A study of large, academically successful, comprehensive high schools : Leadership practices and organizational components.

The public's concern regarding under performing students and the achievement gap that exists among different socio-economic and ethnic groups has been addressed throughout American history in a series of legislations and court rulings that called for accountability and reform.

For generations our country has debated the purpose, role, and description of effective administration of public education.

Research indicates that school leadership and organizational management play a significant role in the effective operation of successful schools.

The intent and focus of this study was to identify the leadership practices and organizational components that are common to large, academically successful high schools.

For the purpose of this study, comprehensive high schools that ranked in the top 10% of all schools on the California Academic Performance Index (API) were identified as academically successful.

The study was also limited to large schools with over 1300 students tested, in grades nine through eleven.

The data collected in this study identified common leadership practices and organizational components of nine California high schools that met the criteria.

These questions guided the study: What leadership practices as identified and defined in documents prepared for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation process are common to large comprehensive high schools recognized as academically successful by ranking in the top ten percent of all schools on the California Academic Performance Index (API)?

What organizational components as identified and defined in documents prepared for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation process are common to large comprehensive high schools recognized as academically successful by ranking in the top ten percent of all schools on the California Academic Performance Index (API)?

The schools, as part of the accreditation process, prepared an extensive self-study document.

A visiting accreditation team also prepared a report that verified the self-study and identified strengths and areas recommended for growth for the school being reviewed.

The accreditation process delved into a number of organizational and leadership components that were compared for common themes and trends.

Based on the analysis of these documents a number of trends in leadership practices and organizational components were found.