The objectives of the study were: (1) To identify the existing administrative practices in secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Institutional Planning. (2) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Planning between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (3) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Planning between the secondary schools of Thane district in the urban talukas and in the tribal talukas. (4) To determine the extent to which educators of secondary schools of Thane district favour Democratic Institutional Planning and to elicit the reasons offered by those who do not at all favour or partly favour Democratic Institutional Planning. (5) To identify the difficulties encountered by educational administrators of secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Institutional Planning. (6) To identify the existing administrative practices in secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Institutional Organization. (7) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Organization between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (8) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Organization between the secondary schools of Thane district in the urban talukas and in the tribal talukas. (9) To determine the extent to which educators of secondary schools of Thane district favour Democratic Institutional Organization and to elicit the reasons offered by those who do not at all favour or partly favour Democratic Institutional Organization. (10) To identify the difficulties encountered by educational administrators of secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Institutional Organization. (11) To identify the existing administrative practices in secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Direction. (12) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Direction  between the two of categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (13) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Direction between the secondary schools of Thane district in the urban talukas and in the tribal talukas. (14) To determine the extent to which educators of secondary schools of Thane district favour Democratic Direction and to elicit the reasons offered by those who do not at all favour or partly favour Democratic Direction. (15) To identify the difficulties encountered by educational administrators of secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Direction. (16) To identify the existing administrative practices in secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Co-ordination. (17) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Co-ordination between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (18) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Co-ordination between the secondary schools of Thane district in the urban talukas and in the tribal talukas. (19) To determine the extent to which educators of secondary schools of Thane district favour Democratic Co-ordination and to elicit the reasons offered by those who do not at all favour or partly favour Democratic Co-ordination. (20) To identify the difficulties encountered by educational administrators of secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Co-ordination. (21) To identify the existing administrative practices in secondary schools of Thane district with regard to Evaluation of teacher’s work and pupil progress. (22) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Evaluation of teacher’s work and pupil progress between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (23) To find out if there is any difference in the administrative practices with regard to Evaluation of teacher’s work and pupil progress between the secondary schools of Thane district in the urban talukas and in the tribal talukas. (24) To determine the view of Educational Administrator of Secondary Schools of Thane district towards the prescribed confidential report for teachers. (25) To identify the difficulties encountered by Educational Administrator of Secondary Schools of Thane district  with regard to Evaluation of Teachers work. (26) To identify the difficulties encountered by Educational Administrator of Secondary Schools of Thane district  with regard to pupil progress. 

The hypotheses of the study were: (1) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Planning between the two of categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (2) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Institutional Planning between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. (3) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Organization between the two of categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (4) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Institutional Organization between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. (5) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices with regard to Direction between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (6) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Direction between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. (7) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices with regard to Co-ordination between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (8) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Co-ordination between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. (9) There is a significant difference in Evaluation of teachers work and Evaluation of  Pupil Programme between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. (10) There is a significant difference in Evaluation of teachers work and Evaluation of  Pupil Programme between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district.

Sample selected using Stratified Random Sampling comprised of 477 teachers and administrators of secondary schools of Thane district.

Data was collected with the help of Questionnaire prepared by investigator.

The study was descriptive in nature.Causal comparative method was used for the study.

Data analysis was based on percentage method and t-test technique.

The findings of the study were: (1) It is found that majority of the secondary schools of Thane district do prepare Institutional Planning for development and improvement of their institutions. In the majority of the secondary schools, the curricular activities and co-curricular activities are covered by the plan. Activities pertaining to discipline, maintenance of school building and community programmmes are also covered. These show that in secondary schools of Thane district plans are prepared in the institution. The Institutional Planning in the secondary schools of Thane district is democratic in nature. The Institutional Planning prepared by the secondary schools of Thane district are based on the principles of optimum utilization. In majority of the secondary schools of Thane district, the plans are modified on the basis of suggestions given by their own teachers. (2) The administrative practices with regard to Institutional Planning in the government aided secondary schools is better than that of the unaided secondary schools. (3) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Institutional Planning between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. The Institutional Planning plans prepared by the urban secondary schools are better than that of tribal secondary schools. (4) Majority of the educations of the secondary schools of Thane district fully favour democratic administrative practices in planning activities of the institution. (5) Majority of the schools administrators of secondary schools of Thane district do not face any difficulties in planning the activities of the schools. (6) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices with regard to Institutional Organization between the two categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. The government aided secondary school were better than government unaided secondary schools. (7) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Institutional Organization between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. The tribal secondary schools are better organized than the urban secondary schools. (8) Majority of the administrators of the secondary schools of Thane district favour democratic administrative practices in institutional organization. (9) Nearly half (45%)  of the administrators of secondary schools are of the view that they do not have any difficulties in organizing the activities of the school. Other have difficulties regarding financial, interference of management, lack of physical facilities, over-crowded city, low salary, more work load, the semester system etc. (10) In majority of the secondary schools of Thane district, the teachers are involved in taking decision. (11) There is a significant difference between the administrative practices with regard to Direction’. The activities are better directed in the government aided schools as compared to the government unaided schools. The instructions given by the higher authorities are more useful for the government aided schools. (12)  There is a significant difference in the administrative practices in Direction between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. The urban secondary schools of the Thane district reveal better Direction than the tribal secondary schools of Thane district. (13) Internal Co-ordination in the secondary schools of Thane district are secured by conducting staff meetings and organizing different committees, subject teachers committees, class teachers committees and co-coordinating committees. External Co-ordination is secured by the secondary schools of the Thane district with the help of Head masters’ association, parent teachers association and community services. (14) There is a significant difference in the administrative practices with regard to Co-ordination between the two of categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. The administrative practices in internal and external co-ordination are better in aided schools than in unaided secondary schools of Thane district. In the most of the schools of Thane, district staff appraisal is done with the help of the confidential report for teachers. The basis of appraisal is the head masters direct observation. In most of the schools both negative and positive remarks are communicated to the teacher concerned. The service book is maintained by the majority of the secondary school. The majority of the educators said that their schools do not maintain cumulative record cards. (15) In majority of secondary schools of Thane district, the evaluation of pupils progress is done objectively by applying the model rules of promotion. (17) There is a significant difference in Evaluation of teachers work and Evaluation of  Pupil Programme between the two of categories of secondary schools of Thane district, namely, Government Aided schools and Government Non-aided schools. The administrative practices in evaluation of teachers’ work and evaluation of pupils’ progress are better in aided secondary schools than unaided secondary schools of Thane district. (18) There is no significant difference in Evaluation of teachers work and Evaluation of Pupil Programme between the urban secondary schools and tribal secondary schools of Thane district. (19) Majority of educators state that there is no difficulty in evaluation of pupils’ progress. A few who said that they face difficulties in evaluation pupils’ progress have given the following reasons. In examination system, any cognitive abilities and memory power are tested, malpractices in examination, examination-oriented education system, health of the students, evaluation system does not consider individual differences, low salaries of teachers, lack of facilities for teachers etc.