Updated: Oct 3rd, 2025

Contextual Factors of Gloria Willis Middle School: Community, School District, and School Research Paper

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Table of Contents

Purpose
Community
School District
School Program
References

Purpose

The choice of educational institution at which I want to teach is of particular value. To make this decision, it is necessary to study many factors that will help come to the correct conclusion. Among these critical indicators are the community, the school district, and the school. Thus, I chose Gloria Willis Middle School, where I want to teach students in grades 6 or 7. To gain knowledge about this educational institution, it is necessary to analyze key contextual factors and their potential impact on the teaching-learning process.

Community

Table 1 – Contextual Factors of Community

Contextual Factors	Findings
Location (urban, suburban, or rural)	The educational institution is located at 1735 N 64 Terrace, Kansas City. The location is an urban area located in the state of Missouri.
Socioeconomics/Income	The average income of the Kansas City population is $75,137, and the poverty rate is 18.59% (“Kansas City, Missouri population 2023,” n.d.).
History	Early mentions of Kansas date back to 1838 when French fur traders arrived by the Missouri River (“Kansas City,” N.D.). When Missouri was characterized by a large number of slaves, Kansas had none
US Census Demographics: Population	Kansas has a population of 508,090, of which 22.8% are under the age of 18 (“Quick Facts,” n.d.).
US Census Demographics: Population by Race	55.5% of the population is the white community, 26.5% is African American, and 10.7% are people of Hispanic heritage (“Quick Facts,” n.d.).
Population Trends	Research stated that “Kansas City is currently growing at a rate of 0.93% annually” and has a density of 1,660 people per square mile (“Kansas City, Missouri population 2023,” n.d., para. 1).

Implications

One of the leading contextual factors that might impact the teaching-learning process is the number of people living in poverty. Expanding opportunities for obtaining the necessary knowledge is also necessary for this segment of the population. Thus, an educational program must be altered to teach children from poverty on an equal footing with others.

The second factor is the great diversity of racial communities in the state. This will promote equality and cultural awareness in the teaching-learning process.

School District

Table 2 – Contextual Factors of School District

Contextual Factors	Findings
Enrollment	Gloria Willis Middle School has 741 students in grades 6-8 (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” n.d.).
Student Demographics: % ELL Students	The enrollment of English language learning students is 93%, and most of them are Hispanic (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” n.d.).
Student Demographics: Students on F/R Lunches	Gloria Willis Middle School has 524 free lunch-eligible students and 85 reduced-price lunches (“School directory information,” n.d.).
Student Demographics: Ethnicity/Race	7.3% are white students, almost 45% are Hispanic, 35.8% are Black, and 8.2% are Asian (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” 2022).
Per Pupil Expenditure	Gloria Willis Middle School has $1,075 expenditures per student (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” 2023).
Academic Performance	The academic performance at Gloria Willis Middle School is relatively low. Research states that “math proficiency is in the bottom 50%, and reading proficiency is in the bottom 50%” (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” n.d., para. 2).

Implications

Academic performance is the first contextual factor associated with this school district that might impact the teaching-learning process. The study of the sources showed that the school has low performance indicators for children, which may require changes in the educational program to improve these indicators. Knowledge and skills in mathematics and reading are critical for students in grades 6 and 7.

The second aspect is the high enrollment level of English language learning students. This factor indicates the need to pay attention to language learning and phenomena such as cultural diversity and awareness.

School Program

Table 3 – Contextual Factors of School

Contextual Factors	Findings
% Students on F/R Lunches	Gloria Willis Middle School has about 70% free lunch-eligible students and 11% reduced-price lunch (“School directory information,” n.d.).
Enrollment	741 students in 6-8 grade (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” n.d.).
Ethnicity	7.3% of students are white, 45% are Hispanic, and 35.8% are African American (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” 2022).
Achievement Scores	There is a 23% test score for math and a 24% reading score (“Gloria Willis Middle School,” n.d.).
Disciplinary Actions	Sources have shown that the school has problems regulating deviant behavior among students and a lack of parental involvement (Kraske & Ruiz, 2022).
School Recognitions	Gloria Willis Middle School is unranked among Kansas Middle Schools.

Implications

The first factor regarding the school curriculum is concern about the lack of preventive and regulatory measures to control school discipline. This can lead to problems during the teaching-learning process. They may arise due to the need to pay more attention to students’ behavior rather than the direct assimilation of new knowledge.

The second factor is low achievement scores, which may affect the need for a slower learning process due to students’ unique needs. This implies adapting the program to the speed of students’ perception of new information to obtain the most satisfactory results that will raise the school’s ranking in the state rankings.

References

Gloria Willis Middle School. (2023). Neighborhood scout. Web.

Gloria Willis Middle School. (n.d.). Public school review. Web.

Gloria Willis Middle School. (n.d.). US news. Web.

Kansas City, Missouri population 2023. (n.d.). World population review. Web.

Kansas City. (n.d.). Historic Kansas City. Web.

Kraske, S. & Ruiz, E. (2022). Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools dad calls for more parent involvement to deter crime. KCUR. Web.

Quick facts. (n.d.). United States Census Bureau. Web.

School directory information. (n.d.). National center for educational statistics. Web.