What makes high schools successful in a high-stakes accountability environment? This case study used documents, interviews, and site visits to create profiles of 11 diverse North Carolina high schools with records of high performance on state assessments. Profiles were analyzed by themes or patterns of success recurring in the data. The analysis indicated five patterns of success: relationships and connections; safety nets and family feeling, data-directed dialogue and collaborative instruction; departments as drivers; and collaborative leadership. Implications for educational practice are provided.

No abstract