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School Environment Analysis

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Submitted By ealipton
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School Environment Analysis Essay
Grand Canyon University: EDA-575
February 8, 2012

School Environment Analysis

No school is a utopia. Each presents unique problems and challenges, and with that comes opportunities for change and successes. Many times it takes a giant collaborative effort to bring about change, and there are times where it seems that the challenges are insurmountable. I work in a public inner city high school in Syracuse, NY. There are issues within the school including a high drop-out rate, incidences of bullying, little parent involvement, lack of technology, and old school materials. This high school is in a high poverty area, and the surrounding community is not very active or involved with the school. All of these factors combined with many newer teachers in the school and some new members of the administration lead to a school requiring assistance in many areas. In this essay, I will explain many of the environmental and contextual factors and describe some potential solutions to address these factors. One environmental factor influencing my school is the high rate of poverty in the surrounding area of the school. Students are often unprepared for school with proper materials. Education is not been a major priority for many students since it was not very important to their parents or guardians. If students have a little extra money, they will quickly spend it on snacks on their way to school instead of making sure they are prepared for their school day. Nearly all students qualify for free breakfast and lunch in the school, but a high rate of tardiness leads to many not taking advantage of the breakfasts. It is very important for a school to have a plan to deal with lateness and students to come to school unprepared (Lee & Shute, 2010). In my school, an additional staff position in the attendance office was

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