The Impact of Gay-Straight Alliances, School Size, and School Location on School Climate in the Southwest

• In Event: Distributed Leadership for Social Justice in Diverse Localities: The Politics and Pedagogy of Place

Abstract

Previous research has discussed the role of GSAs in promoting inclusive and diverse school climates, but researchers often ignore other factors that may have equal impact on climate. Thus, this study seeks to document the social climate in schools, including its ramifications, regarding the treatment of LGBTQ students in high schools. This quantitative study collected data from 327 college freshman and transfer students who were asked to reflect on their final year of high school and respond to questions about their experiences related to LGBTQ youth, faculty, and staff. Specifically, we focused on an under-studied geographic region—the southwest US—and recruited students from two small, Hispanic-serving Institutions which largely serve non-traditional students from rural school districts. Results indicate that the presence of a GSA explained little difference in climate. Instead, climate was better explained by school size, location, and other demographics of the school. Further, when all of these variables are considered together, socio-political climate and community sentiment appear to provide a comprehensive explanation for school climate. Because our findings indicate that school size and location are greater predictors of school diversity and acceptance than the presence of a GSA on a school campus, we argue that change would not be expected in areas where the overall community climate condones discrimination. As such, discussion centers on the interaction of variables, interpretation of results, and suggestions for future research and implications for future leadership in rural schools.

Authors

• Heraclio Flores, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

• Israel Aguilar

• Jon McPhetres, University of Rochester

• Frank Hernandez, Texas Christian University