Early childhood Performance Task

Mahaley has gone to school and lived with her family for the last five years in the town of Ludlow. In May of last year, Mahaley’s parents separated and her mother accepted a new job in the town of Harcourt, which is over 300 miles from Ludlow. Mahaley moved with her mother, causing Mahaley to miss the last few weeks of classes at her old school. This fall, she is beginning third grade at Harcourt Elementary, and we want to make her transition as smooth and constructive as possible.

Mahaley’s mother, Nori Mahe, has told guidance counselors that she remains close with Mahaley. However, Mahaley is having a very difficult time adjusting to the distance from her father, her brother (who stayed with her father), and other family members who lived nearby in Ludlow. She was an excellent student in her old school, with many creative and athletic interests. While Mahaley says she is still enthusiastic about these activities, her mother notices that Mahaley is being hesitant to get involved since the move.

Mahaley has a mixed racial and cultural background. Her father’s family is Polynesian and her mother is Japanese and Scandinavian. In Ludlow, Mahaley had a diverse group of classmates from all kinds of backgrounds—some similar to hers. While she spoke English with most of her family, she was learning Japanese from her grandfather, who lived with her family in Ludlow. He has stayed in Ludlow and moved to her aunt’s home. Mahaley’s move to Harcourt Elementary will likely be a cultural adjustment, as well as a geographical and social change.

Demographic Breakdown of Ludlow and Harcourt:

Ludlow

Total town population: 889,235

Hispanic/Latino: 37.3%

Non-Hispanic white: 19.1%

Asian: 17.3%

Black: 12.9%

Multiracial: 8.1%

Other: 6.3%

Harcourt

Total town population: 205,118

Non-Hispanic white: 69.5%

Hispanic/Latino: 20.1%

Black: 5.2%

Asian: 2.1%

Multiracial: 1.9%

Other: 1.2%

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