Contextual Factors Analysis

Wiscasset School District

Cassandra Smith

Community, District, and School Factors

My student teaching experience is at a rural middle and high school located in Wiscasset,

Maine. It is a part of the Wiscasset Public School District. This district only has one other school

for elementary students. The schools are a short distance from each other and even share a few

faculty members. The middle/high school has around 250 students at any one time. More of its

students are female than male. 51.4% of the students are female and 48.7% are male (NCES).

The data doesn't account for gender non-conforming students. This either means they were

recorded as the gender they were assigned at birth or were simply left unrecorded. A majority of

the student population is Caucasian, at about 93.2% (ESSA). The rest of the school's population

is 2.3% African American, 2.3% mixed race, and 1.8% Asian (ESSA). The lack of diversity most

likely affects the potential for diversity in the class content. It also hurts the majority student’s

access to diverse perspectives and experiences, and hurts the minority student's ability to feel

comfortable sharing those perspectives and experiences.

The community around the school and its district comprises 3,733 people (Data USA).

Such a small community, while it might be tight knit, can affect a student’s view of the world as

a whole. Politically, Wiscasset is very split. According to the Portland Press Herald they have

2,646 registered voters. Democrats make up 24.8 percent of them, Republicans make up 34.2

percent, while 38 percent and 3.1 percent are party unaffiliated and green parties respectively
(Portland Press Herald). This means that the population skews conservative, but also

independent. The community, from what I have seen, does not seem to be staunchly conservative

or whole heartedly liberal. They seem to just want what’s best for the wellbeing of their

community as a whole.

The average household income is 59,000 dollars a year. Most of Wiscasset's citizens live

in houses, at about 74.2% of the population, while 25.8% live in apartments (NCES). I was not

able to find any data indicating home displacement. It's good to see that most houses have access

to the internet at 82.1% of the population, but that also means there must be some students who

don't have home internet access (NCES).

Figure 1. Only 82.1 percent of homes in the Wiscasset School District have home internet access. This
leaves 17.9 percent without any access to the internet while at home.

This means that some of the students either in the elementary school or at the middle/high school

aren't able to complete assignments at home. All students in the middle/high school are given

laptops to use for school by the school. This means they have access to technology, and they
have access to wifi at school to get work done. Some students have study halls and every student

has a block called, “achievement time," which can be used like a study hall. Even if a student had

no access to home wifi there are many opportunities to finish work during or after school.

Like most schools, not everybody likes the administration. However, in Wiscasset it must

not be bad enough to keep any good teacher away for long. I got to be a part of the first teacher

days of school, and I even attended the new hire day on August 29, 2023. I was pleasantly

surprised to discover that a handful of new hires were actually previous faculty. Most of them

cited missing the community as part of the reason for their return to the school. I don’t blame

them, the community is quite welcoming to any and all students and staff as far as I’ve seen.

Everyone greets each other as they walk down the halls in the morning. It seems that the staff of

the school care very much about the students and their role as role models for them.

Since the state of Maine passed a bill making school lunch free for all students, there is

no necessity for free or reduced lunch data. The data is still gathered for funding reasons, but it

no longer appears to be reported on databases. The ability for every student to have access to

food while at school is an invaluable resource for them. No matter how much money a student’s

family makes, they will be nourished so that they are ready to learn.
Classroom Factors

The school is small, which means the class sizes are too. My mentor teaches fifty-three

students total. Her smallest class is seven students, and the largest is sixteen students. Every class

is a mix of freshmen and sophomores looped together. She teaches five classes that she sees

every day for roughly fifty minutes. She teaches three levels: foundations, college prep, and

honors. The small classes mean that it is easier for students to get one on one help if they need it.

The classroom itself is pretty big. The desks are arranged in three sets of six, with two extras in

the back. These groupings make group or partnered activities easier, and also enable good small

group discussions. The smaller classes tend to get through material faster than the larger classes

that might be on the same academic level. This means that we sometimes have to find something

for the smaller classes to do for the last ten minutes of class since we’ve already done all the

things we wanted to get to. We try very hard to keep the leveled groups at the same pace, but the

pace of individual classes poses a slight challenge. Although that is true, adaptation is one of the

key elements of being a successful educator, and it is a skill we must all learn. A teacher must be

flexible in their plans and with their time.

