Students' perceptions of alternative high schools that give rise to persistence through graduation: Organizational characteristics and school culture

Understanding the organizational culture of an alternative school can be useful in improving the students' persistence through high school. Improving this culture while looking through the eyes of the students who are served in this culture can be even more beneficial. One of the benefits that emerge is related to persistence through high school to graduation. A high school diploma is one of the most basic requirements needed for life in the 21st century and yet almost one third of the young people in the United States are not finishing high school.; This study involved students from an alternative high school in a western state who had graduated and received their high school diploma. The purpose of the study was to get feedback from these alternative high school graduates about the culture of their alternative school. Qualitative methods, including interviews and member checking, were used to consider what the alternative high school culture meant to the graduates. After coding the responses of the students in the study, a distinct pattern emerged showing that the size of the school and classes, the structure of the school, and the attitude of the teachers, administrators, and staff were the factors that most clearly defined their alternative school experience. Smaller learning environments, both schoolwise and classwise, were both identified by the students interviewed as an important aspect of their alternative school. The structure of the school day was also an aspect of the culture that was responded to in a positive way by the interviewees. Finally, the positive, helping attitude of the administrators, teachers, and staff at the alternative school was a part of the school culture that these students recognized and valued.; The perception of the organizational culture was examined through the students' eyes. Questions were also posed for further research that might aid in improving student graduation rates as well as concentrating on the areas of the school culture that the students found most beneficial. Identifying these areas of school culture to better inform teachers and administrators about the positive impact of this type of culture was also considered.