Descriptive findings concerning organization and management practices in 16 urban high schools across the United States are reported in this paper. The findings are based on data from the as yet incomplete 3-year District/Secondary School Study. This research effort involved urban comprehensive high schools without special admissions requirements and with significant numbers of students drawn from minority and low income groups. Some schools were examined intensively through interviews, observations, and analysis of records; others participated only in limited interviews. The paper first reviews relevant elements of school effectiveness theory and organizational excellence theory. The researchers sought data on dependent variables reflecting school performance outcomes and independent variables reflecting the presence of characteristics found in the effectiveness and excellence theories. District policies and community characteristics were also considered. This paper reports that the school-related organizational characteristics suggested by the effectiveness and excellence theories are not present in all schools. The research further found that schools varied in the extent to which the district participated directly in school administrative decisions. The relationship between these findings and school performance is not reported because the research is not yet complete, but preliminary analysis suggests that some relationship may be found. (PGD)