Running Head: Comprehensive School Assessment 1

Priscila de Lima
Comprehensive School Assessment
Arizona State University
PPE 310
February 7, 2016
Dr. Lineberry

Running Head: Comprehensive School Assessment 2

After examining the assessment results and observations that I made, one strength at
Webster Elementary is that the school offers breakfast and healthy snacks for all students. Many
of these students come from low income households and might not eat breakfast at home so it is
great that they can do so at school. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and has a
tremendous impact on a childs development, both academically and mentally. The school also
provide students with a healthy afternoon snack. The snack is either a vegetable or a fruit. In the
morning announcements, the school principal tells students the origins of the healthy snacks and
why it is important to add it to our diet.

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Another strength is that the school has no vending machines available to students and
they are not allowed to bring any sugary snacks or drinks to consume while at school. We all
know the effects that sugary foods and drinks can have on our bodies so not allowing the
students to have them sets an example and teaches them to make healthier choices. I have
noticed that many staff members avoid consuming sugary foods and drinks. Many of them
realize that the temporary energy that they get from those foods is not worth it and that eating
something healthier gives them energy that lasts all day.
Unfortunately, Webster Elementary has many weaknesses. One weaknesses that I come
across daily is school lunch. Even though a side of fruit or vegetable is served with the lunch, the
main meal itself is not always the healthiest. Some of these meals are hot dogs, hamburgers,
pizza and chicken nuggets. The school is not following the school-lunch standards that were
placed in 2012 and as a result the students are not being provided with healthy options. The
criteria set four years ago included eliminating high-fat milk options, such as chocolate milk;
and reducing the sodium content of foods in a school-provided lunch (Moreno, 2015).
Another weakness is that the school has done very little to educate students and parents
on healthy living. Its one thing to tell students to eat healthy foods but words are not enough.
These students need to see their teachers and parents in action in order to take action themselves.
Webster has made no efforts to reach out to the community and it seem like they dont plan on
doing so anytime soon. The school does have a lot on its plate but it is not an excuse to put the
health of the students in the back burner. Although having healthy snacks is great, it is not
enough. What good does that do when students go home and indulge themselves in unhealthy

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foods? Health education needs to continue at home, with parents who are educated on the topic
and is encouraging the child be healthy.
One way to improve the policies at Webster Elementary is to offer healthier and more
nutritious lunches to students. While I understand that it can be hard to make this change, it is not
impossible. It all starts by studying the options and looking for a provider that is willing to
cooperate. Many of these providers supply schools with frozen unhealthy foods and I believe
that is part of the problem. Yes, they are easier and faster to make but these foods hold very little
nutritional value. The concerned faced by many schools, including Webster, is that healthier
school lunches cost more and that is true. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, the
food costs of healthier school lunches averages 9 cents more per meal (Newman, 2012). At the
end of the day, the health of the students is worth much more than 9 cents so the school can make
the sacrifice and spend the money in order to be able to serve healthier meals.
Another improvement is creating an after school program that promotes physical activities
for students and parents. Webster already has an after school program called the Cougar Club so
it should not be difficult to implement physical activity into the program. Stations with different
exercises can be placed around the gym and students can compete with each other to see who can
complete all the exercises first. The schools gym can also be used to hold events such as family
health nigh where parents and students can work out together and learn to some exercises that
they can do at home. The school can also hold health education classes for parents. These classes
would teach parents how to create a balanced diet, how to shop for healthier foods and even
provide them with healthy recipes. These classes can be held monthly, with each session
focusing on topics such as childhood obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

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I can use this information to educate the staff and community about the importance of healthy
living and the many benefits it brings to them. Many teachers believe that health education takes
away from their already busy teaching schedule so by showing them that it is possible to
integrate it into other subjects, I believe they would be more willing to implement health
education into their classrooms. When it come to the community, they believe that being healthy
is out of reach due to where they live and how much money they make. By educating them and
showing that it is possible to make healthier choices without breaking the bank, they will get on
the road to healthy living. Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, this can be accomplished
by creating school events that the community can attend.
This information can also be used to influence other schools in the district. Lets say Webster
decides to make the necessary changes and they prove to be a huge success, it will encourage
other schools to take a look at policies and make some changes as well. Mesa Unified School
District is the largest school district in the state of Arizona, so hundreds of students would benefit
from having healthier lunch options. A positive domino effect can happen and other school
districts can begin to promote health education in their schools. Now this might seem like a long
shot but all it takes is one school to take the plunge and others will follow. They dont have to
follow the exact same plan, given that some modifications will be necessary to fit the need of
their students but the end goal is the same, having a healthy community.
The information obtained can be used to support my potential topic in many ways. The
research can be used to provide evidence of how successful teachers can be when teaching
students about living a healthy lifestyle. I can take the information that I have found for this
assignment and expand it to add meaning to my signature assignment since I do plan on sharing

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my work with my mentor teacher and potentially the school principal. My goal is to create a plan
that not only Webster would be willing to implement but other elementary schools as well.
School Information
I have been assigned to complete my student teaching at Webster Elementary School, in
Mesa. It is one of many Title I schools in the district and according to AZ Report Card, it has a C
rating. Webster currently has 628 students enrolled with 90% receiving free or reduced lunch.
Due to its location, the school has a high number of Hispanic students. They make up 63% of the
student population. Whites consist of 17% followed by American Indian at 10% and African
American at 6%. According to School Digger, the student to teacher ratio is 17.8. The average
class size at Webster is of 28 students.

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References

Gopher. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from http://www.gophersport.com/resources/activehealthy-schools/

AZ Report Cards. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 201, from
https://azreportcards.com/AcademicIndicators/Indicators
Webster Elementary School. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2016, from
http://www.schooldigger.com/go/AZ/schools/0497000418/school.aspx
Moreno, M. A. (2015). Healthy school lunches. JAMA Pediatrics, 169(1), 100-100.
doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.3427
Newman, C. (2012). The food costs of healthier school lunches. Agricultural and Resource
Economics Review, 41(1), 12-28. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1017876389?accountid=4485

Criteria
Assessmen
t

Exemplary: Points (5)

SCORE:

School
Context /
Writing
Style

SCORE:

Proficient: Points (3)

A minimum of 2 strengths and 2

weaknesses were described
Assessment was completed online and
posted to your E-Portfolio
A direct link was placed at the end of
your document to the assignment in
your E-Portfolio
Suggestions to improve school policies
were clearly stated
At least 2 suggestions to engage
stakeholders were provided

School context contained detailed

information on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores

A minimum of 1 strength and 1

weakness was described
Suggestions to improve school policies
were stated but lacked sufficient detail
At least 1 suggestion to engage
stakeholders was provided
Assessment was completed online and
not in your E-Portfolio
A link was provided to your E-Portfolio
to this assignment, however it wasnt a
direct link to this assignment

School context contained some detailed

information on
grade levels
% free/reduced lunch
enrollment,
proportion ELLs
average class size
urban/rural/suburban,
ethnic makeup
state test scores

A
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AYP status
All of the following are listed in the file
document name submitted
Lastname.firstname.assignment#.course
#
This rubric was added to the last page
of the document submitted
Your document was in APA 6.0 format,
including cover page, body and
reference section with no errors

AYP status
Most of the following are listed in the
file document name submitted
Lastname.firstname.assignment#.course
#
This rubric was added but not at the
end of the document submitted
Document was in APA, however errors
were found in formatting of the
sections

AY
Fe
fil
La
#
Th
do
A