Dutchtown High School - Research Paper Example

Introduction Dutchtown High School is a public school that was started back in 2002 as an unincorporated area of Ascension. The school is located within the Ascension Parish school board. Alongside the school, several other schools were started in the area by the same organization. These are Dutchtown Middle School and Prairieville Middle School. However, the school is constructed on the old architectural design. The school is located across the highway at the now Dutchtown middle school. There are a number of classes that are offered at Dutchtown middle school even though all the students are encouraged to take the entire four major lessons, which are science social studies, math, and English. The school also provides an opportunity to get into an in-state university. The schools motto is to provide an environment of excellence where all students can become lifelong learners and productive citizens. In addition, the school also offers courses in United States history, studio art 2d-design, biology, computer science, art history, calculus Ab & Bc, chemistry, English language and composition , politics, studio art drawing, US government, English literature, world history, European history and physics. The state of Louisiana has an enrollment of 703,309 students while the attendance rate for the year 2010-2011 was 94.8% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). However, the in-school suspension rate for the year 2010-2011 was 9.6% while the percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers for the same year was 88.8%. The expenditure per student was $10,622. The state ranked in a grade of 91.8 in 2010, which is a 2 star ranking and 93.3 in 2011, which is a grade C ranking (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). External Scan Regional and Local Demographics and Ethnicity Dutchtown High School is located in Geismar, which is an unincorporated area in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. This town has two schools, which are often ranked among the best schools in Louisiana. These are the Dutchtown elementary or Middle School and Dutchtown High School. The school environment is an attractive scene since the Mississippi river runs across the town. However, the area where the school is located is vulnerable to hurricanes and the tropical systems since the area is lowly elevated, and has a close location to the coast of southeast Louisiana. The town lies 23 feet above the sea level, which is slightly lower than most areas of United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Geismar in turn is located in Louisiana, a state found in the US, which is found in the southern region. The state of Louisiana is among the most extensive and populous states of the United States. This has contributed greatly in shaping the demographics patterns of Ducthtown High School in that the school boasts of a large population of students and teachers. The average ratio of students to teacher is 25:1, which is actually a moderate ratio. The capitals of Louisiana are found in Baton Rouge whereas the largest city in that state is New Orleans. One interesting political fact is that the state of New Orleans is the only state in the US whereby the three are political subdivisions known as parishes. Dutchtown High School is located in Ascension Parish. These parishes are the equivalents of counties in many other US states (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Ethnically, the state of Louisiana’s urban environments is a multi-cultural environment and multi-lingual surroundings. The states heritage is by far shaped and influenced by the admixture of 18th century, Native American, African, and Spanish cultures. Cultures and ethnicity are considered exceptional in the US statistics, which have also played a major role in shaping the schools ethnicity and cultural heritage. This multi cultures were contributed largely by the colonial history of this state whereby the French and the Spanish colonized it way before the British took over colonizing America. The state was occupied by a large population of Africans, mostly from West Africa who came to the US as slaves in the 18th century (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012; Gándara, & Bial, 2001). The population of Louisiana estimates is 4,574,836 while the previous year’s population was 4,533,372, the percentage change being 1.4%. In this state, the persons under the age of five years represent 6.9% while the persons under the age of 18 years represent 24.7%. This group makes the largest part of Dutchtown High School. The females make the largest percentage of dwellers of this state being 51.0% while the men make up for the rest. The majority of people living in Louisiana are whites with their percentage representation being 62.6% while the blacks follow at a distance with a population representation of 32.0%. Close to similar representations are seen in Dutchtown High School. The majority of people living in Louisiana speak English while others who communicate in other foreign languages comprises of 8.7% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). Number of People with Degrees and Higher Education The environment that surrounds Dutchtown High School is composed of a large number of graduates and people who have graduated from high schools. According to the US Censors bureau (2010), the number of high school graduates aged above 25 years comprises of 81.0%, which is relatively low in comparison to 