Catálogo de Investigaciones | 2010-2011

Educación 40 A learning community’s culture in a second unit rural Low-Performing School: an Ethnography The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to gain a better understanding of the culture in a Second Unit Rural Low- Performing School. Nineteen learning community members were interviewed in regard to the school’s culture and its low performance. If there are teachers certified as highly qualified at the elementary and middle school levels, and the school has considerable human and technical resources, then why has this Second Unit Rural Low-Performing School been in the improvement plan for seven consecutive years? What is occurring with the school’s culture? What basis does the learning community have to sustain their opinions about the students’ achievement gap? How do the learning community and the surrounding community exhibit an interest in improving the situation? The theory of the study is the framework for an organizational behavior within a learning community based on Bolman and Deal’s framework (2002), and DuFour’s Learning Community Model (2004). The methodology employed information collected from interviews, non-participant observations, journals and archived material. The information was gathered to describe, analyze and interpret the relevant aspects of school culture, low performance, and achievement. The majority stated that the director had the maximum authority in school; the major conflict in the learning community was misbehavior; conflicts were by members of the learning community, including the director; there was trust among the members of the learning community. Needs were met with little or no participation from the director; very few incentives were given; acknowledgement was not given. The major goal was to come out of the improvement plan; the school was in improvement plan mode because of the students’ apathy and the parents’ indifference; activities were coordinated at the beginning of the school year through committees; decisions were made by the director; and technical assistance was given by teachers, colleagues, director, supervisors, and facilitators. The school had its symbols. Lina Pérez Rivera mentor Dra. Carmen C. Morales gerencia educativa