Another important skill for a teacher is classroom management. This was the big skill my

mentor wanted me to walk away with at the end of my time with her at the middle/high school.

Part of good classroom management is establishing a routine. She has a weekly plan that remains

consistent throughout the year. Literature and writing happen everyday, but the beginning half of

class is always devoted to a different subject depending on the day. Monday and Thursday are
 for grammar. Tuesdays are for vocabulary (which is a digital program). Wednesday is for

Literary devices, and Friday is for a thematic activity. She explains the routine and the rules in

the first two weeks of school. Setting expectations for habits of work and behavior are crucial to

the flow of a class for the rest of the year. She also has the essential questions and standards for

the unit on the wall at all times. This allows students to understand the overall purpose of the

lessons they are learning. The thematic activities we create for them for Fridays always tie back

to the central content of the literature we are looking at and to the overall plan for the unit. This

allows my mentor and I to assess students’ grasp on the big ideas we want them to see using the

small details from the material we’ve introduced to them. There are also signs my mentor and I

have created for our students that are displayed in the room to help students remember key

elements or terms we want them to grasp.

Student Strengths and Needs

I have surveyed a sample size of the students I will be instructing during my time here at

the middle/high school. The sample is actually two classes combined, due to the small class

sizes. I looked at 24 of the 53 students. These students are at the college preparatory level of

English. Here is the data I gathered about their NWEA test scores as well as their learning styles:

Student NWEA Learning Multiple Home Other

Internet
Score Style Intelligence ?

(Student 1) 227 - LG/HA Visual, Auditory Kinesthetic, Spatial, Naturalist, Yes Art and music
hands-on Musical, Linguistic,
Interpersonal
(Student 2) N/A Hands-on Kinesthetic, Interpersonal Yes Cheer, softball, TV, Likes to talk

(Student 3) N/A Visual Logical-mathematical, Yes Been to 8 schools

Reading/writing Intrapersonal Reading/karate/games

(Student 4) 200 - LG/LA Hands-on Kinesthetic,Logical- Yes Plays/Likes basketball

mathematical
Intrapersonal

(Student 5) 227 - LG/HA Visual, Hands- Kinesthetic Yes Dance, making bracelets
on, Spatial Vegetarian
reading/writing

(Student 6) N/A Visual, Auditory Linguistic, Intrapersonal Yes Video games (Recently moved)

(Student 7) 234 - LG/HA Hands-on Kinesthetic, Naturalist Yes Music, Extroverted introvert

(Student 8) 221 - LG/LA Visual, Hands-on Kinesthetic Yes Sports

(Student 9) 222 - HG/HA Visual Spatial Yes Sports and fishing

Hands-on Linguistic Not very social unless
comfortable

(Student 10) 223 - LG/HA Visual Musical Yes Music/movies/sports, Italian

Reading/writing Intrapersonal food

(Student 11) 227 - HG/HA Auditory Naturalist, Intrapersonal Yes Reading and cooking
Reading/writing

(Student 12) N/A Auditory Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Spatial, Yes Likes Sleeping
Hands-on Intrapersonal

(Student 13) N/A All 4 Kinesthetic, Naturalist Yes Likes intense activity
gaming/sports/exercise

(Student 14) 215 HG/LA Visual and Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal Yes Lifting weights
auditory Likes science

(Student 15) N/A Visual, Hands-on Kinesthetic Yes Sports,fish,hunt

(Student 16) 232 - HG/HA Visual Linguistic Yes Acting and video games
Auditory Logical-mathematical

(Student 17) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A - Out due to illness

(Student 18) 189 - LG/LA Hands-on, Interpersonal Yes Cheerleading

Having time with Talking and spending time with
material friends

(Student 19) N/A Visual Linguistic, Interpersonal Yes Drawing, video games, making
Reading/writing bracelets. Is hyper sometimes.
Hands-on

(Student 20) 226 - LG/HA Hands-on Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal Yes Baseball, Reading, Writing,
 Walking, baking

(Student 21) 210 - HG/LA All 4 Kinesthetic, Naturalist Yes Fishing, Hunting, drawing
Linguistic, Interpersonal, Likes to draw and talk in class
Intrapersonal

(Student 22) 215 - HG/LA Visual Kinesthetic No Sports, helping kids learn sports
Hands-on Hardworker

(Student 23) 208 - HG/LA Auditory Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Spatial, Yes Sports, writing poems, walking
Reading/Writing Linguistic, Interpersonal, Here to learn
Hands-on Intrapersonal

(Student 24) 221 - LG/AA N/A N/A N/A N/A - Out due to injury
Figure 2. Recorded data from surveys on learning styles and the school’s NWEA Score data. KEY: N/A = Not
Available or Not Applicable. LG= Low Growth. HG = High Growth. LA = Low Achievement. HA = High
Achievement.