85.0%, which is the average percentage of high graduates in the country. Moreover, the percentage of college graduates in Louisiana comprises of 20.9% while the average of graduates in the country comprises of 27.9%. This is a relatively low rate as compared to other states of the country. The state of Louisiana has an interesting feature in that the largest percentage of the population speak English, French and Spanish owning to the states traditional heritage (Dynarski, Clarke, Cobb, Finn, Rumberger, & Smink, 2008: Heckman, & LaFontaine, 2008). Housing Sector However, the house ownership rate is high as compared to the rest of the country. This is greater by a percentage of 1.8%. In total, according to the 2010 US Bureau of statistics, the total number of housing units is 1,964,981 while the housing units in multi-unit structures, as of the same year are 17.8%. In comparison to the percentage of home ownership in the US of 25.9%, it shows the housing units in multi-unit structures in Louisiana are low. Moreover, the data reveals that the median value of houses in Louisiana is relatively low at $130,000 as compared to the median value of houses in the country of $188,400. This has been contributed largely by the growth and emergence of new housing designs and increased demands of houses in urban centers such as New York and Los Angeles. The total number of households is 1,641,165 while the number of persons per household is 2.62, while the total average for the country is 2.59 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012: Gándara, & Bial, 2001). Average Income and Number Employed In this state per capita income for the year, 2010 was $23, 094 while that of the whole country was $27,334. The median household income for the state was $43,445 for the same year. The US Censors Bureau also indicates that the persons living below poverty line in percentage was 18.1% while that of the whole country was 13.8%. However, the state has a large number of farm businesses taking place. The private nonfarm establishments in 2009 were 103,384, while the private non-farm employment for the same year was 1,639,104. The private non-farm employment is 2.9% and the non-employer establishments for the same year is 313,218 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012: Gándara, & Bial, 2001). Source: Graph from the NCES report, 2009 The state has a large number of firms totaling to 375,808 while the number of black owned firms totaling to 15.9%. These are the second largest owners of firms in the state after the whites. The number of women owned firms as of 2007, totaled to 27.4%. the state is also productive in that the manufacturers’ shipments for the same year totaled to $ 205, 054, 723, 000 while the states federal spending for the year 2009 was $52,638, 645, 000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012: Gándara, & Bial, 2001). Married Couples, Unmarried Individuals, Families, and Religion The people of Ascension Parish practice both the traditional marriage and the modern marriage methods. However, for this marriage to be enforced by the set legal laws, there has to be a covenant, whereby the couples surrenders their right to a no-culpability divorce after six months of parting, which is obtainable in a outmoded marriage. For couples to divorce under covenant marriages, a couple must demonstrate the cause. However, marriages amid ascendants and offspring and marriages between collaterals within the fourth degree that is family members, aunt, and nephew, uncle and niece, first cousins are forbidden. Unlike most other US states, same-sex marriages are prohibited in Ascension Parish of Louisiana. The largest percentage of believers in Geismar is Christians, in particular the Roman Catholic Church. Believers of Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church closely follow them. However, the Protestants make up the largest population of the Geismar, who comprises of 60% of the parish population. Operational Planning Recommendations For the public high schools in Ascension Parish of Louisiana State to prosper, they have to put in place mechanisms, which will see them, not only concentrate on academic achievements, but also improve on extra curriculum achievements. This can be done by concentrating on the academic systems as well as the behavioral systems. To achieve this, the schools will have to subdivide their areas of interest into three different tiers (Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center, 2006: Concoran, & Silander, 2009). On the academic part, the third tier should involve intensive individual interventions, whereby they will involve the individual students, carryout assessments examinations of high intensity and involved in schooling activities for a longer duration. On the second tier, the schools should assess the individual student’s risks, to ensure high efficiency and rapid responses. The first tier involves the cohort of students in a more preventive and proactive manner. Source: Bluegrass Institute, School data quality: Still a big problem. 