Data were collected from two public secondary schools located in the northeastern United States in order to search for indicators of culture peculiar to each school. Culture was defined in terms of shared norms, values, beliefs, traditions, and patterns of activity. One school was small, was located in a rural area, enrolled about 500 students in grades 7-12, and was staffed by approximately 35 professionals. The other school was larger, was located in a small city, enrolled about 2,300 students in grades 10-12, and was staffed by about 150 professionals. Sixty interviews at the larger school and 40 at the smaller one were conducted with teachers, students, administrators, and other staff members. Participant observation of the two schools was undertaken for a total of 26 school days. Neither of the two schools exhibited an organizational culture that cut across the schools' constituent groups. Students in both schools divided into a number of aggregates and identified being with their friends as a major focus of school life. The closest the students came to identifying with the school was in connection with athletics. The teachers in both schools were relatively fragmented and isolated. A number of norms in the teacher groups encouraged fragmentation as did the lack of a major conflict. (MLF)