Purchasing Media-Related Equipment

Goal: Spend $1000.00 allocation for the school media center in order to purchase media-related equipment.

Description of School, Library Media Center, and Community:

Pike County High School is located in Brundidge, Alabama and in the county of Pike. Pike County is part of the Black Belt region of Alabama which is known for a lower socioeconomic status. Brundidge has approximately 5000 residents, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. 55% of the population of Brundidge is white, 43% of the population is black, and other minority groups make up the remaining 2% (racial groups such as Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, etc.) Of the approximate 5000 residents of Brundidge, a majority of the population have earned a high school diploma or higher (some years in a two- or four-year college, but no degree earned). Only about 10% of the population reported earning a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Pike County High School serves close to 500 students of various ethnic backgrounds, abilities levels, and socioeconomic statuses. PCHS is a public 7-12 high school and is in the Pike County Schools System. PCHS has 33 full-time teaching units. In addition to standard elective courses such as art, foreign language, and physical education, PCHS houses the Business and Finance Academy which provides an advanced diploma and training in the fields of accounting, finance, banking, and business. The Business and Finance Academy partners with the First National Bank of Brundidge, which has a small branch located on the campus of PCHS, to provide the business and finance education. It is the hope of the administrators and board of education to one day make the program where students receive not only a high school diploma but also an associates degree from an accredited two-year college.

The LMC at PCHS provides teachers with a variety of media resources to enhance instruction. I have spent my allocation to add to a collection that is responsive to teacher needs. I have incorporated a variety of manipulatives for many content areas, technology items for the production of instructional materials by teachers and students, and audio materials. These chosen materials reflect the various learning styles of PCHS students and will help to increase student achievement. Also, while purchasing the media-related equipment, I have tried to purchase items that cover the core content areas where an emphasis is placed for student achievement.