Whitney Elementary: Creating a Culture for Learning and Achievement

Whitney Elementary is located in a small school district consisting of seven elementary schools and two middle schools. The district serves 3,423 students, 54 per cent of whom are White, non-Hispanic, 11 per cent Black, non-Hispanic, 22 per cent Hispanic, 2 per cent Asian, and 2 per cent other. In 1988-89, Whitney Elementary had an enrollment of 525 students and was fairly representative of the district’s overall socioeconomic and ethnic makeup. For example, at Whitney, 10 per cent of the students came from professional families. At the district level 7 per cent fell into this category. The parents of most students at both the school and district level fell into the skilled and unskilled categories with Whitney having 45 per cent and 20 per cent respectively, and the district having 39 per cent of its student parents in the skilled category and 25 per cent in the unskilled group. At both the school and district level there are very few non-English speaking students. Sixteen per cent of the students at Whitney were classified as fluent in English plus a second language, and 1.3 per cent were designated as limited or non-English proficient students. Twelve per cent received Aid to Families with Dependent Children, which represented an increase over the previous years and 25 per cent received free or reduced price lunches. The school has a socioeconomic index of 2.02 which made it middle to low-middle class compared to other schools in the state.