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:
Sean
Last Name:
Velasquez 20465444
Email Address: Phone: (623)-377-6118 State:
Svelasquez9@my.gcu.edu AZ- Arizona
Program of Study:
M.Ed. in Special 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: Avondale

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

82,875 Public Selected, Specify:
Facility Setting: Stability of Community: Perception of the Level
Urban State of Growth of Community Support: Low

 Discuss the possible effect these characteristics could have on planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
 Cite the references used for this information.
Based off the community and geographic location, potential effects on the unit could be lack of parental involvement, and class size. The area continues to grow, and students
are being enrolled throughout the school year. As a Special Education teacher, this means an increased workload pertaining to developing IEP's and scheduling proper Resource
times (class size) to ensure student needs are meant as related to the IEP. Further, because the area continues to grow, the school is not a traditional Elementary school (K-5) or
Junior high (6-8). but rather a K-8 school. Within the school, there is only 2 Special Education teachers, with myself being the 5-8 Resource teacher. This can cause difficulties in
terms of lack of planning time, and juggling the multiple curriculums to help students have access to.

References
City-Data. (n.d.). Avondale, Arizona. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from http://www.city-data.com/city/Avondale-Arizona.htm

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 B. DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHICS
District Name: Avondale Elementary School District District Grades Served:
K-8

Number of Schools in Number of Students Percentage of Students in

District: 10 Enrolled in District: 5482 the District Receiving Free 64
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.
Within the Avondale Elementary School District, there are many families living in low income areas. Further, over 63% of the students come from a Hispanic background, with a
high percentage of students labeled as English Language Learners. Often times, teachers have to balance student well being, proper nutrition or other daily living necessities,
with a need to deliver high level instruction. Within the district, teacher to student ratio is above the state average. The district is a Title 1 District, serving many students and
families who live in lower socioeconomic areas. Characteristics of these include low teacher/parent interaction, an increased need to provide school supplies for students and
lower proficiency scores as measured by the AzMerit State Assessment. Based of the Arizona Department of Education District Grades, the school district has had over 300
incidents of violence, and 1200 incidents of chronic absenteeism. Further, inexperience among teachers, administration and staff is prevalent within the school district.
According to the 2018 district report card, 29% of those employed are inexperienced for the current role they have.

References
Arizona Department of Education. (n.d.). Avondale Elementary School District. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://azreportcards.azed.gov/districts/detail/4272
 Discuss the possible effect these characteristics could have on planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
 Cite the references used for this information.
One of the biggest areas of concern as related to instruction is the districts issue with Chronic Absenteeism. Regardless of what unit is planned, if the student is consistently
absent, progress and growth are difficult to achieve. Within the district, 41% of students have scored Proficient or Highly Proficient in Math and 39% in ELA. However, only 4% of
ELL students scored proficient and above in ELA, and 34% of Low SES students. While the schools continue to show growth on the AzMerit, deficiencies exist and much still
needs to be done. With the higher amount of English Language Learners, planning must include defining English words that could cause a problem, and providing more
supports such as sentences stems, increased modeling and understanding of what is being read, regardless if the unit is in ELA or Math. Students need to have an opportunity to
interact with the English Language to ensure understanding of the unit.

References
Arizona Department of Education. (n.d.). Avondale Elementary School District. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://azreportcards.azed.gov/districts/detail/4272

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

 C. SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS
Cooperating School Michael Anderson School Cooperating School Title One (I):
K-8 Yes
Name: Grades Served:
Number of Students Percentage of Students in Academic Achievement B
Enrolled in School: 844 the School Receiving Free 96 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.
Michael Anderson School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced price lunch, a high ELL population and a high population of students labeled as lower
socioeconomic status. Michael Anderson has 26% of it's staff labeled as inexperiences by the state. While AzMerit scores are lower compared to state averages, the school has
shown growth over the last few years in rate of proficiency on the state assessment.
Planning for lessons within Michael Anderson school must account for students who are English Language Learners. As described above when discussing the district, teachers
must provide opportunity to explain vocabulary and other English words students may have trouble with, as this could impact the overall learning goal. Teachers must also take
into account a high rate of behavioral incidents within school and must implement a classroom management policy that allow for learning to take place with minimal
disruptions. Students in a lower ses area often face experiences that many other students and schools don't understand. Teachers must plan more opportunities for
differentiated, one on one support that provides each student with the chance to take control of their education. Within the school, teachers have to ensure that the students
have the necessary supplies to be successful in the classroom, so when designing a lesson it would probably be a good idea to make sure that you have all the materials needed
and any extra supplies that could potentially be used.

References

Arizona Department of Education. (n.d.). Michael Anderson School. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://azreportcards.azed.gov/schools/detail/5347

Lexia Learning. (2016, December 15). Understanding the Unique Needs of Title I Students. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://www.lexialearning.com/blog/understanding-
unique-needs-title-i-students

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: Jan 20, 2019
Sean Velasquez (Jan 20, 2019)

©2018. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.