Although abundant research is available on the correlates of school effectiveness in traditional settings, how they relate to short-term juvenile hall schools (JHS) remain poorly understood. The present qualitative study employed a case study methodology to determine what correlates of effective schools are evident, and their strength of presence, in three JHSs in Southern California. This will hopefully foster an understanding and articulate the issue of school effectiveness in three JHSs functioning in the No Child Left Behind policy environment. An online survey was the key data source. Data from follow-up interviews and from reviewed documents augmented the survey data. The main findings suggest that of the five correlates of effective schools examined in this study, two--safe and orderly environment and strong instructional leadership--are present in all three JHSs. Others--high expectations for student success, clear and focused mission, and frequent monitoring of student progress--are evident in only one or two JHSs. The major conclusion is that the three JHSs have strong leadership and supportive environments from which to launch authentic school improvement efforts, especially in the areas of focused mission and assessment practices. These results have implications for changes in theoretical constructs, public policy, and educational and hiring practices in nontraditional educational settings such as JHSs.