The alienation and commitment of students and teachers in urban high schools. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement

Problems of urban high schools, including poor attendance, high dropout rates, low achievement, and poor social relationships, are linked together by a strong sense of alienation among students and teachers. Yet much of the educational research and policy treat these issues separately. In this study a conceptual framework for understanding student and teacher commitment is presented and illustrated with data from a field study of 10 urban high schools. An open-ended interview approach was used to obtain information on school factors, student commitment / and teacher commitment. The findings showed how teachers and students are in conflict even though they are members of two mutually dependent subcultures. Teachers and students must respect and affiliate with one another. Teachers must make schoolwork interesting for students. Administrative tasks and paperwork must be decreased to a level that does not burden teachers. Administrative support for teachers is needed. Strategies for maximizing commitment must include attention to the following five school factors: (1) relevance; (2) respect; (3) support; (4) expectations; and (5) influence. (VM) *******************************************************i*************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document.