Communal School Organization Effects on School Disorder: Interactions with School Structure

Previous research has demonstrated multiple beneficial outcomes of communal school organization for teachers and students alike. The current research uses data from a nationally representative sample of 253 public, non-alternative, secondary schools to examine how a communal school organization interacts with school contextual factors, such as school size and racial diversity, to affect school disorder. It was found that more diverse schools are less likely to be communally organized and that communal school organization had a stronger negative effect on school disorder in these more diverse schools. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.