The function of secondary education in Canada, the United States, and many other western nations has been significantly altered in the post Second World War era. In response to ever changing economic and social demands they have evolved into institutions of mass public education charged with the mission of preparing increasingly diverse student populations for life as citizens in democratic societies. For many adolescents, however, the role that high school plays in their lives exceeds even this broad mandate. As Boyer (1983) observed, “High school is home for many students. It is the one institution in our culture where it is alright to be young” (p. 38).
As a result of these increased societal demands and enhanced educational mission secondary schools have evolved into complex mini-societies each replete with their own artifacts, espoused value systems, and basic assumptions. Since adolescents are required to spend a significant portion of their teenage years in high school, the extent of success they attain within those institutions is inextricably linked with the degree to which they value school and the process of formal education, as well as the extent to which they perceive that their presence is valued by the institution they attend. Failure to accommodate what Hemmings (2000) referred to as the “corridor curriculum” can play a significant role in determining the degree of long-term success a student encounters during their high school years.
Furthermore, secondary school cultures do not form in a vacuum but rather are developed and nurtured within a framework imposed by a variety of tangible and intangible organizational structures. These include, but are not limited to, the institution’s sense of purpose or mission, its various rituals and tr ...