Cody Gadd

Dr. Foster
EDSE 447
November 20, 2017

Contextual Information & ArcGIS Map Link

1. Knowledge of characteristics of students

● Age-Range, Gender, Total number of students

Mr. Smith’s 5th period class at New Albany Middle School is made up of 7th grade

students ranging in age from 12-14 years old. New Albany Middle School has about 482

students in grades 6-8. 58% of the student body is Caucasian. There are 30 students in

Mr. Smith’s 5th period class. There are slightly more males than females in the class.

● Achievement Levels (Remedial, Average, Advanced/ Accelerated, or specify range in

percentiles or grade-equivalent)

The graduation rate for New Albany High School in 2016 was 88.6%. The New Albany

School District received an “A” accreditation grade by the Mississippi Department of

Education. The 5th period class has a mixture of high, middle, and low performing

students in it. Mr. Smith divides the students in this class into the following groups based

on their grades and classroom performance: Remedial 15%, Average 75%, and Advanced

or Accelerated 10%. The majority of the students in this class consistently finish their

work and make passing grades.

● Socio-Economic Description
 New Albany Middle School has a mix of students from different socioeconomic

backgrounds. The majority of the students in the 5th period class come from lower

middle and middle socioeconomic level families. Some students carry name brand, high

quality backpacks and regularly wear name brand clothing.

● Typical Demeanor of Students

The students in Mr. Smith’s 5th period class are generally as mature as would be

expected for their age group in their behavior. There are 2-3 students that tend to be less

mature and have to be watched more closely. We have observed medium levels of self-

confidence, curiosity about the class subject, and some occasional mood swings in the

students.

● Typical Interest and Involvement of Students

Many of the students in the 5th period class are involved in activities during and after

school. Both the female and male students have an interest in sports. Some play on a team

at the school. A few of the students are in Beta Club.

2. Knowledge of students’ varied approaches to learning (Include information from

learning styles inventory)

This group of students learns best with audio visual support. They enjoy watching videos

about the lesson topic. Most of the students enjoy having technology in the lessons. They

also enjoy working with peers and small group activities.

3. Knowledge of students’ skills and prior learning

The students’ skills and prior learning are generally average. They have some basic

knowledge of the subject matter of the 7th grade curriculum based on what they studied
 in 6th grade social studies on world geography and citizenship. Based on this, they are

ready to go into more depth in the subject matter in 7th grade.

4. Knowledge of community and school district (Include a description of the community

and school district)

The population of New Albany is about 8,708. About 59% of the population is Caucasian, with

about 31% African American. A little over 80% have at least a high school diploma. The city has

a pretty low crime rate. The major types of crimes that occur are theft and robbery. New Albany

has a hospital and several medical clinics. Northeast Mississippi Community College has a

satellite campus in New Albany. The city has many churches of various denominations, with the

largest being Hillcrest Baptist Church. The city also has a large sports complex with tennis,

league baseball, softball, flag football, and soccer teams. The city schools include New Albany

Elementary, Middle, and High Schools plus the New Albany Career Technical Center. There are

approximately 2,100 students enrolled in the school system. There is an average of 15 students

per class.

ArcGIS Map Link

https://arcg.is/1yqS1W