Rockwell+ES

__**Location**__ Rockwell elementary school is located on 1225 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island. It is a quaint little school, that welcomes all students. The building is classic read brick with large windows for lost of natural light in the classrooms. It is Georgian Revival style with a gable roof. The building is a sturdy and welcome. (Rockwell Elementary School Home page, 2011)[1]
 * Tiffany McClay**
 * Rockwell Elementary School in the District if Bristol Warren, Rhode Island**
 * __Introduction__** Rockwell Elementary School, not only is a beautiful classic school house building but also is a reasonable place to consider sending young children to learn. ‍The school has a great location, a good overall community and a safe and supportive environment. In addition there are excellent teachers, high student achievement, and adequate funding and resources. ‍ All of those aspects of the school will be discussed below along with the diversity within Rockwell.
 * __Demographics__** Rockwell Elementary school has limited diversity in it's demographics. The school is made up of mostly white students, but many other ethnic groups are represented. The American Indian or Alaskan Native students make up 2.3% of the schools' population, while in the state they make up 3.4% of the population in elementary schools. The state has a population of 3.7% Asian elementary schools, and Rockwell has only 1.2% Asian population. There are very few Black or African American students in Rockwell at 2.3% compared to the state at 7.3%. Similarly the state has a higher percentage of Hispanic or Latino students, 19.4%, then Rockwell, 2.6%. Rockwell has no Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders ethnic groups. In the state they only make up 0.7% of the elementary school population. The rest of the student population in both the school and the state are made up of white students‍. Although R ‍ockwell is mostly white there is plenty of room for new students to increase the school's diversity in demographics. (Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), 2010)[2]


 * __Family, Community, and Home Life__** The family, community and home life at Rockwell, is better then that of the state. Compared to the state 30% fewer students are eligible for an alternate lunch plan, meaning the poverty level is less in Rockwell. In Rockwell no students are receiving bilingual education services, but 5% of the students in the state are receiving ESL. In Rhode Island 16% percent of students are in special education and in Rockwell this makes up 7% of students. The Rockwell fourth and fifth graders on the student survey concludes 79.5% have a close friend at school to confide in. This statistic is only slightly increased in the state at 82.2%. In every activity done outside of school (acting in plays, dance, playing an instrument, playing on a sports team, playing outside, bike riding, etc.) more students participate from Rockwell then do students in the state. Rockwell students have a good life in their home in Bristol, and at school. (RIDE, 2010)


 * __Safe and Supportive__** The school and student reported information indicates‍ that Rockwell is a ‍safe school. There was only one suspension in the 2009-2010 school year at Rockwell. Only 36.8% of students (fourth and fifth graders) do not feel safe when they see a stranger in the hall, but 87.2% feel safe on the way to school, and 65.5% feel safe walking outside of school at Rockwell. This compares to the state with 45% of students not feeling safe with a stranger in the hall, 82.4% of students feeling safe going to school, and 67.9% feeling safe walking around school grounds. Unfortunately bullying is evident in the state and the elementary school. Although the percents of students who have been bullied at school, or on the bus, name called, or picked on at Rockwell closely mirror the percentages of the state. Bullying is not something people can hide from. Similarly, fights and illegal activity at Rockwell resemble the elementary schools through Rhode Island. In both the school and state 23% of students have been in a fight during the past school year, and 25.6% of students have seen another student with a weapon. The other statistics vary some but are close in the state and school, including small percentages of students who have been offered or ingested drugs or alcohol. Finally roughly 20%-23% of students have been robbed at school. The state is on the higher end. All things considered Rockwell is not a dangerous school. (RIDE, 2010)

