Environmental Scan of Decker Prairie Elementary

 

I teach kindergarten at Decker Prairie Elementary School, and we are a Title I school.  We have a high population of white students with Hispanic students coming in as the second highest group.  About 37% of our students are considered to come from a low-income family and 40.4% qualify for a free or reduced lunch.  Our school we have most English speakers with Spanish speakers coming in second and a handful of other languages spoken by one or two additional students.  We do have a dual language program in our district and it is housed at one school in particular.  The students receive instruction in both English and Spanish and you can only get into the program in kindergarten because they want students starting at the same place.  The program was just extended to go into the 6th grade, which I think is great for our community to be providing this service to students.  In our community we have a mix of working parents, stay-at-home parents and some unemployed parents.  Our working parents range from fast food workers to doctors.  We also have a lot of farmlands that are close to our school with a Christmas tree farm just down the road.  I would say the area is rural and the school has been there since 1983.  Since the school is in Texas, we have a lot of hot and humid weather during the summer months and into fall and spring as well.  We may get a few cold fronts and some winter weather usually around January.  I would say most students go to their local school with only a few being pulled out for home school or private school. 

Considering technology, our school provides different opportunities for technology use throughout the school day.  Every teacher has a smart board in their room that they use to help with lessons or provide daily slides for students.  While we don’t have one-to-one chrome books for each student, we have 12 chrome books in each classroom, and you can always ask for more from the library if you need it.  I would say 100% of teachers use technology in their classrooms.  We have a personalized learning module for students in reading and math.  In kindergarten we use Lexia and Imagine math, where the students are tested and then given work to match their skill level.  I would say that about half of the students at school have a device to use at home for their homework, while some are limited to a phone for internet capabilities.  The school will lend out chrome books for students who want them for personal use at their house but must return them by the end of the year. 

We still have room to grow but I think our school is headed in the right direction to best serve students and their families.