Curriculum Plan II PowerPoint
Bray2009
CSD632Fall2021-CurriculumPlan.docxCSD 632 Fall 2021
CURRICULUM PLANNING PROJECT, Part I
I. Samantha Clark
II. Heidelberg Elementary School is located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. It is about an hour and a half south of Memphis, TN. The area around Clarksdale is rural. The town of Clarksdale has 14,903 citizens according to the census report. Clarksdale is home to Coahoma Community College, Clarksdale High School, Coahoma County high school and there are 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 9th grade academy, Charter School and 3 private schools. The mayor of Clarksdale is Chuck Espy. The City of Clarksdale chamber of commerce and Mayor Chuck Espy sponsored Clarksdale small business forum was heavily attended, and will now become a bi-annual event to help Clarksdale business grow. It is also an opportunity for business owners to discuss their needs so that the City can help local businesses prosper as much as possible. Clarksdale has 2 major grocery stores and they are Wal-Mart and Save-A-Lot. They have about 10 fast food restaurants. The town hosts many different festivals throughout the year such as the juke joint festival and other popular blues festival. Clarksdale is famous for its rich background in blues. There many famous blues singers from the area. Many African Americans musicians developed blues here. It was founded in 1882 by John Clark and is now a major city of the county. It’s famous for “The Crossroads” which is an intersection of Hwy 61 and Highway 49 in Clarksdale. Clarksdale was once most known as the buckle in the cotton belt. In that earlier era when cotton was King, Clarksdale also had historic, exceptionally rich arts and cultural traditions running out of and parallel to its better-known agricultural attentions. The cost of living in Clarksdale is often 50% less and more than it is in many other parts of the country. Large homes are available here at less than $40 per sq. ft., and luxury homes can be found under $70 sq. ft., some with pools and on a golf course. The median household income is $30,223 and the percentage of people living in poverty is 35.7 %. The unemployment rate in Clarksdale, MS is 10.1 %, recent job growth is -5.1%, and future job growth is 12.4%. The city of Clarksdale is a close-knit community but it is also known for having a high crime rate. There have been several gang related shootings and crimes lately in the city.
III. Heidelberg Elementary School is a Pre-K- 4th grade school. There are 261 students at the school. There is one Pre-K class and two sections of grades K-4th grade. The student population is made up of 52% female students and 48% male students. The school enrolls 100% economically disadvantaged students. There are 12 equivalent full-time teachers and 1 full-time school counselor.
Heidelberg School Math & Science is ranked #323-431 in Mississippi Elementary Schools. At Heidelberg School Math & Science, 27% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 27% scored at or above that level for reading. Compared with the district, the school did better in math and better in reading, according to this metric. In Clarksdale Municipal School District, 21% of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 22% tested at or above that level for math. Heidelberg School Math & Science did worse in math and worse in reading in this metric compared with students across the state. In Mississippi, 40% of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 43% tested at or above that level for math. The school is currently rated a B. Due to the pandemic, the students took state assessments last school term but the scores didn’t affect the school’s rating for the upcoming year. The school’s minority student enrollment is 98%. The student-teacher ratio is 22:1. The students at Heidelberg don’t have many extra curricular activities to be involved in. There is an after-school tutoring program called Mississippi Reading Roadmap. It is a tutoring program that helps give remediation to students who struggle with reading.
IV. The students in my class Kindergarten and ages range from 5 to 6 years old. The majority of the class falls into the Average and remedial group. I have a few that are advanced. There are 15 African-American students in my class. I have fewer students in my class this year due to Covid-19 and a lot of the students leaving going to the charter school. Most students come from lower-class families. There are very little disciplinary problems with the students. I have a few students who like to get a little rowdy every now and then. Nothing major this year. Most students actively participate in the class. They are engaged and they give feedback. They ask questions if they don’t understand. The students participate in interactive activities and hands on activities that are sent home weekly in their homework packets. This year started off slower with the student’s performance due to being mostly virtual the year before. The classroom environment is very friendly and appropriate for learning. The room is decorated with lots of bright colors and flowers. There are lots of motivational posters and educational anchor charts that are on a Kindergarten level hung around the room. I have some parental involvement. Due to Covid-19, the parents aren’t allowed to come in the classroom as much as they were allowed in the past. I use school status to communicate with the parents weekly. I also call the parents to let them know how their child is preforming monthly.
