School Management Practices and Scholastic Performance of Culturally Diverse Community in Government Elementary Schools

Every educational institution possesses distinct identity, this study aimed to investigate the influence of school management practices in terms of leadership and governance, curriculum and learning, accountability and continuous improvement, and management of resources and the scholastic performance of culturally diverse community in government elementary schools specifically focusing on aspects of Access, Quality, and Governance. It utilized a descriptive-correlation research design to assess the level of school management practices (considered the independent variable) and the performance indicators of Access, Quality, and Governance (considered the dependent variables) in these communities. Furthermore, the study sought to explore the relationship between these variables. Data collection involved administering an adapted and modified questionnaire, to respondents including 2 District Supervisors from Sultan Kudarat Division, all 8 school heads, and 144 teachers, totaling 154 participants across eight public elementary schools in Lutayan District. These schools were Tamnag Central Elementary School, Mamali Elementary School, Mangandog Elementary School, D’ Leal Elementary School, Quevedo-Baptista Elementary School, Blingkong Elementary School, Bayasong Elementary School, and Panagas-Devera Elementary School. Mean and Pearson r were employed as statistical tools for analyzing and interpreting the collected data. Based on the data gathered in the study, the following were the key findings: The management practices in public elementary schools in Lutayan are generally Very Highly Practiced in terms of Curriculum and Planning, followed closely by Leadership and Governance, Accountability and Continuous Improvement, and Management of Resources, all rated as Highly Practiced. Scholastic performance in Lutayan's public elementary schools is rated as Very Satisfactory in terms of Access, Quality, and Governance. The data also reveals a significant positive relationship between the level of school management practices and scholastic performance in public elementary schools in Lutayan District. Based on the results, the researcher proposed an intervention program that offers a multifaceted approach to enhancing school-based management practices and scholastic performance within Lutayan District's public elementary schools. By strengthening community engagement and feedback mechanisms, enhancing teacher professional development, promoting stakeholder collaboration and advocacy, and advocating for further research replication and exploration.