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Contextual Factors Analysis 1
Contextual Factors Analysis 1
Bradley Howes
Mountain Valley High School is one of the 9 schools in the RSU 10 school district. RSU
10 is the primary school district of the Western Foothills Region. RSU 10 serves the towns of
Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Hanover, Hartford, Mexico, Peru, Roxbury,
Rumford, and Sumner. RSU 10 encompasses 478 square miles, making it the largest school
district east of the Mississippi (Waugh, 2008, p. 1). The population of all twelve towns combined
is estimated at 17,906 people (National Center for Education Statistics). “The RSU was formed
by the consolidation of Maine School Administrative Districts 21, 39, and 43, which have
become, respectively, the Dirigo, Nezinscot, and Mountain Valley Regions of the RSU.”
(Waugh, 2008, p. 2). However, the towns of Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, and Peru have very
recently broken away from the RSU 10 district and established the RSU 56 district. Knowing this
regional divide between the very rural towns will greatly assist me in understanding the
students. The estimated median income for parents with children in RSU 10 is $49,464 (NECS,
2017, p.5). This is significantly below the national average of $60,293 (U.S Census Bureau,
2014-2018, Median Household Income). Furthermore, 23.6% of families have an income below
the poverty line and 32% of families receive food stamps/SNAP benefits (NECS, 2017, Poverty
& Benefits). The Pie Chart below lists the major categories of employment and the percentage
It is unsurprising that a large majority of the population in the workforce falls below the
average median household income given the employment opportunities available. Jobs in the
service, sales, construction, and transportation industry have typically low yearly earnings.
Further compounding the region’s poverty is the high percentage not included in the labor force.
The culmination of these factors suggests a community familiar with the omnipresent struggle of
poverty.
The town of Rumford epitomizes the rural nature associated with the State of Maine.
Rumford serves as the major population center for the Western Foothills Regions, with a
population of 5,687 (US Census Bureau, July 1, 2019, Population Estimates). The town website
[Rumford is] a beautiful area filled with trees, streams, and mountains... The present town
of Rumford was settled as New Pennacook in 1774 as a farming community and became
incorporated as Rumford in 1800. Since that time it has become the business center of the
region with the ND Paper Company as its largest employer (Administrator, 2016, p. 1).
The website also draws attention to the economic center, locally known as The Island, Black
Mountain Ski Resort, the numerous waterfalls, the Reflection Pool, and the Paul Bunyan Statue.
As highlighted by the website, the town is heavily dependent on the mill, which allows the other
The town of Rumford is dominated by the Rumford Paper Mill. This imposing mill
harkens back to when paper mills dotted small hamlets all around Western Maine. The Rumford
Mill stands as one of the few holdouts of an industry in decline, which will heavily influence the
socioeconomic status of my students. I especially understand what effects this will have on my
students. My father worked at the Otis Paper Mill in Jay before it closed in 2008. My father
struggled to find a job capable of replacing what the Mill had provided before. I understand that
my students may not have access to the internet, a stable source of income, or are food insecure.
As an educator, I cannot make assumptions on what my students have access to. I must
themselves enmeshed in various ecosystems, from the most intimate home ecological
Contextual Factors Analysis 5
system to the larger school system, and then to the most expansive system which includes
society and culture. Each of these ecological systems inevitably interacts with and
influences each other in all aspects of the children’s lives (Marsh et al, 2019, p.
A parent losing their job would fall in the exosystem, as this indirectly influences the child’s
development, in this case being their parent’s financial stability. I argue this example can be
incorporated into the Macrosystem given that the closure of many paper mills in this region has
reshaped the cultural, social, and economic foundations of this rural area. In regards to the
According to Google Maps, Black Mountain Ski Resort sits at a 6-minute drive from
Mountain Valley High School. As a snowboarder who grew up close to a Ski Resort, I know
Contextual Factors Analysis 6
how this will influence my students. Whether it be one of my students suffering an injury and
needing temporary accommodations, a ski competition that will cause some students to miss
class, or tailoring learning experiences around winter sports. Knowing this crucial piece of
information will allow me to anticipate and plan for these likely situations.
The sound of church bells signals the start of the day at 7:55 am. The Pledge of
Allegiance follows shortly after for homeroom until 8:05 am. Mountain Valley High School
school day schedule distinguishes itself from other High Schools in Maine. Mountain Valley
does not adhere to a block day schedule. The schedule below illustrates the daily schedule at
Lunch is from
school day concludes at 2:20 pm with a brief period for students to check in with teachers. On
Wednesdays, Mountain Valley starts one hour later. All class periods are shortened to 40 minutes
with homeroom and check & connect being combined into a 30-minute advisory period.
Contextual Factors Analysis 7
The school schedule heavily influences what and how I am able to teach. With 50
minutes of classes meeting every day my class periods are shorter, but I work with the same
students more frequently. The shorter schedule allows me to get to know my students and
interact with them more frequently. My classes allow me to divide topics into multiple
condensed days. The effects of snow days are also lessened, while in a block schedule teachers
can go without seeing some students for a week or more. There are disadvantages to this
schedule that will influence my teaching. One major disadvantage is the ability to conduct long
and/or complex activities. Though this can be alleviated by dedicating specific days to an
activity. In regards to homework, I personally believe in very limited, which I define as less than
homework for the next class given the daily meetings. Finally, any presentations or tests could
take multiple classes. Students who require accommodations/modifications may need as long as
a week in order to complete certain projects/tests. Personally, I favor this schedule because of the
Mountain Valley High School has an estimated student population of 385 with the
student/teacher ratio at 11.74 (NECS, 2017-2019, School Details). This low proportion of
students/teachers provides opportunities for both students and the teacher. Students are able to
learn content at a faster rate, have more opportunities to participate in classwork, ask the teacher
for clarification, and develop deeper relationships with other peers in the class. As an educator, I
am able to know my students on a deeper level. With small class sizes, I am able to facilitate
discussions, debates, and conversations, all of which are incredibly important to do in a social
studies classroom.
