Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS REPORT

Critical Analysis Report

Michelle Reynolds
Wilmington University
AHS 8100
Professor Krupanski
March 27, 2015

Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS REPORT

The agency I am interning at is Red Bank Elementary in West Deptford New
Jersey. Professionals in the school offer many services to children ages 5 to 9. The
teachers incorporate educational lessons that increase their learning abilities in writing,
mathematics, literacy, science and history. Students that qualify for physical and
occupational therapy have the services rendered to them during school hours unless a
unique situation occurs. If the therapy conflicts with the students classroom schedule, in
home or after school therapy sessions may be conducted. Red Bank is managed by a
principal and his supervisors help manage the school indirectly.

Strengths identified at Red Bank include a wholesome and nurturing environment,

very talented educators, strong staff members that are trust worthy, the current enrollment
is under 300 students, parents are always welcomed and are highly involved with their
children and their school life. Students test scores, comparing previous staff to current
staff members, can measure these strengths and student enrollment can be measured by
the student data collected from year to year. Sign-in sheets measure parent involvement
and the parent volunteers keep increasing from year to year, Red Bank has had many
positive parent volunteers.
Weaknesses that have surfaced at Red Bank are that it is a small district and
makes it hared to receive more remedial services and other opportunities to expand on
positions such as curriculum supervisors and being able to add full day kindergarten
classes. Another weakness is that not all referendums will be passed; with failing
referendums additional needs cannot be met. These needs include additional staff
parking; staff members must park on the street within a development and walk a block or

Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS REPORT

two to work. When staff members park in front of houses this infuriates the homeowners
because it has to be done on a daily basis. Another weakness identified at Red Bank is
their limited resources, which includes a declining camera and security system. The
system is more than 15 years old the images are very blurry and fuzzy making it hard to
determine what is going on in the film. Blurry camera images can be dangerous for the
students and staff members at Red Bank. Red Bank is located near the woods, if a person
was hiding in the woods or the trees they would not be identified until it is too late due to
the awful technology. A current weakness is that many children enrolled at Red Bank are
becoming homeless or living with grandparents in dilapidated conditions which effects
the students learning abilities and their self-esteem at too young of an age. Also, many of
the students furniture needs replacement such as desks, chairs, shelves and lockers
currently there is not enough funds for such replacements.
Some improvements needed at Red Bank are to develop a response model for
remedial reading services to be rendered, and to be able to have an extended school day
to aide with such reading services. The positive behavior supports need to be revised and
have added components currently, Eagle Bucks are handed to students when they are
caught doing something nice at the end of each month the students who have collected
Eagle Bucks can buy a prize during recess. This needs to be expanded all across the
district with more elaborate prizes to keep the children involved in making positive longlife decisions. Red Bank Staff Members always participate in opportunities for
professional development; they attend various workshops through out the year to help
enrich themselves with new teaching strategies, tools, technology and team strengthening
activities.

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There are a few themes that threaten Red Bank and the whole district such as
funding, an increase of homeless children enrolled and or having students that live in
unstable environments. There are more poor working families that have children enrolled
at Red Bank, which can make it harder for students to flourish in their academic journey,
as they grow older. There has also been an issue with the funding Red Bank receives from
the state. The government mandated test PARCC was not funded by the state, so that was
an extra fee that was a surprise, there is also am Anti-Bullying Program that was
mandated by the state but the stand did not fund the program. Lately, state funding has
been rather flat with the new needs of the school district.

Overall, students are really enjoying their experiences at Red Bank and are
learning new things everyday. The agency is effectively ran teachers, parents and other
staff members always give positive feedback on surveys and by word of mouth. I
thoroughly have been enjoying my experience at Red Bank; all of the staff members are
friendly and excepting of themselves and the students as well.

Running head: CRITICAL ANALYSIS REPORT

References:
Cohen, Jon (2015). Agency Interview: Red Banks Atmosphere.