In addition, Rockwell is a supportive school. The attendance rate for 2009-2010 is 96% in Rockwell and 94% in Rhode Island. The chronic absenteeism is also less in the school, 7%, then the state, 16% in 2008-2009. That is the most current data available. Students, fourth and fifth graders, can talk to a teacher about problems at home, 40.2%, about problems in a class, 90.5%, and about a problem with another student, 85.2% at Rockwell. The fourth and fifth graders in the overall state report 57.6% can talk to a teacher about a problem at home, 94.8% about an issue in a class, and 91.5% about a difficulty with another student. Also, according to the survey 74.7% think Rockwell teachers are nice to the students, but only 51.7% of students are nice back. Rhode Island states 83.9% of teachers are kind to students, and 45.7% of students are nice to teachers. Even though the state seems more supportive, Rockwell is still a very supportive school. The facts prove that. (RIDE, 2010)


 * __Teaching__** According to the school data all of the teachers are well qualified to teach as is true for the state. There is a teacher to student ratio of 1:10 at Rockwell, and 1:11 in Rhode Island. In a survey the fourth and fifth graders reported a wide variety of teaching styles throughout Rockwell. The state has a lesser variety. In Rockwell many teachers assign individual, partner, and group work usually with thorough directions. This helps students with social, and communication skills. Students are frequently helped by teachers with organization, a life long skill, and with missed work if they have been absent. In addition, over half of students in the state and at Rockwell feel that their teachers care. The same is true for the state and students who think their teacher likes teaching. Only 42.5% of Rockwell students think their teachers like teaching. Rockwell is a good elementary school partly due to the teachers. (RIDE, 2010)

__**Student Achievement**__ Student achievement is high at Rockwell elementary school. The school met 9 of the target areas it needed to meet according to the state to be a passing school. The state testing, the NECAP, taken by all third, forth and fifth graders. Each grade takes the math and reading sections, while the fourth graders also take science and fifth graders all take writing, but not science. The scores across all three grades are consist, 64% to 87% of students pass the test, while in the state only 44% to 73% pass the NECAP. According to surveys done by the students in fourth and fifth grade, 85.6% in the state think they will graduate high school, and 88.5% of Rockwell students see themselves getting a diploma. About 80% of students at Rockwell and in the state believe they will go to college. The student achievement levels in Rockwell are higher than that of the state. (RIDE, 2010)

(Table from RIDE, 2010.)
 * __Funding and Resources__** The funding and resources are explained best with the results from the survey taken by fourth and fifth graders. Rockwell looks nice inside according to 81.8% and looks nice on the outside according to 85.2%. The state elementary schools, 86.8% look nice inside and 80.5% look nice outside. In both state and Rockwell about 79% of students reported soap regularly in the bathroom. The classroom is the right temperature only 25% of the time at Rockwell, and 37.2% of the time throughout the school. About 92% to 93% of the students in Rhode Island and Rockwell report having enough textbooks for everyone. Similarly, around 74%-78% of students say the desks are the correct size, and about 68%-70% use computers in class. In order to support the student survey results here are some average money amounts for the district of Bristol Warren based on taxes and spending in the table below. (RIDE, 2010)
 * ~ Tax and Spending FY2008 ||~ This District ||
 * District Property Value per Student || $ 1,290,204.84 ||
 * District Tax Rate per $1000.00 || $ 11.20 ||
 * District Per Pupil Expenditure || $ 19,413.55 ||
 * District Property Tax Capacity || $ 100.00 ||
 * District Tax Effort || $ 79.00 ||
 * District Median Family Income || $ 53,740.00 ||


 * __Conclusion__** ‍All things considered, good and bad, Rockwell Elementary school is a wonderful place to send young learners to expand their minds. The diversity may be limited, but the learning envroinment is safe and affective. The community and school are great places to raise a family. Any potential parents will love Rockwell Elemenrtary School inside and out. ‍T‍o see information about the Bristol Warren school district click here. ‍ To learn about Bristol town click here.


 * 1) ^ Rockwell School Officials. (2011). Rockwell Elementary School - Rockwell Elementary School. Retrieved October 31, 2011, from []
 * 2) ^ Rhode Island Department of Education. (2010). Rockwell Elemetary School. //InfoWorks LIVE!// Retrieved October 26, 2011, from []