Contextual Factors Template

Total Number of Students in the School: __450____

School Socio-Economic Make-Up (i.e., % free and reduced lunches): ____82%__

Class Class Class

1 2 3
Grade Level/Subject Taught 2/M 2/M 2/M
Number of Students in Classroom

Contextual Information: Class Class Class Student Learning Adaptations:

(List the number of students
identified in each class you
teach and identify the class in
which you are teaching your
unit)
Gender
Number of Females:
Number of Males:
Ethnic/Cultural Make-Up
Caucasian/White:
African American/ Black:
Hispanic/Latino:
Asian/Pacific Islander:
American Indian/Alaskan
Native:
Language Proficiency
Number of English
Language Learners (ELL):
Academic Performance
Students Performing
Below Grade Level:
Student Performing
Above Grade Level:
Students with Special Needs
Learning Disability:
Emotional/Behavioral
Impairment:
Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD):
Developmental Disability:
Intellectual Disability:
Speech/Language
Impairment:
Autism Spectrum:
Gifted:
Blind/Visual Impairment
(VI):
1 2 3 (Describe at least one example of a
strategy to provide equitable
opportunities, accommodations, or
modifications you attempted for
any student identified within each
contextual characteristic)
F: 13 F: 14 F:6 Within each class we did not have
M: 7 M:12 M: 15 an equal number of female and
male students. In my classes I
would ensure that an equal
amount of each gender was
selected to be my helper or the
leader of the activity.
C/W: C/W: C/W: In class activities we would sing
AA: AA: AA: songs in different languages from
H/L: H/L: H/L: various cultural backgrounds.
A/PI: A/PI: A/PI: Previewing the song I would give
AI/AN: AI/AN: AI/AN: the students an overview of
where the song originated from
and what they lyrics translate to.
ELL: 0 ELL: 0 ELL: 0 There were no ELL learners
present in my classroom.
Below: 1 Below: 2 Below: To accommodate the various
Above: 2 Above: 1 3 learning capabilities of the
Above: students in my classroom I would
2 create modifications for the
students. I would include varying
levels of difficulty within my
instruction for the students to
work with and experience.
Within the classroom I am aware
Gifted: 1 ADD: 1 Autism: of the students who have special
E/BI: 1 1 needs. Some students may need
more one on one explanation, or a
specialized activity. Typically
after I am done giving the full
class instruction I gravitate
towards the students who need
extra help and check in with them.
Sometimes they need further
explanation or aid on the activity.
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Deaf /Hearing Impairment
(HI):
Physical Disability:
Other Health Impairment:
Military Connected Students All All All This school was located on a
Military Connected Students military base. To qualify for this
school one or both parents must
be in the military.

Student Characteristics:
Describe the developmental characteristics of students in your classroom.
(Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, Social).
Within the second grade classes the students were enthusiastic to participate and learn new concepts and
ideas. All of the students were able to physically participate in each class activity and as a result of this no
physical modifications for the students were needed. Socially some of the students struggled to work with
others in small groups and partners. Within each class there were certain students that when paired
together would become off task, argue, or refuse to speak to each other. Most of the emotional issues
arose from these pairings of students and after a few days with the classes I became aware of who could
work best with whom. Cognitively all of these students were sharp, willing to listen and follow along with
the instruction and activity. Within the class the students who struggled the least cognitively would offer
their help to a peer if they noticed their peer was struggling with a step in the activity.

Highlight the prior knowledge and interests of students in your classroom.

Within the elementary music department of USD 475 the teachers follow Level 1 of the Kodaly sequence.
Within this sequence there are specific concepts that the students experience and master within each year.
Each year acts as a building brick that builds off the year previous and prepares the students for the
upcoming year. Within their kindergarten year the students have experienced low and high sounds, explore
their speaking, singing, calling and whisper voice, and practiced keeping the steady beat as well as pitch
matching. After their kindergarten year the students learn about rhythms (Ta & TiTi) versus steady beat. The
students also label pitch relationships with the solfege of Mi and Sol. After the students have become
comfortable with singing and identifying Mi and Sol they learn the pitch relationship of La. Within their
second grade year the students have reviewed the pitch relationships of Mi, Sol, and La and are continuing to
identify them aurally and visually within songs. The students have also been introduced to pitched
instruments and have begun to experience improvisation vocally and on these instruments.

Describe the implications these characteristics have on planning and instruction.

(e.g. What instructional strategies will you use to meet the unique learning needs of all your students?)

Within my classroom I utilize activities that will engage my students in cooperative learning tasks. As
previously stated within the developmental characteristics portion of the contextual factors table the students
in the second grade classroom struggle with some social peer interactions. To combat this I am continuously
rotating the students within their peer groups which allows them to have various interactions within their
classroom. Within these cooperative learning groups the students have collaborated ideas to create new
musical ideas and then narrowed these ideas down to create a musical composition. The students may
experience tension within the group but is always minimal and the students end up overcoming this tension
 C&I BLOCK II PORTFOLIO 3
by the end of the activity. Along with cooperative learning techniques I also frequently alternate between
direct instruction and student modeling. At the beginning of class before I allow them to split off into their
cooperative learning groups, I use direct instruction to explain the activity and then ask for student models to
demonstrate the activity that I am asking them to do. When I ask my classes who wishes to model the
activity I have just explained I frequently have over 80% of the class raise their hand as volunteers. The
students are engaged within my explanations because they know I frequently ask for student demonstrators
and they look forward to modeling the behavior for the class and being praised for doing so.

