CLASS DESCRIPTIONS AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS 
Mary M. Silgals
CLIS 741
February 8, 2004

Part 1.  Description of the class

	A.  Demographics

	Mrs. Michele Tumbleston’s 6th grade geography class consists of five students.  There are three boys and two girls.  All are Caucasian.  To protect privacy, instead of referring to them by names, I have attached a flow sheet which gives pertinent information by code names:  G-1 and G-2 are the girls.  B-1, B-2, and B-3 represent the boys.  The children range in age from eleven years and seven months to twelve years and eight months.  All of the children are from middle to upper-middle socio-economic backgrounds.  The children have all been diagnosed by a professional counselor/child psychologist/or psychiatrist outside of the school environment and have been diagnosed with a learning disability(s).

	B.  Class Personality/Comparisons 

	The personality of the class is eclectic.  From my own observations and discussions with Mrs. Tumbleston, the class members can be described as following:  G-1 is quiet, noise sensitive, a teacher pleaser, socially introverted and is anxious to do the right thing.  G-2 is chatty, distractible, loud, and obsessive, lacks social skills, and exhibits characteristics of Asperger’s Syndrome.   B-1 is an attention seeker, wants to participate and always rushes through his work.  B-2 is attentive, manipulative, over-confident, and has a tendency to lose everything.  B-3 is quiet and attentive, but is also anxious and competitive.  

	Each child has his/her own special interest.  G-1 loves cats and is an avid reader. G-2 collects trading cards and reads Japanese manga.  B-1 is a sports fan and fishing enthusiast. He tends to limit his reading to only sports related topics. B-2 likes trivial facts, but is not an avid reader.  B-3 loves to “spout” general knowledge and likes to read anything pertaining to history.  Although, each child has different likes, they all share the common need for positive reinforcement.  Negatives such as being “written up” do not influence their behavior.  Only the threat of detention or Saturday school gets their attention.  

	The children are all academically at grade level.  Although, they may be considered to be on higher intellectual levels than their peers in a public school environment, they are all lower in social skills.  

	Because of the special needs of these students, Mrs. Tumbleston employs a variety of multi-sensory teaching techniques in the classroom.  These techniques will be addressed in part three, student needs.  

Part 2.  Instructional needs assessment  

	A.  Test Score Analysis

	The five students in Mrs. Tumbleston’s class were tested in May 2003 by their Lead (Language Enrichment and Development) teachers.  The test scores are listed on the class profile flow chart.  The Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT Revision 3) measures reading, math, and spelling skills, all relevant to learning geography.  The Gates MacGinitie Reading Test measures vocabulary and reading comprehension levels.  Without exception, each student tested at grade level or higher on all tests.  Each child is capable of satisfactorily working at grade level.  The special accommodations, lower student teacher ratio of 5:1, and other variables create a successful learning environment.  

	B.  Instructional Environment

	Mrs. Tumbleston is on a content area pacing guide which follows the South Carolina state standards.  The standards are not enforced by the school by any type of overseeing committee.  The teachers meet regularly with the lower school director and review the progress of each class and student.  The teacher’s time line for content delivery is self-paced due to the small class size and the need to keep the class instruction at a fast pace.  There is no lag time during the classroom period.  On occasion there are times during which the class is interrupted due to other school events.  This might occur during the semi-annual LEAD testing in September and May.   On a monthly basis, the lower school has merit parties for those students who do not have any detentions for misbehavior.  Also, on a monthly basis, the lower school has a celebration assembly.  At this assembly students receive recognition from their teachers for classroom successes and achievements.  Students receive certificates for participating in the library’s Scholastic Reading Counts program at this celebration assembly.  

	C.  Student Needs 

	Mrs. Tumbleston focuses her attention on the needs of the individual student.  Each child has an assessment prepared by a professional counselor/child psychologist or psychiatrist.  One of the common needs based upon the review of these assessments is the need for better organizational skills.  Each child has his/her own binder which stays in the classroom.  Each binder contains all class activity work and is organized by chapters corresponding to the textbook.  The binder serves as a “working binder” or a portfolio of all work that is completed.  Mrs. Tumbleston also has her own duplicate binder which is available for the students to refer to when either absent or work has been misplaced.  

	Index cards are used on a regular basis for vocabulary words and are stored in a card box after each unit is completed.  Graphic organizers are used regularly when students have written assignments.  Questionnaires that lead to writing webs are used to organize thoughts.

	All lessons include visual, tactile and auditory learning styles.  Directions for assignments are given orally and written.  The text chapters are read aloud in the classroom and discussed.  Subject matter is related to personal experiences, of our time or their own lives.  Material is made concrete.  Open-ended questions are asked and discussions are held for students to use inference and reading comprehension skills.  Students often work in cooperative groups preparing projects or class assignments.  

	Tests consist of mini-quizzes that lead to the main quiz.  Review is done by verbal drilling and written fill in the blank type exercises, crossword puzzles and occasional home projects.   

	Other visual aids used in the classroom include videos, maps, and overhead projectors.  Students use the computer lab for research projects.  

	D.  Technology/Standards

	All lower school students have a computer class at least one class period a week.  Students in the sixth grade are competent computer users.  Often when a student has difficulty with writing, his/her assignment can be typed.  Computer use may also involve simple projects such as preparing a report to power point or to preparing a simple brochure.  

	The school is in the process of re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS).  Standards for technology will be addressed during this process.  

	E. Information Literacy/Standards

	All lower school students have a library class at least once a week.  Students in the sixth grade receive instruction in information retrieval skills based upon prepared standards.  Students find information by using dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, maps, reference books and the Internet.  Students are taught to use the computer based catalog.  

	Summary

	Mrs. Tumbleston’s class benefits from a small student/teacher ratio (5:1).  The students also receive individual attention in their LEAD classes (2:1).  The teaching methods used are based upon a multi-sensory approach to education.  Even with the varied learning differences that the students bring to the classroom, the students are successful due to the accommodations that can be made.  I am looking forward to working with Mrs. Tumbleston and her students.