Benchmark II Fall 2014

Name: Caitlin Crouch

Content/School: English Language Arts, Broad Ripple Magnet High School,
Eighth Grade
Student #2
Learning Needs
-

Learner 2 needs opportunities to share her ideas during whole class instruction.
Learner 2 needs opportunities to lead other students in whole-class instruction and
group work.
Learner 2 needs support approaching and/or managing independent studies.
Learner 2 needs opportunities to connect classroom learning to real world
situations.
Learner 2 needs concrete rewards based on her performance.
Learner 2 needs opportunities for deeper thinking.
Learner 2 needs college prep work integrated into middle school and high school
instruction.
Learner 2 needs opportunities to explore topics of interest.
Learner 2 needs emotional and social support that she can model for her peers
(such as bystander intervention skills or connections to campus).
Learner 2 needs more abstract, complex, and stimulating learning.
Learner 2 needs opportunities to extend learning outside of the classroom.

Descriptive Profile
- Multiple sources of evidence
- Varied Information (Interests, Motivations, Academic Strengths and
Challenges, and Classroom Behaviors
- Brief Physical Description
- True Colors Results: Mainly Gold, Evenly Blue and Orange, Low Green
- See Interview Notes.
- Learner 2 is a white female.
- Learner 2 is in almost all honors classes.
Notes from Observations:
- Learner 2 often works independently but functions very well in group settings.
- Learner 2 becomes frustrated to the point of quitting when her classmates
misbehave (or when her teachers lose control of her classrooms). She may put her
head down or work quietly until the situation calms down.
- Learner 2 enjoys sharing her beliefs with her classmates.
- Learner 2 demonstrates an impressive degree of control when speaking to her
fellow classmates. For example, during one observation, I noticed another
student address Learner 2s gay, male friend in a way that was clearly upsetting

to Learner 2, her friend, and other students. Learner 2 spoke with confidence and
patience in addressing the offending student about why her comments were
wrong, unfair, and upsetting. When I asked Learner 2 about his instance, she
explained that she knows the offending student has trouble containing her feelings
about her friend but could no longer listen quietly as her friend was attacked.
Learner 2 said she tried to speak to the other student in a way that wasnt
demeaning or controlling as either of those ways might upset her more.
Learner 2 pays a great detail of attention to all the happenings around her
without becoming involved in them. In our interview, Learner 2 described to me
how upset she is by the levels of disrespect from students and teachers alike.
Learner 2 is frequently absent but completes all her make up during the following
class.

Analysis
- How can this information be used to improve instruction?
- How is this learner representative of other learners in the classes?
Learner 2 is an exceptional student at Broad Ripple Magnet High School. Learner 2 is
high achieving, follows all directions given to her, and takes on a great deal of
responsibility in her own education. Learner 2 is incredibly self-motivated and even
encourages her friends to work hard and stay on task.

While the negative environment of the building consumes some students, Learner 2 does
her best to stay above the fray. Unfortunately, environment significantly impacts even the
best students. Learner 2 is no exception to this. As with many of the honors students at
Broad Ripple, Learner 2 receives little to no differentiation in her classes. She is taught
the same information, in the same format, with the same expectations. Although all
students need to be taught how to work in groups and participate effectively in classroom
discussions, even honors students like Learner 2 receive few structured opportunities to
share their ideas. Discussion in Learner 2s classrooms is dominated by teacher talk
rather than student talk.

College preparation and guidance is also missing from Learner 2s school environment.
Again, although all students should be receiving some sort of motivation to prepare for
their education beyond high school, honors students should undoubtedly be creating
plans to keep them on track for college and be in courses that regularly draw attention to
and prepare students for college and education beyond high school.
Lingering Questions/Concerns Concerning Student
-

How can Learner 2 be taught how to advocate for her classmates in an

environment where everywhere they turn they receive constant criticism from
students and teachers?
How can we extend Learner 2s learning outside of the classroom in a way that
doesnt appear burdensome?
How can we provide Learner 2 with an additional challenge in classrooms where
she feels bored?

Note: Learner 2s absences and my teaching schedule made it difficult for me to research
her as thoroughly as I wouldve liked. I feel pleased with my work studying her so far, but
any other analysis I might add would be predominantly assuming rather than grounded
in real-life observations. As you can read below, most of my interview with Learner 2 was
dominated by our talk about the social conditions in the school, which make receiving a
serious education a challenge. Those conditions have less to do with Learner 2 and more
to do with the administration and staff. In my observations of Learner 2 in other classes,
she frequently appeared bored and frustrated with the off-task behaviors of the other
students.

Attitude Towards School

How are you feeling about

school? Do you like
coming to school? Why do
you like/dislike?

Learner 2 has mixed

feelings about coming to
school. Learner 2 has to
wake up at 5:30 a.m. every
day to be at school. She
dislikes arriving so early.
According to Learner 2, if
school started later for the
middle school and high
school students, the
students might perform
better. Learner 2 also
dislikes the drama that
occurs frequently at Broad

Ripple. Learner 2 explains

that so many of her classes
are packed with students
who misbehave and
teachers who dont know
what to do with them.
Learner 2 also explains that
she frequently sees students
picking on other students.
Learner 2 says that those
factors are enough to make
even the best students
weary of school.

Strengths

What is your strongest

subject? Why? How do
you feel about that
teacher?

Notes from Observations:

Learner 2s comments
about the disruptive
behavior are not surprising.
The school climate at
Broad Ripple is consistently
negative. A few of Learner
2s friends are also not
treated well by most of their
classmates.
Learner 2s strongest
subject is math. She is in
the Honors Pre-Algebra
class. Learner 2 says that
most of the concepts in
math come easily to her.
Many of them are also
review from her math class
last year.
Learner 2s favorite class is
Band. She took advanced
band/marching band in
sixth grade at Broad Ripple
her first year because her
older sister insisted she be
in that class. She liked
marching band but the
summer practices were
usually too hot for her, so
she switched to the
beginning band class.

Classroom Preferences

Areas of Confusion

What do you like most

about our class so far?
Why?

Learner 2s favorite part

about our class is the daily
introductory activity.
Learner 2 likes seeing how
excited so many of her
peers get sharing their ideas
and answers.
Is there anything weve
Learner 2 tells me that she
been doing in this class
didnt like reading The
that is not making sense to
Landlady and writing
you? What do you like
inferences. Learner 2
least about our class so
explains that she naturally
far?
makes inferences as she
reads so it was frustrating to
pause and write obvious
ones.
Notes from Observations:
This is a very apt
observation on Learner 2s
part. Prior to my unit plan,
the honors class received
little to no differentiation
from the other classes.
Learner 2 is right in
noticing that the reading
abilities of most of the
students in her class are
beyond making the simple
inferences we were making
during The Landlady
instruction.

Goals

What are your goals in

middle school? In high
school? In life?

Learner 2 would like to

pursue a career in
photography. Learner 2
doesnt know if she wants
to go to college yet.