The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to closely examine the leadership practices utilized by K-12 urban school superintendents to influence and increase the academic achievement of Hispanic students. The research consisted of a quantitative study approach where 30 superintendents completed a 47-question Superintendents' Leadership Practices Survey (SLPS). All 30 superintendents were from urban districts located in Texas cities with a population of at least 100,000 residents. The quantitative findings from the current study indicated there was not a significant relationship between urban superintendents' leadership practices and the performance gap of Hispanic students as measured by the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). In addition, five of the 30 superintendents also participated in qualitative interviews. The theoretical framework for the qualitative study was hermeneutic phenomenology to better understand the role of the superintendents in closing the performance gap based on their experiences and perspectives. Three interviews were administered in the personal offices of each participating superintendent and two were conducted via phone conference. All the interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. The coding process and item analysis was carried out using the program NVivo Pro 11. The main purpose of the study was to examine the leadership practices used by urban school superintendents to close the performance gap between Hispanic and White students. The findings from the qualitative interviews were eight major themes about superintendent leadership practices. The eight major themes that emerged were: (a) governance, (b) resources, (c) progress monitoring, (d) strategic planning, (e) autonomy, (f) language acquisition, (g) instructional framework, and (h) extended opportunities. The study was intended to provide both current and future superintendents specific leadership practices they can incorporate in any district to significantly impact the performance gap between Hispanic and White students. The final recommendations for superintendents to positively impact the performance gap were: (a) be highly visible and directly involved with analyzing the data of the lowest performing campuses, (b) develop a strong, structured early childhood literacy program which should include: a parent education component, professional development for teachers, and a focus on frequently tracking and analyzing individual student reading levels, and (c) be involved in the hiring of campus principals and having direct input on the professional development focus for the school district. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]