The information provided throughout this paper will serve the purpose of discussing the setting

and context of the Middle School in which I am completing my Student Teaching, the school district it
resides within, the county and the state of Colorado. It is important to research and fully understand the
setting in which I am teaching because I will be able to cater my teaching practices towards my students.
I can come to an understanding of the majority of socioeconomic statuses of my students. I am able to
understand and realize the resources that will be available to me and my students. I can plan on making
adjustments in my classrooms with a better understanding of where my students come from and the
potential struggles they may face in their lives and family structure. Understanding the culture of the
school in which I will be teaching in, and in which my students spend a great deal of their lives in, is an
important aspect of my teaching experience this semester.
The State of Colorado
The state of Colorado, according to the United States Census Bureau, housed 5,268,367
residents with the largest cities being Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora and Fort Collins. The state of
Colorado has been divided into 64 counties. The county with the largest population is El Paso County.
The demographics of Colorado can be broken up according to the 2010 census and is shown to consist of
81.3% of the population being white, 20.7% Hispanic/Latino, 4.0% Black, and 1.1% American Indian, and
2.8% Asian (infoplease.com). The percentage of individuals living in Colorado below the age of 18 is
23.5%. According to the Census Bureau's Report in 2011, Colorado spent $8,124 per pupil which is down
from $129.03 in 2010. With this change, Colorado is ranked 41st out of the 50 states for the amount of
money spent on each pupil. The median family income in Colorado is $72,100 for a family of four, which
is higher than the national median family of four income of $64,400 (Larimer County, 2013 data). The
unemployment rate for Colorado is 5.3%
Weld County
Weld County is the third largest county in the state of Colorado. Weld County covers 3,996
square miles in the north eastern part of the state and is larger than the size of Rhode Island, Delaware
and the District of Columbia combined (Weld County, 2015). Weld County is home to 31 municipalities
(Weld County). Weld Countys population is estimated around 277,670 people (Weld County, 2014.
Weld County ranks number one in the state of Colorado in the value of agricultural products sold (Weld
County). Weld County sells $1.5 billion annually in agricultural products (Weld County). The top three
largest employers in Weld county are JBS Swift and Company, North Colorado Heath Center, and Weld
County School District 6 (2012 City Financial Report). The population of Weld County consists of 67.3%
white residents and 28.4% Hispanic residents.
City of Greeley, Colorado
Greeley is the largest municipality in Weld County and based on the 2012 census, Greeley was
home to 95,357 residents. The median family income for a family of four in Weld County is $55,277,
which is higher than the state and national averages (Weld County, 2013 data). The unemployment rate
for Weld County is less than the state average at 3.9% with the unemployment rate for the city of
Greeley sitting at 4.0% (US Census Bureau). During the 2008-2012 Census Survey, 23.5% of the

population had income below the poverty line numbers. Of Greeley residents who are 18 years and
older, 82.2% of the residents are high school graduates and 25.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Weld County School District 6
Weld County School District 6 in the largest school district in Weld County and is home to 31
schools and carries the motto Every student a learner. Every student a graduate. All students a
success! Weld County School district 6 serves more 20,382 students in the communities of Greeley and
Evans, Colorado (Weld County School District 6). The demographics reported from Weld County School
District 6 include, 59% of the population being Hispanic, 35% white, 2% Asian, 2% Black, and less than
1% other. Weld County School District 6 is the 13th largest school district in the state of Colorado ranking
170th out of 178 districts for per-pupil funding. Weld County School District 6 has 14 elementary schools,
3 K-8 schools, 4 middle schools, 3 high schools, 5 charter schools, 2 alternative schools, and 1 online
school. The percentage of students participating in Free and Reduced Lunch programs comes to 64%
(Weld County School District 6). This district supports a large amount of English Language Learners with
1 out of every 4 students having their primary language being something other than English. The rate of
students graduating on time in Weld County School District 6 is 80.0% which is higher than the state
average at 76.9% (Weld County School District 6). During my Student Teaching I will be at Heath Middle
School in Weld County School District 6.
Heath Middle School
Heath Middle School stands behind "Heath Panthers Have PRIDE! which is their motto (Heath
Middle School). They guide their students in the classroom with the school wide implemented
expectations using part of their motto, PRIDE. PRIDE stands for Positive, Respect, Integrity,
Determination, and Excellence. Heath Middle School is located in the town of Greeley, just 0.8 miles
from Greeley Central High School. Heath Middle School was established in 1955 (Heath Middle School).
Heath Middle School has an enrollment of over 600 students. Heath Middle school enrolls students from
grades 6th through 8th. My classroom at Heath Middle School is a Life Science classroom where 7th
graders are taught. Heath Middle School is a title I school with 77% of students qualifying for Free and
Reduced Lunch (Weld County School District 6).
7th Grade Life Science and 7th Grade AVID
I have 103 students in Life Science with 15 students enrolled in my AVID classroom. Those 15
students are selected individually to enroll in AVID. AVID or Advancement via Individual Determination is
aimed at closing the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a
global society (Weld County School District 6). Students who chose to continue participating in AVID will
continue to do so throughout their entire high school academic journey. My classrooms consist of 32
white students and 86 students who are Hispanic or a mix of other races. Some of my students come
from families that use Spanish as their primary language at home. I have students that have to serve as
translators during conferences. A good portion of my students have parents that work two or more jobs.
Most of my students rely on school transportation to get them to and from school. I have students that

range in skill levels. Students are tested each year on their reading and math levels. Students are
grouped into math and reading classes according to their test scores.
This document illustrates the setting and context of where I will be teaching. It is very important
to research the location of the school in which I am going to teach in order for me to get a bigger picture
of where my students are coming from. It is very useful to know what resources I may or may not have
when I begin to teach. These researched facts illustrate the setting of Heath Middle School. These facts
do not set limits. The type of students and their backgrounds will never be cookie-cutter. The
relationships I establish with my students will allow me to know exactly where they come from and the
resources they have available to them.

Works Cited
Heath Middle School. Our School. (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2015 from Heath Middle School:
http://www.greeleyschools.org/domain/3151.
About Us. (2015). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from the City Of Greeley:
http://www.co.weld.co.us/AboutWeld/AboutWeldCounty/index.html.
Economy at a Glance. Colorado. (2014). Retrieved April 18. 2015, From United States Department of
Labor: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.co.htm
AVID. Programs. (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2015, From Weld County School District 6:
http://www.greeleyschools.org/domain/3790
Embracing Diversity. Our District. (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from Weld County School District 6:
http://www.greeleyschools.org/cms/lib2/CO01001723/Centricity/Domain/4069/By%20the%20Numbers
%20022414.pdf.
2013-2014 Economic and Demographic Profile Weld County, Colorado (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2015,
http://www.co.weld.co.us/assets/c88682A241c8B23c0837.pdf.
Colorado. (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from United States Census Bureau Quick Facts:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08000.html
Education Spending per Student By State. (2013). Retrieved April 18, 2015 from Governing The States
and Localities: http://www.governing.com/gov-data/education-data/state-education-spending-perpupil-data.html
Colorado. (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2015 from Infoplease: http://www.infoplease.com/usstates/colorado.html