This paper presents a comparative case study of two students learning in an urban environment but characterized by high motivation, effective discipline, small classes, generous academic support, counseling, and educational equipment. The primary question driving the study relates to the challenges to meaningful learning in a special science high school that provides an interactive, stimulating environment in which to learn science. A traditional naturalistic design is employed in this study and a discussion of participant selection, trustworthiness, sources of bias, and document analysis is provided. Cognitive disengagement is defined and identified as an explanation of the results. Excerpts from the data are included to support the conclusions related to school achievement and conceptual understanding. Contains 12 references. (DDR)