GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY

STUDENT TEACHING EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE (STEP)

STANDARD 1, PART II

Understanding the learning needs of students is critical when designing instruction that is differentiated and geared to meet unique learning needs. As
you get to know your students and their individual backgrounds, identifying their specific learning needs will help you strategically design their
instruction and assessments.
By analyzing the student demographics, environmental factors, and student academic factors, you will be able to strategically meet the overall needs of
your students. This contextual data will assist you in developing your instructional unit, which you are expected to teach by the end of week 8. Utilize
the district or school website, your cooperating teacher/mentor, or school administrator for this information.
Complete the STEP Standard 1, Part II that includes:
A. Student Demographic Factors
B. Environmental Factors
C. Student Achievement Factors
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.
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 GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
STUDENT TEACHING EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE (STEP)

TEACHER CANDIDATE INFORMATION:

Teacher Candidate Teacher Candidate Student ID:
First Name:
Gloretta
Last Name:
Johnson 20626306
Email Address: Phone: State:
blessed969798@gmail.com (217)706-0533 ND- North Dakota
Program of Study:
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education

STANDARD 1, PART II: CONTEXTUAL FACTORS: KNOWING YOUR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
A. STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
Grade Level(s) Taught: 4th Content Area(s) Taught: Elementary - All Subjects Total Number of
Classroom 26
Students:
Total Number of Boys: Total Number of Girls: Age Range
14 12 Represented: 9-11
Culture / Ethnicity Number of Students Percentage of Total Classroom
Students:
American Indian / Alaskan Native %
0 0.00
Asian %
1 3.85
Identify the number of Black/ African American
students representing 2 7.69 %
each of the following Hispanic / Latino %
cultures/ ethnicities: 0 0.00
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander %
0 0.00
White %
23 88.46
Other %
0 0.00
Total %
26 100

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  Describe any socioeconomic factors affecting your students.

The area I teach in is in the Northwestern section of North Dakota. The economy is based on oil production that takes place within the communities of this area. Williston is a
transient community where families come in and leave within a matter of months. Everything in our community is based on what is taking place with oil fracking at the time.
There are twenty-six students in my classroom and only one of those students was born within the state of North Dakota. When oil has taken a down turn, many of the families in
 either
the area Describe
leavetheforpossible effectorthese
different jobs, student
struggle demographic
to make ends meet. factors have on the planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
With this information, teachers must be flexible each day. When planning, we have to keep in mind that students may leave our classroom or join our classroom at a moments
notice. When buying or preparing supplies needed for the Science unit being taught, I keep in mind that this may take place and make sure there are enough supplies if students
are added. Due to the transient nature of the community, when planning and implementing the lesson, we must keep in mind that students may not have been taught the same
information in the previous grade that we would expect if they had been in our district the entire time. This is the reason pre-assessment is so important when implementing a
new unit. Pre-assessment allows to check for student prior knowledge and understanding. Often we need to review and teach concepts students should have prior knowledge
about. In order to plan correctly, we must keep this information in mind.

B. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Attach a photo or diagram showing the physical room
arrangement:
 Describe the environmental factors of your cooperating classroom. Include a description of:
o The physical room arrangement
o Available classroom resources
o The level of parental involvement
o The availability of and/or access to technology.
The classroom is student focused. It consists of flexible seating that includes tables of differing heights, chairs, pillows, desks, and mats. The teacher's desk is placed in the front
of the classroom, to the side of the Promethean Board, allowing for the teacher to keep eyes on students while working, but also allowing for the students to remain the focus of
the classroom. The walls are decorated with inspirational quotes, student work, and items that support student learning. The bulletin boards within the room are decorated to
promote student learning and family within the classroom. The front of the room consists of two white boards and a Promethean board. There is a small room off of the
classroom that is used for the classroom library. Students have access to this room whenever they have free time during the day to read. Both students and teachers are
provided with the resources needed to be successful within the classroom. The level of parental involvement is high, allowing for great communication between teacher,
students, and parents. Parents are open to helping their students finish assignments as needed, supply items needed outside of the original supply list, and support the teacher
in the classroom
Describe
as the possible
needed. effect
Students arethese
each environmental factors could
provided a Chromebook have
for school on the planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
purposes.

The environmental factors within this classroom allow for an ease of planning, delivery, and assessment of the unit. The flexible seating within the classroom allow for students
to move, wobble, rock, bounce, lean, or stand. When students move, oxygen flow to the brain is increased, blood flow is increased, and core strength is increased. This allows
young minds to remain more alert and focused. When the classroom is not so rigorous, students relax more and focus on learning new concepts. The involvement of parents
within my classroom allows for me to plan more items with my unit and in turns allows for stronger delivery. The technology provided is a great resource to use when planning
and implementing the unit.

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 C. STUDENT ACADEMIC FACTORS
 Complete the table including the number of students whose primary language is other than English, have an IEP or a 504 plan, are gifted, receive
educational services outside of the classroom (e.g., reading/math intervention, speech services, and special education services), and non-labeled
students (e.g., non-IEP, non-ADA, Section 504) who are behaviorally or academically challenged.

Behavior or
Student Subgroup ELL IEP Section 504 Gifted Other Services Cognitive Needs
(Explain) Receiving No
Services
Boys
0 0 1 14 0 0

Girls
1 0 0 12 0 0

Instructional Although the student is The 504 plan for this Within the district I
Accommodations and considered an ELL student is to allow for teach in, we level our
Modifications student, her English skills time to sleep within students based on
(Describe any instructional
accommodations and are greatly advanced. She the classroom due to STAR testing scores.
modifications regularly used does receive ELL services medications he takes. Students within my
to meet the needs of students twice a week as needed. Medication has since classroom are higher
in each subgroup.)
She has graduated out of been adjusted to allow level students, scoring
the ELL program at the for this to not take above the fourth grade
end of this year. Her test place every day. level in reading and
scores show that she is math. This allows for
advanced in the core moving at a faster pace
classes. She is allowed within the classroom
extra time for testing if to meet all student
needed, along with being needs.
able to ask for more
 Describe the possible effect these student academic factors could have on the planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
specific directions when
needed as well.
While the students within the classroom are gifted learners, they still enjoy learning about Science in a fun way. When planning I keep in mind the advanced skills they have in
reading and math, but also remember that they are still fourth-graders. The reading material provided to them is more advanced than fourth-grade material, however many of
the experiments provided students enjoy and want to be involved in. When planning and keeping my ELL student in mind, I always have an exit ticket provided for her to answer
questions. This allows me to check for immediate understanding and fill in any missing gaps as needed. My 504 plan student sleeps in the afternoon and isd not affected by the
unit I will be teaching in Science.

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 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: Gloretta Lynnette Johnson
Gloretta Lynnette Johnson (May 15, 2021 15:31 CDT)
May 15, 2021

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