An Analysis of Cultural Influences on STEM Schools: Similarities and Differences Across K-12 Contexts Kristin Lesseig 1 & Jonah Firestone 1 & Judy Morrison 1 & David Slavit 1 & Tamara Holmlund 1 Received: 1 May 2017 /Accepted: 24 December 2017 # Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan 2018 Abstract Despite the increasing number of inclusive STEM schools, little is known about the cultural dimensions that influence STEM curriculum and instruction within these schools. This paper describes research conducted at three inclusive STEM schools, one each at the elementary, middle, and high school level. We explored similarities and differences in cultural dimensions across the schools with specific attention to how these differentially influence teachers’ perceptions and enactment of STEM curriculum and instruction across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Our cross-case analysis revealed structural aspects (school vision, community partnerships, course scheduling, and testing pressures) as well as professional orienta- tions (i.e., instructional practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and teacher content knowledge) that appear particularly important to student learning experiences at each grade level. Navigating these factors of STEM school culture requires teachers to not only be knowledgeable but also to draw on a professional orientation that encourages collaboration and risk-taking. We discuss implications for teacher education and STEM school development. Keywords STEM education . STEM schools . Teacher education . School culture The number of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) schools in the USA and internationally continues to grow at unprecedented rates (Thomas & Williams, 2009). In the context of this movement, there has been a recent focus on the creation of inclusive STEM elementary and middle schools that seek to broaden participation in STEM through more open admissions requirements (Erdogan & Int J of Sci and Math Educ https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-017-9875-6 * Kristin Lesseig kristin.lesseig@wsu.edu 1 Washington State University Vancouver, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686, USA