Focusing on the area of student participation, this paper considers the findings of a research project conducted by a team at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, and funded by the New South Wales Department of School Education. The project was broadly focused on investigating the dynamics of communication within the school communities of comprehensive high schools. Data were drawn initially from nine comprehensive high schools in western Sydney. A total of 2,713 students drawn from Years 9 and 11 (generally 14-17 year olds), 232 teachers, 622 parents, and 44 business representatives participated in this phase of the project. Three case studies were then selected from this initial sample for further study. Data confirmed many well-documented negative student attitudes toward secondary schooling. It also found that efforts to involve students in school decision making through student government were not understood or appreciated by teachers and students. Interestingly, however, the data also indicated a surprising degree of congruence between student and teacher attitudes on a range of issues pertaining to secondary education. Neither students nor teachers seemed to appreciate this congruence. Essentially this study focused on the processes through which schools engage in building an ethos and the means used to communicate among staff, students, parents, and the wider community. Implications are drawn from the data, and improvements in school initiatives in student participation are suggested. (Author/KDP)