Running head: COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

Mariel Mendez
Comprehensive School Assessment
Arizona State University
PPE 310
February 4, 2015
Dr. Lineberry

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

Assessment Results

Based on the School Assessment School and from my observations my schools strengths
are providing an active and healthy environment after school and embedding active and healthy
lifestyle in their curriculum. For example, Porter Elementary offers many after school clubs that
are free and provide the students with a safe active environment. My mentor is one of the teacher
s in charge of running club, where the students are focusing on fun, health and fitness. Students
set goals and parents are encouraged to come and walk or run with their children. Another
strength is how Porter Elementary embeds health and fitness in their school curriculum. Students
have P.E. twice a week but also have mini-lessons on a variety of health topics. For example, last
week students were learning to make healthy choices when it comes to bringing lunch and

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

snacks from home. Also, the P.E. teacher assigns students exercise homework, he doesnt make it
mandatory but does reward students who bring back signed homework.
Some weakness that Porter Elementary has based on the School Assessment tool and
from my observations are during the school day and their lunch options. In my third grade class,
students are only given one recess at 9:45am and then lunch recess which is after lunch. I noticed
that students towards the end of the day are tired and not very energetic. If the students were able
to have another recess after lunch, I feel like it would benefit instruction time because the
students would be more engaged. I have also noticed that not many teachers provide the students
with breaks inside their classroom, for example brain breaks. Another weakness was their lunch
options; students are not given very healthy lunch options or if they bring lunch from home they
arent healthy either. The overall score that Porter Elementary School got according to the School
Assessment Tool was a D+. I believe they received a low score due to their lack of recesses
throughout the day, unhealthy lunch options and limited physical activity incorapated in the
classroom.
There are many ways to improve the policies at Porter Elementary School. First,
incorprating more physical activity throughout the day in the classroom. For example, they could
incorprate more classroom mini-breaks. Classroom mini-breaks allow student to accumulate
physical activity in short bouts throughout the day. Mini-breaks provide the students with
physical activity, yet disrupt classroom lesson time only minimally (Pangrazi, Beighle, &
Pangrazi, 2009, p. 10). By providing time for the students to get up and get their body moving
with in a sense, wake them up and the students will come back to the lesson more engaged. By
providing with mini-breaks in the classroom as often as three times a day will allow the students

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

to get their body moving and come back to the lesson more aware. This will also decrease
behavioral problems in the classroom.
Another way to improve policies at Porter Elementary School is increasing nutrition and
healthful eating activities. Active and healthy school personnel know that to stay healthy,
youngsters much have access to an adequate amount and variety of nutritious food (Anspaugh
and Ezell, 2008). Since Porter Elementary is a Title 1 school more than 50% of students are
receiving their breakfast and lunch which is 2 two out of three meals. If Porter Elementary
provided students with more nutritional balanced, low on sugar lunches students would be eating
healthier and be able to practice those healthy lifestyle choices that they are currently learning in
the classroom.
Two simple ways to engage administrators, teachers, parents, students and the community
in promoting more healthy behaviors is by encouraging administrators and teachers to improve
their health by using school-based activities, If they see their teacher eating nutritious foods,
they are more likely to choose nutritious foodsif they see faculty and staff participating in
walking clubs, after-school aerobicsthey pick up the message that physical activity is
important for everyone (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Pangrazi, 2009, p. 13). By promoting a healthy
and active life style throughout the school day and embedded it more into the curriculum,
according to the School Assessment Tool Porter Elementary School will engage their
administrators and teachers to
A way to engage parents, students and the community in promoting healthier behaviors
by encouraging parents and the community to be involved with after-school clubs, and running
physical activity and health fairs, physical activity and health fairs are excellent ways to involve
parents and others interested in the school (Pangrazi, Beighle, & Pangrazi, 2009, p. 14). This is

