Abstract:

This study explores the effects of the High Priority School Grant (HPSG) on improving academic performance of the lowest performing schools in California. Using mixed methods, it compares the HPSG grant recipient schools that made significant academic improvement to the HPSG schools that stayed stagnant. It first tests if the differences in academic performance come from school background characteristics. Then it engages in a case study of 8 high schools to analyze the relationships between the organizational characteristics of schools and the way funding is used. This study found that organizational characteristics, such as leadership of principals, member participation in decision making, and existence of coherent goals and plans, have a significant influence on the ability of schools to make effective use of grant funding and to achieve higher student performance.