Identifying Differences between Two Groups of High-Needs High Schools

This study examined differences in nine factors between a group of the highest-performing needs high schools (HPHN) and a group of the lowest performing high-needs (LPHN) high schools using teacher responses from a national dataset. The factors are: (1) shared mission and goals; (2) professional development; (3) collaboration among teachers (4) assessment and monitoring; (5) parent involvement; (6) safe climate; (7) orderly climate; (8) support for teacher influence at the school level; and (9) support for teacher influence at the classroom level. High needs high schools were schools with greater than 50% of their students eligible for free or reduced price lunch. Meaningful and statistically significant differences in seven of the nine factors suggest that teachers' perceptions of these factors in highest-performing high schools differ from teachers' perceptions in lowest performing high schools. These differences were identified through a descriptive analysis. The factors with significant differences, however, do suggest areas for further research. Appended are: (1) Identification of School Level Factors for the Study; (2) Item Map of SASS Questions to Constructs; (3) Descriptive Comparisons of HPHN vs. LPHN; (4) Analyses; and (5) Sampling Methodology. (Contains 19 tables, 2 boxes, and 14 footnotes.)