What is rigor? A qualitative analysis of one school's definition

In an era of increasing accountability, school administrators and faculties often find themselves amid a plethora of best practices and strategies aimed at improving students’ academic achievement. In the midst of these discussions, school culture is often hailed as the key to creating effective schools because it defines how people within a particular school are to behave and what they are to value (Stolp & Smith, 1995). Furthermore, it allows administrators to draw attention to some of the culture’s most important aspects: its values, beliefs, and assumptions that create the school’s vision for excellence (Stolp & Smith, 1995). Malloy (2005) further asserts that “a school’s culture creates an environment where students can respond to the instruction afforded them” (p. 140). Malloy’s definition clarifies that school culture not only impacts the ways schools “feel” to people who walk the halls, but that culture also has a direct impact on student achievement and learning.