The article that I chose from the Educational Leadership publications is titled Got Opportunity? This article is based on a survey given by the Aspirations Research Center at The Quaglia Institute For Student Aspirations (QISA). This survey was offered between 2006-2010 to students in 627 schools across the United States. QISA surveyed 456,021 students in grades 6-12. The results obtained gave a clear signal that both student achievement and student opportunity are connected to the kinds of expectations, relationships and chances for participation that students perceive they have in school. The survey revealed that this opportunity gap faced by the students had three elements: the expectation gap, the relationships gap, and the participation gap.
The Expectations Gap: There are two kinds of expectation gaps, one that is the differing expectations that teachers hold for individual students. Less than one-third of teachers believe schools should expect all students to meet high academic standards and graduate with the skills for college-level work (Bridgeland, Dilulio, & Balfanz, 2009). And the other is the difference between the students expectation of themselves and what they perceive to be their teachers opinion of their potential. Although 91 percent of students surveyed agreed with the statement "I believe I can be successful," only 70 percent agreed that "Teachers think I can be successful." In other words, slightly more than one-fourth of students did not think their teachers expected them to succeed in school. Comparing students' responses on the survey sheds further light. Students who agreed with the statement, "Teachers believe I can be successful" reported remarkably different school attitudes than did students who disagreed with this statement. For example, 75 percent of students who believed teachers expected them to succeed also agreed that tests were an important part of their education. Correspondingly, many students who felt that teachers did not believe they could be successful also did not believe tests were important. Because tests are one measure of student achievement, communicating the importance of assessments to all learners is essential if we are to narrow the achievement gap. Students' beliefs about the importance of grades affects their achievement. Teacher expectations affect more than just the classes students choose: Expectations may well affect students' beliefs in the importance of day-to-day academic requirements like studying for tests or striving for good grades.
The Relationships Gap :Looking closer at students' perspectives has shown us that strong relationships with teachers are crucial. The quality of teacher relationships seems to be correlated to how much effort students put forth in their school work, and indeed, research indicates that effort is more important than innate ability when it comes to achievement (Dweck, 2006). As both the number of standardized tests and the stakes related to passing them increase, student effort must keep pace. Our survey results imply that building relationships with students helps increase their effort, which is consistent with research showing that the relationships students have with teachers is one of the best predictors of hard work and engagement in school (Osterman, 2000).Another telling survey finding was that 56 percent of students who reported that they put forth their best effort also said they have a teacher they can talk with if they experience a problem, whereas only 32 percent of the students who did not put forth their best effort agreed with this statement. Sadly, some survey results indicated that many students lack a solid, trusting relationship with a teacher. For example, only 45 percent of students surveyed agreed that "Teachers care if I am absent from school." How is it that more than half of the almost 500,000 students surveyed do not believe teachers care if they show up? Teachers must work harder to develop relationships with students and change these kinds of perceptions. Doing so will foster students' connectedness at school—an undeniable catalyst for increasing students' investment in learning. Schools can—and should—implement practices that lead to strong teacher–student relationships.
The Participation Gap: By the participation gap, we mean the gulf in opportunity and advantage between those few students who are actively engaged in their classes and the life of the school and the many others who are not. Students must be enthusiastic if they're going to learn at high levels; learning should be an adventure rather than a chore. Our survey results reflect how urgent it is to change features of the typical school environment that contribute to the participation gap. Only 64 percent of survey respondents said they learn new, interesting things in school. Only 54 percent said they enjoy participating in their classes, and fewer than 49 percent enjoy being at school. Nearly half (47 percent) agreed with the statement, "School is boring." How can this be acceptable? To close achievement gaps, schools must cultivate an atmosphere that connects students meaningfully to their learning—one that leads young people to learn content that's relevant for them, encourages them to ask questions, and puts them at ease in taking risks. Equally alarming are students' perceptions of their connection to school. Only 62 percent of students surveyed agreed that "School is a welcoming and friendly place," only 49 percent said that "I am proud of my school," and only 48 percent believed "Teachers care about me as an individual." It seems challenging, if not impossible, for students to fully participate in their educational pursuits if they aren't proud to be at school and don't feel cared about. Schools that pay attention to eye-opening statistics like these realize that students living in our knowledge-rich society learn differently than they did in past decades when knowledge was harder to obtain. They engage their students through relevance, application, and leadership opportunities.
As educators begin to pay attention to these gaps that are all too evident in schools, opportunities will emerge for students to achieve. Although we can't ignore the effects of race and income on the achievement gap, in our research and our work in schools we see that achievement is significantly related to the expectations, relationships, and engagement students either enjoy or do not enjoy every day. The good news is that educators who want to improve student achievement can begin today by minding all the gaps.
A principal after reading this article will have a very true perception of where the problem lies, and would have to set high standards for their staff to make changes in their expectations and interactions with the students. Once the expectation is conveyed to the staff, the principal would need to monitor the progress by speaking to random students to see if there is any change in the school climate. These survey results should be an eye opener for any teacher to want to make changes in their interactions with their students. The principal could keep this discussion alive by encouraging teachers to share the changes they have made in their expectations and what changes have they noticed in their students. Teachers love to be appreciated and recognized for their effort by their peers and superiors. This will be a chain effect that will encourage other teachers to share their success stories. The 10 practices to close the gap shared in this publication has suggestions that are easy and effective. They should be distributed to the staff and the principal should consistently use this tool to monitor the progress in every classroom. A regular walk through the corridors and a peep in the classrooms should reflect all these gaps closing and student achievement moving up.
| 10 Practices to Close the Gaps
To close the expectations gap - Show students you believe they can be successful by using a "here's how to do better next time" approach when you need to correct work. Let students know what they're doing well.
- Share with each student individually what you expect from him or her.
- Hold students accountable for their actions.
- Encourage students to share success stories with one another.
To close the relationships gap - Follow up on absent students. Let them know it's because you care about them, not just to chase down missing work.
- Invite students to brown-bag lunches in your room. Promising homemade cookies helps!
- Survey students about their personal, social, and academic goals at the beginning of each term.
To close the participation gap - Involve all students in school leadership initiatives by using student surveys and fostering dialogue about important issues. Show you value students' opinions.
- Create a classroom atmosphere that welcomes participation. Ask open-ended questions and set a "There are no stupid questions" policy.
- Develop after-school opportunities focused on the interests of students who shun traditional activities.
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Quaglia, R., Fox, K., & Corso, M. (2010). Got opportunity. Educational Leadership, 68(3), 4.
