Sam Schrader

March 19, 2016

Education 302

Professor Keeley

Context

The school at which I am currently working is Forest Hills Eastern High School.
Located in Ada, the high school shares the building with the middle school, technically
making it a grades 6-12 school. There are different wings so it does not appear to be lots
of interaction between middle school and high school students. According to U.S. News
and World Report, Forest Hills Eastern High School is ranked 28th in the state (Eastern
High School Overview, 2015). Ranking aside, in order to properly put the school into
context, a breakdown of the socioeconimcs and demographics of the community, the
school and my actual classroom must occur.
According to statistics from Sperlings Best Places, the family median income in
Ada is approximately $119,232, which is almost twice the national average of $64,585
(Sperlings Best Places, 2016). 71.84% of Adas population has a median income of
$75,000 or higher, with 22.3% making over $200,000 (Sperlings Best Places, 2016). It
would appear as if this was a fairly wealthy community. In addition, the community
appears to be predominately white with 92% of the population identifying as such (CriData, 2010). The largest minority group in Ada appears to be Asians, who account for
3.6% of the population (Cri-Data, 2010).
Data appears to back up the idea of Forest Hills Eastern High School being mostly
reflective of its community in terms of socioeconomics and demographics. According to

U.S. News and World Report, 12% of the total student body is comprised of minorities
and 11% are economically disadvantaged (Eastern High School Overview, 2015).
These numbers align with the previously stated statistics regarding the socioeconimcs and
demographics of the community. Ms. Brasic, my placement teacher, told me some of the
students do not come from Ada, but come from as far as Wyoming due to a lottery
placement system, but she did not know the exact figures. Additional searching did not
turn up exact figures either. Furthermore, Ms. Brasic explained to me that, to her
knowledge, tracking does not occur at Forest Hills Eastern. The lack of data I found
concerning tracking appears to corroborate her statement.
My third hour AP US History class also seems rather representative of the
aforementioned socioeconomics and demographics as well. Of the 30 students (who are
between 15 and 17 years old) who regularly attend class, there appear to be only three
minority students in the class. This number jumps a bit higher to four in my fifth hour AP
US History class, but the classes appear to be predominately white. It does not appear as
if there are any students who speak English as a second language. In terms of religion, it
would appear as if many are Christian due to wearing crosses, but religion has not
actively been discussed in class so exact religious breakdowns of the class are unknown.
The peer groups of the class appear to have manifested themselves into how they seat
themselves. Ms. Brasic does not have assigned seating, so friend groups appear to sit with
each other.
In terms of the actual class, the third hour AP US History students sit in one of six
pods, which are two tables pushed together. This layout allows for easy group work and
teachers to monitor progress without having to go from desk to desk. The students use the

United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination by John J.
Newman and John M. Schmalbach as their textbook, having switched just this year from
American History: A Survey by Alan Brinkley because, as Ms. Brasic put it, Brinkley
was way too dry. Because this is an AP class, the class falls under the AP US History
curriculum standards put forward by the College Board. Students are not required to take
the AP test, but are strongly encouraged so as to possibly get college credit.

Works Cited

1. Cri-Data. (2010). Retrieved from http://cridata.org/GeoProfile.aspx?

type=29&loc=2608100240
2. Sperlings Best Places. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.bestplaces.net/economy/zip-code/michigan/ada/49301
3. U.S. News and World Report. (2015). Eastern high school overview. Retrieved
from http://www.usnews.com/education/best-highschools/michigan/districts/forest-hills-public-schools/eastern-high-school-9935