Mrs. Jones teaches in a school that has made a commitment to focus on improving students' reading skills by increasing the allocation of instructional time for reading. The faculty is philosophically committed to inclusion. Therefore, her students represent a heterogeneous mix of backgrounds and include students with specific learning disabilities, speech and language disabilities, English language learners, and students who have widely diverse reading abilities.

Her fourth grade classroom is equipped similarly to the other elementary classrooms in her district in terms of instructional materials, computers, and access to the Internet. She teaches in a suburban district located northwest of Chicago. The district has a total school population of 11,500 students of which approximately 1,500 have identified disabilities. The district has set a goal to upgrade facilities built between 1969 and 1985 to provide appropriate technology for instructional use and faculty/staff support.