This chart features the students’ NWEA literacy test scores. Some were not available due to

some students being exempted from the test, or because they transferred from another school.

For the students that had scores on file, they had a good rate of growth in relation to their scores,

or at least a good rate of achievement. This shows that there is room for great improvement, but

that there is also a solid foundation off of which we can build. However, while standardized tests

are a way to look at how much a student has learned how to do, it doesn’t show you how they

learn best. That is why in my survey I asked the students about how they learn, and in what areas

they have the most skill in.

Figure 3. The compiled data on the reported learning styles of the college preparatory students.

By looking at the responses for their learning styles there is a visibly significant overlap

among the students. A majority of them reported to be hands-on and visual learners. A good

number reported to learn best through auditory input or by reading and writing. The “other”

category is from a student (Student 18) who wrote that they learned best when they had extra

time with the material they were given. The abundance of students that learned best with hands-

on activities has an overlap with the multiple intelligences that students identified with. A

majority of the students reported being kinesthetically intelligent. This tells me that I need to

include more activities that incorporate movement in some way or another. It shows the need to

create activities and lessons that use concrete objects that would act as (most likely) symbolic

representations of the topic at hand. In English it is slightly harder, but not impossible, to come

up with plans that involve physical touch or movement. A lot of themes and ideas are abstract

and not as concrete, but that just means having to think more outside the box. The data also

shows that building skills in other areas should also be a priority for instruction. As educators we

must play to their strengths, but also work to strengthen their weaker points. We have to meet

them where they are to help them get to where they need to be to be successful. Some of their

ability to be successful comes from their access to certain things like having internet access at

home, which I briefly touched on earlier. Most of the students surveyed said they had access at

home, but one student, Student 22, replied that they did not. As a teacher we have to account for

those students who don’t have access at home when it comes to planning due dates for

summative assessments or even the type of homework we give. I am aware of a few students

outside of the survey in my other classes that also don’t have home internet access, and it can be

a really big obstacle to learning as well as work completion.

 On the note of obstacles that get in the way of learning, I asked my college preparatory

students what they thought their personal biggest obstacle is. I also asked about their favorite

classes, the classes they do best in, and then consulted Powerschool data to see if any of the

students had IEPs, 504s, or any other impediment to learning. The following figure is that data

compiled:

Student Favorite Best subject(s) Biggest Obstacle to learning IEP, 504, or

Subject health issue?
Student 1 English English, Phys Ed “When someone does not explain something in a way I Asthma
understand, I typically pretend I understand and make an
approximate guess based on what I can comprehend.”

Student 2 Math Social Studies “Remembering and doing stuff at home because of sports” N/A

Student 3 Science Math, Social Studies “Trying to remember what important things the teacher says in a Epilepsy
long lecture”

Student 4 Math Math “worrying about grades.” N/A

Student 5 Science Math “I get distracted easily, can get off topic easily” N/A

Student 6 Social Social Studies, “Homework.” IEP - Emotional

Studies English

Student 7 Science Science, Physl Ed “Being able to keep up with work sometimes.” Asthma

Student 8 Phys Ed Phys Ed “I don't like reading a lot.” N/A

Student 9 Science Math, Science, “When something is not visual and is just speaking.” N/A
Social Studies

Student 10 Social Science, Social “Being behind.” IEP - N/A

Studies Studies

Student 11 Social Social Studies “presenting projects.” Thyroid,

Studies Asthma

Student 12 Science Social Studies, Art “having a hard time reading and a hard time paying attention.” N/A

Student 13 Phys Ed Math, Phys Ed “Not understanding the directions and not being able to visualize N/A
some activities.”

