Cuauhtemoc Elementary School, an effective school at the center of the El Bethi community, Hidalgo, Mexico

Abstract

This research work explores factors associated with good academic performance of students in a public elementary school located in the Otomí community of El Bethí in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Students from this institution had an outstanding academic performance in three national assessments: Enlace 2012, Planea 2015, and 2016. For this reason and because of its location in a marginalized socioeconomic context, the school is identified as effective. A qualitative case study approach, with analytical tools from organizational sociology and symbolic interactionism was developed to find out how institutional management, teacher involvement, and family involvement combine to attain sustained school achievement. Some of our findings indicate that educational management in this school is based on a directive model of distributed, horizontal and people-centered leadership, prioritizing communication and respect among all. Teachers with deep roots in the region and committed to their work have a genuine interest in preserving indigenous culture and continuously improving learning, together with co-responsibility from the students’ parents, high levels of participation, as well as identification and appropriation of the school space as a public-community place of great value.