Environmental Scan

Summary of Demographics

The focus school is labeled as a fringe rural setting, on the edge of a major city, between rural and urban settings. However, the community is very suburban, with a high population density, well-developed residential areas, and its own infrastructure and services. To identify the correct setting for the environmental scan, I have used the urban and suburban locations to more accurately describe the school’s community. 

This elementary school serves grades Kindergarten through 5th grade and has a population of just under 1,000 students. 41.1% of students are white, and 58.9% of students belong to a minority group. Within that minority group population, the dominant groups represented are Hispanic/Latinx (45.7%), Black/African American (4.5%), and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). The campus has 15% of students considered economically disadvantaged. The focus school performs well above expectations in both math and reading when compared to both the school district and the state. While listed as 15:1, the teacher ratio is more accurately about 22 to 24 students per teacher in general education classrooms. 

All demographic information was gathered from U.S. News and World Report school rankings. 

Summary of Observational Data

In observing the community of this focus school for over ten years, it is evident that the majority of families are quite affluent. The PTO has many parent volunteers who come from single-income households, allowing the unemployed parent to be very involved in school activities. Many of the employed parents are doctors, lawyers, and business owners. Due to its location in Texas, there are many parents employed in various fields of the oil and gas industry. There are less affluent families, as indicated by the 15% economically disadvantaged population, but this is not significant compared to many other districts and campuses. There are a few apartment complexes zoned to the school, but most are relatively new residential neighborhoods with homes averaging between $250,000 to $3,000,000 in value. 

Many students on this campus have personal smartphones or smartwatches, such as an iPhone or Apple Watch. It is not uncommon for students as young as kindergarten to have a personal device, although many do not bring them to school. The campus has classroom Chromebook carts for 1:1 access in grades 3-5 and 1:2 access in grades K-2 across the building. There is no dedicated computer lab, as devices have been moved into each classroom. Additionally, the campus has two sets of iPads available for use as needed. 

All observational data is gathered through personal experience and observation. 

Summary of Environmental Scan Data

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture report, 4% of students in urban areas do not have broadband internet access at all. For suburban areas, similar to the focus school chosen, 70% of students have broadband internet access at home. The conclusion could be drawn that of the 30% of students without internet at home, all but 4% can access the internet regularly in some way. Considering these results by income, which most of the families in this area would be classified as $100k and up, this report would indicate that 90% of students have broadband internet access at home. For the 15% economically disadvantaged population, it could be estimated that only 55% - 80% have internet access at home or could be smartphone-dependent for internet access. Based on this information, for this school and area, almost all students have internet access at home, and all students have regular internet access at school.

When looking at electronic device access, 79% of families with school-aged children have either a shared or personal device at home. For elementary-aged children in particular, 69% of students have a personal tablet, 36% have a personal laptop, and 35% have a personal smartphone. Around 20-25% do not have access to technology at home; however, considering the upper levels of income, this percentage is cut in half, meaning students at the focus school are more likely to have a personal device at home than schools with a lower average income. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture report indicates an assigned grade of a D, or 60-69%, for the state of Texas for technology integration. However, the focus school and district must be significantly higher than this state average. Texas is a large state, and there is such diversity in its schools and school districts. Considering the indicators for technology integration, including broadband internet access and technology access, this school is significantly above the state average. The report lists the percentages of schools with different technologies, and this focus school has all of the technologies listed. This includes internet connection, desktops, laptops, interactive whiteboards, Chromebooks, projectors, tablets, and digital cameras. There are so many districts that do not have these available in Texas, which is where the score of D comes from. However, the technology and applications used most frequently are more similar to the focus school, which seems to be more in line with the national average. The most frequently used technologies are reported as videos, websites, internet searches, music, word processing, online lessons, and interactive whiteboard lessons. This is very similar to the focus school’s technology usage, with one major difference noted. The school district utilizes the Schoology Learning Management System (LMS), and students are on this frequently. Nationally, LMS usage is quite low, so this was a notable difference. Consistency with the lesser-used technologies was also noted. Nationally, there is less creation happening. Less use of technology for video creation, social media, photography, and video conferencing. This is an area in which all schools could grow, including the focus school. 

In conclusion, the chosen focus school is in a better position to leverage technology for student learning than many other districts in the state and nation. There is certainly room for improvement in how technology is utilized by both teachers and students, and the district must strive to remain current on emerging technology. However, in today’s digital age, this school is well-connected to both technology devices and internet capabilities. The community both embraces and values technology integration into education. 

All environmental scan information was gathered from the U.S. Department of Agriculture report.

References

(n.d.). Best Elementary Schools Ranking: Creekview Elementary. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved June 7, 2025, from https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/texas/creekview-elementary-213177 

Michael Cohen Group, L.L.C. (2016). Michael Cohen Group report: Environmental scan of educational technology in U.S. public schools. United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.mcgrc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Report-Environmental-_-Final12.22.2016.pdf