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

a perfect way to involve parents by giving them the appropriate information so that their children
can be active and eating healthy at home. The YMCA or the Boys and Girls Club great
community programs that will help schools with running a physical activity and health fair and
will be able to provide resources for parents.
The information I obtained from doing this Comprehensive School Assessment is
supporting me in my potential topic for my signature assignment by giving me an inside look
into my school and Im able to assess the needs of my school. For example, I found a huge need
of providing students with more recess or physical activity breaks in the classroom and I find this
as a potential topic for my signature assignment.
Information
Im in my first semester of student teaching in a third grade classroom at Porter
Elementary school, which is located in the Mesa Public Schools District and is Kindergarten
through 6th grade. As of October 2015 there are 522 students enrolled. The racial make-up of the
522 students is 40% White, 5.2% African American, 47.1% Hispanic, 3.3% Native American,
0.8% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander and 3.3% Multi-Ethnicity. According to Arizona Report
Cards, in 2014 95% of the students are ELLs.
According to the Arizona Department of Education 71% of the students enrolled are
receiving free or reduced lunches which then makes Porter Elementary a Title 1 school. The
student to teacher ratio in 2014 according to School Digger was 16:4, which was the 8th best
among the 55 elementary schools in the Mesa Public Schools District.
Porter Elementary School is a suburban Title 1 school located in Mesa, Arizona.
According to the Arizona+ School of Excellence Program, Porter Elementary was named an A+
school in the 2014-2015 school year. Also, according to the Arizona Department of Education in

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2014 Porter Elementary School received a B grade. The ethnic make-up surrounding the school
in 2010 according to School Digger was 45.4% Hispanic, 47.5% White, 2.4% African American,
1.2% Asian, 1.3% Native American, 0.6% Pacific Islander and 1.6% Multi-Ethnicity. Below
there is a graph comparing the ethnic make-up of Porter Elementary and the surrounding
neighborhoods in accordance to School Digger.

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References
A School of Excellence Program. (2011). Retrieved February 08, 2016, from
http://azedfoundation.org/programs/a-school-of-excellence-program/
MesaPublicSchoolsDemographics.(2015,October).RetrievedFebruary,2016,fromMesa
PublicSchools/DepartmentofResearchandEvaluationwebsite:
http://www.mpsaz.org/research/parents/demographics/files/demographicsreport_oct
2015_.pdf
Pangrazi, R., Beighle, A., & Pangrazi, D. (2009). Promoting physical activity and health in the
classroom. San Francisco, CA: Pearson.
Percentageofchildrenapprovedforfreeorreducedpricelunches.(2015,October/November).
RetrievedFebruary,2016,fromArizonaDepartmentofEducationwebsite:
http://www.azed.gov/healthnutrition/frpercentages/
PorterElementarySchool.(2016).RetrievedFebruary6,2016,from
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AZ/schools/0497001550/school.aspx
20132014AFLetterGradesforAllSchools.(2015,May).RetrievedFebruary,2016,from
ArizonaDepartmentofEducationwebsite:http://www.azed.gov/accountability/state
accountability/

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Criteri
a
Assess
ment
SCOR
E:

Exemplary: Points (5)

Schoo
l
Conte
xt

SCO

RE:

Proficient: Points (3)

A minimum of 2
strengths and 2
weaknesses were
described
Assessment was
completed online and
posted to your
EPortfolio
Suggestions to
improve school
policies were clearly
stated
At least 2 suggestions
to engage stakeholders
were provided

School context
contained detailed
information on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores
AYP status
All of the following
are listed in the file
document name
submitted
Lastname.firstname.ass
ignment#.course#
This rubric was added
to the last page of the
document submitted

8
Unsatisfactory: Points (1)

A minimum of 1
strength and 1
weakness was
described
Suggestions to
improve school
policies were stated but
lacked sufficient detail
At least 1 suggestion to
engage stakeholders
was provided
Assessment was
completed online and
not in your EPortfolio

School context
contained some
detailed information
on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores
AYP status
Most of the following
are listed in the file
document name
submitted
Lastname.firstname.ass
ignment#.course#
This rubric was added
but not at the end of
the document
submitted

Rubric

Assessment was not

completed online or in
your EPortfolio
Strengths and
weaknesses were not,
or poorly described
Suggestions to improve
school policies were
not stated
No suggestions to
engage stakeholders
were provided

School context
contained little detailed
information on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores
AYP status
Few of the following
are listed in the file
document name
submitted
Lastname.firstname.ass
ignment#.course#
This rubric was not
added to the document
submitted

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL ASSESSMENT