Student 14 Science Science “Work without clarification.” Drug Allergy

Student 15 Phys Ed Math, Science, Phys “reading.” N/A

Ed

Student 16 Science Science, English “Sometimes I don't pay attention or space out.” Asthma
IEP - N/A

Student 17 N/A N/A N/A IEP - N/A

Student 18 Phys Ed Social Studies, Phys “Going remote.” N/A
Ed

Student 19 Science Math “My will to do things, such as whether I'm feeling lazy or tired. 504 - Anxiety
Then I won't want to do anything.”

Student 20 Math Math, Spanish “I get angry easily which leads me to need to take a walk to calm N/A
down which leads to me sometimes missing things in class.”

Student 21 Science Science, Social “my dislexia (Dyslexia) I'm not sure how to spell it.” IEP - Dyslexia
Studies

Student 22 Science Math, Science “not being able to pay attention.” N/A

Student 23 Science Science “Is that it's hard for me to read or say things in front of my IEP - N/A
classmates.”

Student 24 N/A N/A N/A N/A

Figure 4. Further recorded data from the College Preparatory class survey (see figure 2) and data from power school
about any sort of condition affecting their academic performance.

Science and physical education are seen to be the most popular among the favorite classes.

Meanwhile, science, math, and social studies are the most common classes they see themselves

doing best in. The data is interesting, especially when the favorite class and the best class differ,

as with Student 12 and Student 19. This implies that just because a student is good at a subject,

doesn't mean they like it, and just because a student favors a subject doesn’t mean that is their

best subject.

Figure 5: a visual representation of the favorite subject vs. best subject data.
 When asked about their biggest obstacle to learning, the students gave a variety of

answers, but there were some common themes. Some of the common themes were ability to

memorize, their ability to recall information, and getting distracted or having an inability to

focus. One student's obstacle matched up with their Powerschool data. Student 21 admitted that

their dyslexia was their biggest obstacle. This is even shown by his confusion of the spelling

which I left in to illustrate how much of an obstacle it must be. This obstacle implies that this

student will need more help with writing, and more time with reading. The rest of the obstacles

imply that the students need engaging work that doesn’t require them to always memorize facts.

It shows that the students need more variety and more tools to help them refocus themselves.

Some of that comes with curriculum overhaul, and some of that can be aided by better classroom

management. However, a teacher cannot learn for the student, we can only give them knowledge

and tools. So it seems that we need to give them more tools to help them self-regulate in order to

better focus.

Conclusion

There are a variety of factors that go into what makes our students the learners that they

are. When those factors are pulled into the broader context of schooling and instruction, it helps

educators figure out what they have to focus on in regards to their curriculum and how they go

about teaching it. It is important to know and understand the impact of these individual factors in

order to give our students the best education possible by knowing where to start and how. The

Wiscasset School District is a tight knit community full of support for the schools it has. That

same support isn’t always available at home, however, so we must build in time for in-depth
learning at school for those students who cannot continue it at home. That might look like giving

students extra time on summatives or allowing for extensions. Like all schools, they have

students who like one subject, but might excel in another so we have to find a way to incorporate

elements from those subjects into different ones to help them with that deeper learning. This

might look like adding some history into an English class, or showing students how

mathematical grammar can be. This is why understanding your students’ strengths and needs is

the cornerstone of being able to effectively teach them.

Resources and Citations

Data USA (2020). Wiscasset, ME. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/wiscasset-me

Maine Department of Education (n.d.). Maine School Data - ESSA Dashboard. Maine

Department Of Education. https://www.maine.gov/doe/dashboard

Portland Press Herald (2014, June 2). Registered voters in Maine by town and party.

https://www.pressherald.com/interactive/maine_registered_voters_democrat_republican_indepen

dent_green/

United States Department of Education (2022-2023). Wiscasset Middle/High School. National

Center for Educational Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?

Search=1&InstName=wiscasset+middle+high+school&City=wiscasset&State=23&SchoolType=

1&SchoolType=2&SchoolType=3&SchoolType=4&SpecificSchlTypes=all&IncGrade=-

1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=231398023146

United States Department of Education (2022-2023). Wiscasset Public Schools. National Center

for Educational Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?

Search=2&details=1&ID2=2313980&DistrictID=2313980
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics (2017-2021).

Wiscasset Public Schools, Maine. Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates.

https://nces.ed.gov/Programs/Edge/ACSDashboard/2313980