2012 On the behavioral systems, the third tie should involve intensive individual interventions (McDonnell, 2004). It should concentrate on the individual students based on the assessments and involve intensive durable procedures. The second tier should target the schools groups through intervention. The aim is to differentiate some students who are at risk and attain high efficiency and rapid response to aid these students. The first tier is more of a core instructional intervention, which involves all the set us of students. Similar to the academic system, the behavioral system should be preventive and proactive (Datnow, 2000) Moreover, the local federal government should intervene in ensuring the Louisiana state high schools, alongside Dutchtown High School have succeeded academically and in extra curriculum activities. To achieve this, the government should maintain the growth of wider pointers of student advancement results, and include these pointers in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Moreover, the government should help build the aptitude of state governments and practical-assistance providers to support development exertions and aptitude building in districts and schools (Corrin, Somers, Kemple, Nelson, & Sepanik, 2009). In addition, it should improve strategies to warrant that schools in Ascension Parish do a better job of going by the set improvement policies to the capability of schools and districts in need of development. Furthermore, the government should engage itself by improving consistency among federal strategy wits, amongst federal and state initiatives, and amongst government and basis initiatives. Lastly, it should support the growth of more ample state and local data schemes that not only quantify educational contributions and productions, but also district and school keenness and ability to pledge improvement as well as growth toward refining student outcomes (Fisler, & Firestone, 2006; Fleischman, & Heppen, 2009). Internal Scanning On the other hand, internal scanning encompasses considering inside the firm school and recognizing strengths and weaknesses and evaluating the schools properties and management’s skills which is part of the strategic planning process. I also recommend that a number of researches to be carried out by various interested parties in order to improve the high schools. Some of this tactics should emphasis on precise facets of the schools, such as student support, instruction, and school restructuring. Another way to improve these high schools is through inclusive approaches that reshape all aspects of the school or create new schools. In addition, I advocate for collaborative approaches that make partnerships amongst high schools and outside agencies, such as a collaborative effort of high schools and universities through career guidance and counseling. Furthermore, I also recommend systemic approaches that modify necessities for all schools in Ascension Parish (Connell, Martin, & Moore, 2002, p.6; Connell, Legters, Klem, West, 2006). In conclusion, the activities that take place in a certain community, plays a major role in determining the direction of all other activities in the area. Louisiana, being a large state, is affected mostly by other factors, which are not highly influential in other states. The intermingling between people of different ethnic and racial background has contributed greatly in the academic as well as cultural and sporting activities carried out in Dutchtown High School. In order to improve the performance of this school, all interested parties such as the government, the students, teachers, parents, for profit and non-profit organization should all come together to oversee better results. References Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center, (2006). CSRQ center report on middle and high school comprehensive school reform models. Washington, D.C.: American Institutes for Research. Concoran, T. & Silander, M. (2009). Instruction in high schools: The evidence and the challenge. Future of Children, 19, 157-183. Connell, C., Martin, J., & Moore, L. W. (2002). The Annenberg Challenge: Lessons and reflections on public school reform. Philadelphia and Providence: The Annenberg Foundation and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Brown University. Connell, J. P., Legters, N. E., Klem, A., & West, T. C. (2006). Getting ready, willing and able: Critical steps toward successful implementation of small learning communities in large high schools. Washington, D.C.: U. S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://slcp.ed.gov/IssuePapers.html Corrin, W., Somers, M.-A., Kemple, J. J., Nelson, E., & Sepanik, S. (2009). The enhance reading opportunities study: Findings from the second year of implementation. (NCEE 2009-4036) Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Dynarski, M., Clarke, L., Cobb, B., Finn, J., Rumberger, R., & Smink, J. (2008). Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide. (NCEE 2008-4025). Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc Fisler, J. L. & Firestone, W.A. (2006). Teacher learning in a school-university partnership: Exploring the role of social trust and teaching efficacy beliefs. Teachers College Record, 108, 1155-1185. Fleischman, S. & Heppen, J. (2009). Improving low-performing high schools: Searching for evidence of promise. Future of Children, 19, 105-133. Gándara, P. & Bial, D. (2001). Paving the way to postsecondary education: K-12 intervention programs for underrepresented youth. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001205 Heckman, J. J. & LaFontaine, P. A. (2008). The American high school graduation rate: Trends and levels. NBER Working Paper 13670. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic McDonnell, L. M. (2004). Politics, persuasion, and educational testing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). State and County Quick Facts. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22005.html Read More