographic information of a school can provide an excellent look at the diversity of the school environment.
What is/are the
Answer
Resource for the Answer: Persons
name and title, document or website.
Current school enrollment
545
Report card
Percentage of various races and ethnicities
Number of males and females as per school
report card
Percent of low income students

92% white

Report card

40% low income

Report card

Percent of students with IEPs

13% with disabilities

Report card

Percentage of English Language Learners

Composite percent of students who meet
and exceed state standards
# of FTE (full time equivalency) teachers

0%
23% meet or exceed PARCC

Report card
Report card

118

Report card
School Organization
The following elements identify various aspects of the organization of the school.
By understanding the school organization, teachers can better plan their lessons and their day.
School Mission Statement
Length of school day for students

8:25-3:23

School website

Length of school day for contracted

staff
Number of minutes per class or time
allotted for each subject
Number of minutes for specials
Art, P.E., Music, etc.
Elective classes offered

7:45-4:00

School website

52mins

School website

Report card

Extracurricular activities offered

10 sports and numerous clubs

School website

Types of duties which teachers are

assigned
Types of communication between
the school, home, and community
Types of all-school or grade level
assemblies
School colors and mascot

Lunch and hallway

teacher

Email and phone system

teacher

Blue and white and comets

School website

Student and faculty dress code

Teachers business casual students no uniforms

teacher
but dress code applies
Assistance
The following elements identify various types of assistance available to students and faculty.
Identifying and understanding the various types of assistance available to students and teachers provides a teacher with a greater
sense of community.
Student intervention plans such as
Response to Intervention (RTI)

Provisions for students so that they

can participate in extracurricular
activities (e.g. transportation)
Types of technology available for
teachers
Types of technology available for
students
Types of professional development
available to staff

Paid for by school taxes buses and vans

teacher

Desk tops and smart boards

teacher

Computers and some classrooms have access to

more
Clubs

teacher
Teacher

Policies
The following elements provide a greater understanding of the policies that exist in a school environment.
Read and summarize the Schools
yes
Student handbook
digital etiquette policy for students.
Staff credentials to sponsor
Must be an employee or approved by school
teacher
extracurricular activities
board
Philosophy of the school library or
Allowed to come in during study halls and before teacher
learning center
and after school
Study hall policies for students and
Students can only have two study halls if in a
teacher
teachers
sport and get out of P.E.
Lunchroom policies for students and Open campus lunch
teacher
teachers
Hallway policies: during class time
Students have open campus lunches and teachers teacher
and between classes
are in the halls watching over them
School discipline policy
In the hand book and told to students at
Teacher
orientation
Emergency procedure plans (fire,
Yes
Teacher
tornado, evacuation, and lockdown)