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This content will become publicly available on June 21, 2026

Title: What is school culture? Proposing a new, integrative model
For decades, the term ‘school culture’ has been widely used in scholarly, policy, and popular discussions of education, school reform, and school leadership. Yet, school culture remains an abstract term, and different definitions abound. Moreover, important research on aspects of the school environment often does not fall under the purview of school culture research. Drawing from recent work in organizational sociology and cultural sociology, we develop a model that is both more expansive and more specified, accounting for different sources (formal, informal, environmental) and forms (meanings, practices) of school culture. This model views school culture as not onlyofficialandtop-downbut also asemergentandsituatedand highlights the role of alignment across key elements of a school’s culture. Examples from two very different schools – a ‘no excuses’ charter middle school and a ‘progressive’ high school – illustrate elements of the model and patterns of alignment/misalignment. This model can aid scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in understanding and, ultimately, improving school culture.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2017107
PAR ID:
10613436
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ; ;  
Publisher / Repository:
SAGE Publications
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Theory and Research in Education
Volume:
23
Issue:
2
ISSN:
1477-8785
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: p. 163-187
Size(s):
p. 163-187
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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