School Management Practices and School Effectiveness in Philippine Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study in Cortes District

Effective school management is essential to sustaining quality teaching, strengthening teacher performance, and improving educational outcomes. This study examined the effectiveness of school management practices and their relationship with school performance in secondary schools in Cortes District, Philippines during the School Year 2025-2026. A mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative accounts of participants’ experiences. The study involved 440 respondents from four secondary schools, comprising four school heads, 108 teachers, and 328 students. Quantitative data were gathered through a validated five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using weighted means and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. Findings showed that overall school management practices were rated Effective (AWM = 4.182). Community and Stakeholder Involvement obtained the highest rating (AWM = 4.260), followed by Teacher Professional Development (AWM = 4.212), Student Services and Support (AWM = 4.211), and School Governance and Policy Implementation (AWM = 4.203). Resource Management received the lowest rating (AWM = 4.011), although it remained within the Effective category. The overall performance of the schools was Very Satisfactory (AWM = 4.197), with teacher performance obtaining the highest rating (AWM = 4.255). School management practices demonstrated a very strong positive relationship with students’ academic performance (r = 0.96, p = 0.039), teacher performance (r = 0.89, p < 0.001), school performance (r = 0.87, p < 0.001), and overall school effectiveness and stakeholder satisfaction (r = 0.90, p < 0.001). Qualitative findings further revealed five themes: collaborative leadership, data-driven decision-making, instructional support and teacher development, challenges in sustaining management practices, and the influence of management practices on student outcomes. The findings indicate that school effectiveness is multidimensional and closely associated with coherent, collaborative, and instructionally responsive management systems. Strengthening resource management, instructional monitoring, and participatory decision-making may further support sustainable school improvement in comparable Philippine secondary-school contexts.