This study sought to determine characteristics of schools and districts that enjoy the public's strong confidence and to explore how these characteristics are created and retained. A screening procedure produced useable data from 181 "high-confidence" public schools, 30 private schools, and 45 school districts. As part of a preliminary pilot study, open-ended questions were administered to community members in three separate nonrandom surveys conducted to obtain data on gain/lose confidence issues. Responses from the three surveys were categorized and ranked separately and results were used to refine the school based "Confidence Questionnaire" that was sent to high confidence schools and districts. Tables and charts present survey data throughout the report. Results indicated a"people dimension" to high-confidence schools. School personnel (teachers and administrators) are the most important sources of impressions, the most influential in conveying them, and the primary sources of information. Results also demonstrated that high-confidence schools value matters that community respondents claim increase confidence. Other results include the following observations: High confidence schools (1) have clear purposes worked out between and communicated within school and community; (2) are safe and orderly; (3) employ regular needs sensing; (4) have considerable parental and community involvement; (5) exhibit openness, warmth, and caring; (6) have instructional and extracurricular "extras" and word hard at building and retaining the confidence of their publics. Two reference pages and appendices showing the coding systems used for the pilot study and for the school based questionnaire complete the report. (CJH)