From Mindset to Impact: How Schools Turn Belief Into Student Success
Written by Sara Timm, MA
We’ve all heard the comments from the classroom: “Students today just don’t want to learn,” “These students are so low, they can’t meet the grade level expectations,” or “They just don’t care.” Statements like these often reveal more about adult beliefs than student accountability. When teachers feel unequipped to support divergent learners, blame often shifts to students. Addressing this mindset requires intentional reflection and a willingness to take ownership of the factors within our control.
Educational scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings defines culturally relevant pedagogy as, “(a) Students must experience academic success; (b) students must develop and/or maintain cultural competence; and (c) students must develop a critical consciousness through which they challenge the status quo of the current social order,” (Ladson-Billings, 1995). So let’s talk about the systems and practices in place in your district that empower teachers to own what they can and act on the belief that all students can learn, and to show up with the freedom to embrace their individuality and experiences in the classroom.
Collective Efficacy Drives Results
Addressing values and beliefs about students and learning cannot be brushed aside or glossed over. As John Hattie’s research states (Hattie, 2009), collective teacher efficacy produces an effect size of 1.57 which equates to impacting student growth more than three years in one year’s time. If teachers don’t believe they can impact student growth, they won’t. Disparate results come from disparate expectations. We must believe and hold true that all students can learn and will learn at high levels in our care.
Often with good intentions, educators explain low performance by pointing to obstacles outside their control. While these explanations may feel reasonable, they do little to improve student outcomes. At best, these excuses ease the discomfort of unmet expectations. At worst, they perpetuate systems that lower the bar and provide students with work below expectations, never allowing them to “catch up” or meet grade-level expectations. This is why DuFour et al. (2016) emphasize the notion that “All means all” in their research regarding Professional Learning Communities. Until we truly believe in and practice an “all means all” mentality, we will never provide a welcoming educational experience to the entirety of our divergent learners. Addressing our own beliefs is the first step.
“If teachers don’t believe they can impact student growth, they won’t.”
Clarity Creates Consistency
Once we acknowledge our beliefs and mindsets, we must be clear about our expectations for what students will know and be able to do, and hold those expectations tight. In clarity, there is consistency. Parents, students, teachers, office staff, counselors, etc., should all understand the academic, social, and behavioral expectations placed on students. Individuals can only act on what they know; if they don’t, there is room for deviation and underperformance.
“Parents, students, teachers, office staff, counselors, etc., should all understand the academic, social, and behavioral expectations placed on students. Individuals can only act on what they know; if they don’t, there is room for deviation and underperformance.”
Leadership and Accountability
However, simply communicating expectations is not enough. Implementation and accountability are where meaningful progress occurs. Leaders play a critical role in ensuring that expectations are consistently enacted. Leadership, however, should not be limited to administrators. Every staff member has the opportunity to lead within their sphere of influence. When individuals feel empowered to act as leaders within their circle of control, schools build a culture where responsibility for student success is shared across the entire organization.
Knowing Our Students
We’ve discussed the first notion that students must experience academic success; no excuses. Achieving this requires educators to truly understand the learners they serve. Do we know our students beyond their academic performance? Are we learning about their values, communities, and lived experiences? Do students see themselves reflected in curricular materials, and can they connect the content they are learning to their own lives? You’ll hear over and over about the need to build a relationship with a student, but do staff really know how to do that? Guidance must be provided on how to develop authentic relationships with students and families.
Data can serve as a powerful tool for reflection and growth. Pull your disaggregated data for discipline, state assessments, and special education eligibility, and review it through an objective lens. Who is achieving? Who isn’t? Are there groups performing well below the mean or well above the mean? Is anything surprising? What’s not surprising?
This work requires honesty and a commitment to avoid blame shifting. Acknowledge what can and what cannot be controlled and go hard on what can be controlled. Question your practices. Call out spaces that need more professional development or an increased depth of knowledge. Keep returning to the data and reflecting on this problem-solving practice. You will see changes and will build momentum within your teams.
“This work requires honesty and a commitment to avoid blame shifting. Acknowledge what can and what cannot be controlled and go hard on what can be controlled.”
Our students are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education, and we must hold true to the belief that we can deliver on that promise. When educators collectively commit to high expectations, clarity of purpose, and a deep understanding of their students, schools become places where every learner has the opportunity to succeed. Our kids are counting on us to build systems that do just that.