Contextual Factors Analysis 8
The above enrollment characteristics are incredibly important in designing my units and
lessons for student teaching. Though this data is from the 2017-2018 school year, the data is still
recent enough to be considered reliable. In regards to Race/Ethnicity, I am not surprised that over
96% of the student population is white. As stated before, the RSU 10 area is a very rural and
homogeneous region due to the region’s ancestry and the limited amount of migration to the
region. What is surprising is the gender distribution, with 59% being male and 41% being
female. I expected the ratio to be near 50/50, but a near 60/40 distribution is statistically
significant. This could influence the dynamic of my classes assuming my class ratio mirrors the
school ratio. Finally, 69% of the student population is eligible for free or reduced lunch. This
unsurprising given the income and poverty statistics discussed earlier. However, Mountain
Valley has recognized the problem lunch bills were causing the students and families. The policy
of the high school now is that all students receive a free breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack. I
agree with this policy as it eliminates one of the major socioeconomic differences between
Contextual Factors Analysis 9
students. I have always believed that requiring students to pay for food in a free public school
The classroom is located at the end of the 2nd floor academic wing. The default setting of
the room is four by six grid of individual desks. Mr. Carver’s desk sits at the front of the room
and my desk sits five feet perpendicular from his. Historical figures, maps, and other social
studies imagery hang around the room. A chalkboard covers the front wall. There are two
hanging screens, but no projector present in the room. Without the presence of a readily available
projector in the classroom, I will be unable to display any slideshows, videos, or images in a
traditional lecture style. However, this should not significantly affect my ability to teach given
my ability to diversify the ways in which I deliver my content. I plan to frequently frame
information in the form of Civil Conversations, Socratic Circles, class reports, stations, and other
methods that do not require a projector. When I do want to display images, I plan to use the
Survey called the About Me Survey. The survey is comprised of twelve questions. Questions one
through four gather the student’s name, gender, pronoun, and town. Questions five through seven
are meant to gather student’s favorite school subjects, most challenging, and topics that interest
them. Question eight allows me to see the games, videogames, and sports my students participate
in. Questions nine and ten illustrate how my student’s work and assessment preferences.
Question eleven asks what careers they are interested in after high school. Finally, question 12
asks if there is anything they want me to know about them as a learner. This survey served as the
The data collected revealed interesting trends among the students. Question six revealed
that the majority of my students find social studies difficult and/or boring. According to Question
five, the majority of my students prefer STEM classes. This is further corroborated in Question
seven, with Outdoor Recreation, Math, and Science respectively scoring the highest topics of
interest. What this tells me I must design my lessons to be as interesting or relevant to their
interests. This is where not having a projector and whiteboard will help me, allowing me to
create interactive and investigative lessons. Questions nine and ten allow me to decide what
assessment formats to use and how students prefer to work. The majority of students prefer to
work either alone or in small groups. The majority of students also preferred to present a
educator, obtaining a projector for a day of presentations for my students could be done.
The class is a general education United States Government class with nine students, two
males, and seven females. Of the students, eight are seniors and one is a junior. None of the
students receive special education services through an IEP, 504, or BSP. There are two female
international students currently studying at Rumford present in my class. One if from Brazil and
the other is from Mexico. Both speak English as a second language and have moderate English
proficiency. I have had informal conversations with the students, who describe there English as
good, but not great. Given the presence of two ELL students, I must consider how I will
accommodate/modify my content to meet there needs. I plan to utilize word banks, translators,
visuals, and frequent small group work as often as possible in order to accommodate both
students. The majority of student anticipates on attending either a technical college, two-year
Mr. Carver’s classroom has a number of set procedures, assignments, and routines that
will influence my teaching. His room is arranged in a four by six grid with his desk facing the
front of the room. With classes under ten people, he makes everyone sit on one side of the room.
He does not assign seating, even in large classes, which he allows to spread out through the
whole room. His signout policy is fairly loose, with students signing in and out without
consulting with him. He sets the expectation at the beginning of the year in his syllabus. He
states that he will treat his students like adults, so if a student needs to leave the room they can
just go. Mr. Carver’s predominant delivery style is through lectures, discussions, term reviews,
and review games. Finally, the course syllabus lists week by week what homework is due,
I will be working primarily with the Senior government students, which officially began
with the start of the second semester. The Government class is only a half-semester class, so I
was able to establish myself as equal to Mr. Carver. I will be following the format of work being
due on Fridays as that is a routine student are comfortable with. In regards to my teaching, I will
be diversifying how I teach each class. I firmly believe that if I diversify my teaching strategies,
students will better understand the content. Coupled with the data I have collected, my objective
is to provide learning experiences that challenge their beliefs and facilitate their ability to
more about the community and students in the weeks to come. As a continuously reflective
educator, I will utilize each new piece of information to better inform how I teach. By fostering
References
1 Administrator. (2016, May 7.). Welcome to the Town of Rumford, Maine. Retrieved from
https://rumfordme.org/welcome-to-the-town-of-rumford-maine/.
https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=2314795&ID=231
479500303
4 https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/bronfenbrenner-ecological-theory/
5: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rumfordtownoxfordcountymaine,US/INC110218#I
NC110218
http://foothills.mainememory.net/page/3592/display.html.