The proposed contribution adresses the problem of modeling high- frequency excitation, propagation, and sensing, of structural waves in composites containing piezoelectric sensors and actuators. The model for the active composite beam proposed here is based on Reddy’s discrete layerwise laminate theory. The displacement and electric potential are interpolated in the through-thickness direction using piecewise linear functions. In the frequency domain, the governing equations are written in a state space form. Comparisons between approximate and exact wave dispersion spectra are performed in order to assess the efficiency of the layerwise theory in a given frequency range. It is shown that by employing the proper interpolation, Reddy s theory is able to describe the dynamic response of the composite at frequencies where the associated wavelengths are of the same order or even shorter than the thickness of the piezoelectric layers. Next, the solution for the state space equation is obtained by employing an algorithm based on a discrete version of the Riccati transformation, It is shown that the algorithm is stable over a wide range of frequencies. In the low frequency range, the analytical results are compared with finite element results. Also are shown the change in the electrical and mechanical response when discontinuites are introduced in the beam, as well as basic experiments involving piezoelectric sensors and actuators.