TDNet Discover

The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to investigate how the implementation of a unified campus identity influenced school culture and student achievement for students and staff in a rural dual-campus PreK-12 setting. The problem of practice was that, as a newly aligned rural dual-campus system, Bennett Elementary School and Laughlin Junior/Senior High School would continue to experience inconsistent communication, fragmented expectations, and uneven culture practices across grade bands, weakening stakeholder connectedness and limiting the system’s ability to sustain improvement in attendance and student achievement. Guided by interpersonal communication theory and social exchange theory, this study examined how shared meaning, trust, and reciprocal relationships influenced stakeholder engagement and collective commitment to campus identity. The setting included two campuses serving a small, geographically isolated community with a history of low performance and ongoing improvement needs. Data collection included focus groups, organizational artifact review, and analysis of student achievement and attendance indicators using thematic analysis of qualitative data, descriptive and comparative analyses of quantitative indicators, and triangulation across data sources to develop an integrated interpretation of how the initiative is experienced and how it is associated with changes in culture-related measures and student outcomes. Anticipated results included improved connectedness, stronger school culture, improved attendance, and positive movement in student achievement across the system.