THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO RELATE THE VARIABLES OF POWER AND INFLUENCE TO OPERATIONAL DECISIONMAKING IN SELECTED HIGH SCHOOLS. TWO HIGH SCHOOLS IN A WEST COAST CITY ARE EXAMINED (1) TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE DEGREE OF DECISIONMAKING INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS AND GROUPS, (2) TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF PERSONS WITHOUT FORMAL (OFFICIAL) POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY IN DECISIONMAKING, AND (3) TO DETERMINE WHETHER REPUTATIONS FOR INFLUENCE CORRESPOND TO FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL POSITIONS. THE SCHOOLS WERE CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF SIMILARITY OF FORMAL ORGANIZATION, WRITTEN ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES, SCHOOL PROGRAMS, STUDENT ENROLLMENT, NUMBER OF FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, LOCATION IN A COMMON SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND IDENTIFICATION OF SIMILAR ISSUES FOR ANALYSIS. THE REPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUE AND THE ISSUE ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE WERE USED AS METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES. THE STUDY SOUGHT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS, UTILIZING ALL RELEVANT DATA AND GENERALIZATIONS PREVIOUSLY GATHERED FOR THE PROJECT--(1) THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH REPUTATIONS FOR POWER AND INFLUENCE CORRESPOND TO FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL POSITION, (2) MODIFICATION OF POWER AND INFLUENCE IN DECISIONMAKING BY PERSONS IN THE SCHOOL WHO DO NOT HOLD FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS OR POSITIONS, (3) THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH PERSONS WITHOUT FORMAL POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY IN THE SCHOOLS EXERCISE INFLUENCE IN DECISIONMAKING, (4) MEANS BY WHICH EXTRA-ORGANIZATIONAL POWER AND INFLUENCE ARE MANIFESTED, AND (5) PRESENCE OF A CONSISTENCY BETWEEN PERSONAL REPUTATION FOR POWER AND INFLUENCE AND PERCEIVED EXERCISE OF POWER AND INFLUENCE CONCERNING DECISIONS. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, FEBRUARY 8-10, 1968). (HM)