This case study focuses on a 5th grade student named Jenny at Rufino Vigo Elementary School. Jenny seems fully bilingual but is not achieving high grades. The study aims to observe Jenny and design work plans to help her improve focus and test performance. Data gathered through observations and questionnaires revealed Jenny has attention issues and lacks English practice at home. Work plans included assigning a study buddy, modifying Jenny's seating, and daily homework to compensate for time missed with her psychologist. By monitoring Jenny's achievement, the case study seeks to understand her situation and provide individualized teaching to help her succeed.

1. University of Puerto Rico at Humacao
English Department
Teaching Education Unit
Case Study
Rufino Vigo Elementary School’s 5th-1
School District: Las Piedras
Cooperating Teacher: Luz N. Aponte
Sherley Marie Cordero López
842-06-1474
Practice Teaching
EDPE 3018
Dr. Aníbal Muñoz Claudio

2. Introduction
A case study in the practice teaching scenario refers to the collection and presentation of detailed
information about a particular student. The purpose for this case study is to observe a student and
gathered information systematically. This case study is a descriptive research that includes a
situation that motivated choosing a particularly student in 5-1 classroom of the Rufino Vigo at
Humacao and the justification of the study. It also includes the background information of the
student, supplementary information such as academic achievement, home and family life, health
conditions, special abilities, interests, and future plans. The case study has to state the
hypothetical account of the problem. This hypothetical explanation will guide the research for
possible causes of the situation encountered in the classroom. The information collected through
research will help me with the designing of a work plan. The work plan will organize several
activities to target the situation that motivated the case study. This case study has several stages
in where I will be gathering information. The data collected in each stage will be compared to
one another in order to check the currency of the hypothesis. When the case study comes to the
end I will state the final reactions of the research.

3. I- Identification
The student that I chose for the Practice Teaching Case Study is Jenny (fictitious
name to protect her identity). She is eleven years old. She is enrolled at the Rufino
Vigo Elementary School in fifth grade. The home address is Bo. Buena Vista PO
BOX 266 Humacao, PR. She lives with her grandparents and her little brother.
Jenny’s grandmother studied up to eighth grade and her grandfather graduated from
high school. Grandmother is a housekeeper of fifty years old. Grandfather of fifty six
years old is pensioned. Jenny is in a religious environment in where her grandparents’
beliefs are Christian.
II- Justification
Thesituation that motivated me for the selection of Jennyas my candidate for the case
study is that she seems to be fully bilingual but she is not transmitting her knowledge
to her grades. As I have observed Jenny, I noticed that she has the possibilities to
master the higher level of thinking. Jennyis a student that if an analysis question is
presented to her she tries to answer. When I observed Mrs. Aponte’s lessons I
noticed that there where days in where Jenny was fully engaged and days in where
she was easily distracted. When I was in the period of observation, I noticed that she
was not capable to finish the lesson activities. Mrs. Aponte communicated me that
she has improved significantly compared to her first semester after her return from
the United States. My main goal with Jenny is to give her techniques to stay focus
and reach the higher level of competencies that she is capable to achieve. I know is
frustrated that a student is practically fully bilingual but when it comes to performing

4. in terms of tests she could not obtained excellent grades. I believe that this is what
Jenny needs the most so I will be designing a work plan to help her.
III- Hypothetical Account
While I was in the observation stage I noticed that Jenny’s behavior was excellent in
terms of the classroom environment. I also observed her outside the classroom and
she is often teased by her peers.In terms of the attention span, she is not a hundred
percent engaged in the lesson activities. She has moments when she is not mentally in
the classroom. When I was introduced to my practice students I was experiencing a
different perspective of the possible causes that may lead to Jenny’s situation. The
arrangement of the seats in Mrs. Aponte’s classroom follows a non-traditional style.
Jenny is located at the front of a row of seats but she is not facing the teacher or the
board. I am suspecting that she is registered in Special Education due to her problems
has problem with the attention span. I also believe that she does not have the
appropriate help from her grandparents in the English class because in an interview
with the students she said that she did not practice the language at home because in
her house the only language that was spoken was Spanish.
IV- First Work Plan

