ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP EFFECT ON COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE

College entrance exam scores, namely the SAT and ACT, are an important criteria for students applying for admission to their college of choice. Clinedinst, Hurley, and Hawkins (2012) stated that almost ninety percent of colleges and universities ranked college entrance exam scores as considerately or moderately important in the admission process, and more than 1.6 million high school graduates participated in taking the SAT and/or ACT in 2012. With college entrance exams having such a profound impact on college admission and with the existence of large achievement gaps, it becomes a responsibility of school leaders to work towards improvement of participation and performance on SAT and ACT. This study investigated leadership practices that have positive impact on college entrance exam participation and performance. The study analyzed SAT and ACT data in identified high performing Texas high school campuses, campus groups as identified by Texas AEIS reports, and state averages. Selected Texas public school districts and high schools were contacted to participate in interviews that sought to identify leadership actions associated with their identified strengths in the area of SAT and ACT participation and performance. This study used the archival data from the Texas AEIS report and College Entrance exam reports together with collected interviews of school leaders. The study identified practices that will inform and influence school leaders to improve student participation and performance on SAT and ACT.