Chapter 3: Evaluating the Culture of High Schools in Relation to Their Demographic Characteristics and Performance

This study examined school cultures in all nine high schools in one Ohio county. School culture was assessed using the four sub-scales of the School Culture Quality Survey (SCQS). The instrument was completed by 74% of the teachers across the nine schools. Two of four demographic variables examined had notable associations with the SCQS scores: percent of disadvantaged students (strong negative) and family income (moderate positive). Both performance variables had notable associations with the SCQS scores: student performance on the 10th grade Ohio Graduation Test (strong positive) and school graduation rates (moderate positive). Overall, outcomes support a nexus between school culture and student performance.