5. Date Activities Purpose Persons Involved
Make Choose at least Mrs. Aponte
observations and three students as Students
January identify situations the
that are worth for possiblecandidates
a case study. for the case study.
Send Group Get to know my Students
Profile students in terms of Parents
Monday, January 23, 2012 Questionnaire home environment,
health conditions,
aptitudes, interests.
Narrow Selecting the case Mrs. Aponte
myobservation to study prospect. Student #1
Friday, January 27, 2012 two students. Jenny
Choose a student Focus on Jenny’s Mrs. Ruiz
based on the situation. (homeroom
February 1st week gathering of teacher)
information.
Sitting Eliminate Mrs. Aponte
Arrangement distractors by
February 2nd week sitting the student
closed to the
teacher.
Notifying the Explain the Mrs. Aponte
grandparents purpose of the case Grandmother
February 3rd week about the case study and gathered Jenny
study. more information.
Assign a study The study buddy Jenny
buddy for Jenny. will help her to Student #3
stay focus and at
the same time both
February 4th week students will have
activities that will
challenge their
current stage of
competence to a
higher level.
Monitor Jenny’s Analyze Jenny’s Mrs. Aponte
March 1st- March 8 achievement. achievement and Mrs. Ruiz
obtain data to build
my next activity.
March 9 – March 16 English Week English Week English Week
V- New Analysis of Student’s Problem

6. Based on the supplementary information, Jenny is enrolled in the Special Education
program. She is often pulled out of the classroom by the psychologist of the
Department of Education of Puerto Rico in order to receive therapy. This is a major
problem because I cannot prevent the service to the student since that is her rights.
She is missing a lot of quality discussion time in the classroom. She also had different
health conditions that may affect her but during this semester her medical conditions
have being stable.
I had an interview with the social worker regarding to Jenny’s family background and
her information was an excellent help to this case study. The social worker could not
give me details about her background information due to confidentiality policies. As
an overall, the social worker explained to me that a certain group of Jenny’s family
had genes that are mutated due to consanguinity relationships. Jenny and her brother
were removed from their mother’s house and the authorities gave her father full
custody. She was with her father in United States for one year where she acquired her
second language. She was lowered a grade in the United States so she had to repeat
fourth grade. Then, she was transferred to Puerto Rico because the government gave
her grandmother full custody of the children due to problems with her father. She is
psychologically affected by different events in her life. I also investigate that her
spaced out moments in the classroom are due to medicines she has to take prescript
by a psychiatrist.
VI- Second Work Plan

7. Date Activities Purpose Persons Involved
Help her Jenny
Daily Homework establishing a
March 26-April 3 study routine and
in this way the
time that she is
with the
psychologist is
recompensed.
Monitor Jenny’s Analyze Jenny’s Mrs. Aponte
achievement achievement and Mrs. Ruiz
April 4- April 19 obtain data to
conclude with the
case study.
PPAA PPAA PPAA
April 20- April 24
VII- Final Reactions
The data gathered during the case study phases help me understand the individual
situations that a student may encountered. This investigation makes me realize that I
have to know my students in order to provide them an individualized teaching. When
I realize the reasons why Jenny was performing in a certain way I could help her
improve her skills in the language. The actions taken were assertive because were
focused on giving her techniques to stay alert during a lesson and to expand her
attention span. There was time that I have to reinforce her sense of responsibility.
When the psychologist gave her therapy I had to remind her that she had to copy the
material from a peer, specifically her study buddy, and work with her assignments.
This is an excellent recommendation to those teachers who encountered the same
situation because it is a great help for those students. Jenny’s final grade is the result
of her effort. She was always in the minimum execution point and sometimes over it.