Environmental Factors:
Describe district, school, and classroom environmental factors impacting the quality of education
for all of your students.
Geary County schools USD 475 is composed of 14 elementary schools, two middle schools and one high
school. These schools serve mainly military families as they are located on the military base of Fort Riley
and in the surrounding towns of Junction City, Milford, and Grandview Plaza. The common goal of Geary
County, “Learning for all, Whatever it takes” is clearly demonstrated within each school and across the
district as a whole. With the constant shifting and demands of military life some students join our school
district only to leave a few months later. No matter how long a student is a part of USD 475 there are
educational policies and strategies put into place to ensure that no student falls through the cracks
educationally and socially.

Describe community and family environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all of
your students.
The students of this elementary mostly walk to school since they live right across the street in a military
housing area. All of the students in this elementary have either one or both parents in the military and must
cope with their parent(s) being gone on deployment or in the field for training for an extended amount of
time. Due to this, the school frequently holds events that allow the parents to participate outside of school
hours with their child. One event held was the annual barn dance where students are invited to bring their
entire families and join in an evening of line dances. The school also uses Facebook live to record concerts
and events for parents that are on deployments or in field training. The community is very strong, supportive,
and committed to the education and safety of each student.

Describe the implications these factors have on planning and instruction.

(What instructional strategies will you use to address the unique environmental factors impacting each
student?)
Due to the demands of military life the students within the school itself are constantly changing. Within one
month in a class of twenty students, three students might move and two might come in. When planning
instruction I found it beneficial to frequently revisit the basic concepts of our units. For example if we
were working on eighth note rhythms I would prompt the class at the beginning of a lesson with a few
questions. These questions would serve as a quick peer review for the students coming into the new
class without having to single the student out and directly teach them the content.
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Focus Students Information

Provide information about the two focus students you selected from the class in which you will be teaching your unit
that you feel would benefit from modified instruction. You MUST choose one student with exceptionalities or
an English Language Learner as one of your focus students. Complete the chart below referring to these
students only as Student A and Student B. Do not use proper names.

Describe this student using
information from the
Contextual Information and
Student Learning Adaptations
Student Student A is a black
A female. In her IEP it is
listed that she has Autism
and has a peraeducator
with her at all times. She
receives aid with
homework and tests and is
also guided by the
peraeducator during class
activities.
Why did you select What did you find out
this student? about this student?
Address characteristics
from the Contextual
Information and Student
Learning Adaptations
I selected student Cognitive: This student is
A because she below grade level and
receives aid as well as
has an amazing special accommodations on
voice and is able any class work. Her tests are
to match pitch modified to meet her needs
and sing the and are graded as a
melody line with completion grade.
the choir. She Emotional: The student is
has a great emotionally below grade
enthusiasm for level. However, she rarely
choir and enjoys becomes upset and almost
being in the always has a smile on her
face.
class.
Physical: The student is
physically below grade level
and walks with a limp. The
student also rarely uses her
right arm.
Social: The student is
socially below grade level.
The student rarely interacts
with her peers except to say
“hi” and “bye”.
Based on this
information what are
the implications for
this student’s
instruction?
Since student A is
below grade level
on every
developmental
aspect it is
imperative that the
teacher continue to
include this student
in all activities.
This student has a
natural ear for
pitch and can learn
the music by rote.
To support this I
have offered and
given extra one on
one time outside of
class to work with
the student.

Describe this student using
information from the
Contextual Information and
Student Learning Adaptations
Student Student B is a white male.
B He struggles with
emotional outbursts and
self-harm. If he is corrected
or singled out in class by
the teacher (whether in a
positive or negative way)
he reacts with a growl and
begins to scratch himself
violently.
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Why did you select What did you find out Based on this
this student? about this student? information what are
Address characteristics the implications for
from the Contextual this student’s
Information and Student instruction?
Learning Adaptations
I selected this Cognitive: The student is at This student
student because I grade level cognitively. required one on
saw a lot of one attention
progress within Emotional: The student is before, during and
him throughout below level emotionally. The after class. Before
my time at the student continually reacted class I would greet the
school. He was a in ways that were violent and student and assess the
abnormal. student’s mood. I
student that would ask them how
needed to know they were doing and if
that someone Physical: The student was at they were going to
was on his side grade level physically. have a good day in
and understood music. Throughout the
class if they became
him. Social: Due to the students disruptive and started
abnormal behaviors and showing abnormal
reactions the student was behaviors I would take
socially behind with his the student aside and
peers. talk with them and
calm them down.