Demographics
MacFarland Middle School is located in Ward 4 of Washington, D.C., in the neighborhood of Petworth. MacFarland prides itself on its dual language program and is mostly comprised of students from the neighborhood who are majority Black and Latinx. The English Language Arts program is multifaceted in that we serve students who are newcomers to the United States and don’t speak any English up through students who read English at the college level. As of the most recently published District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) demographic profile, MacFarland was comprised of 41% Black students, 54% Hispanic/Latino students, 2% white students, 1% Asian students, and 1% multiple race students.1 Thirty-six percent of the school’s students are multilingual learners, meaning that English is not their first language and 47% of all students are considered “at-risk.”2 A DCPS student is considered “at-risk” if they are homeless, in foster care, or qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.3 Only 25% of students at MacFarland scored proficient or advanced on the 2024 District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE), the standardized end of year exam for English Language Arts, with 23% approaching proficiency.4 I see my students for eighth grade English Language Arts two to three times per week for about 80 minutes per class, according to our rotating block schedule. Given the linguistic, cultural, and academic diversity in my classroom, I need to scaffold and differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of all learners where they are.
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