Academic Optimism: Pathway to Student Achievement [A 35-Year Academic Odyssey] Seton Hall, NJ, April 17, 2010

1. Academic Optimism: Pathway to Student Achievement [A 35-Year Academic Odyssey] Seton Hall, NJ, April 17, 2010

2. Organizational Climate of Schools Dimensions of Principal’s Behavior Supportive—reflects a concern for teachers, is open to suggestions, respects teachers’ professional competence. Praise is genuine and frequent and criticism is constructive.  The principal uses constructive criticism. Directive—maintains close and constant control over all teacher and school activities.  The principal monitors everything teachers do. Restrictive—Hinders rather than facilitates teacher work; burdens with busywork. • Routine duties interfere with the job of teaching. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dimensions of Teacher Behavior Collegial—supports open and professional interactions among teachers. Teachers are enthusiastic, accepting, and mutually respectful of professional competence.  Teachers respect the professional competence of their colleagues. Intimate—reflects a cohesive and strong network of socials support among the faculty. Teachers know each other well, are close personal friends, and socialize. • Teachers socialize with each other. Disengaged—refers to a lack of meaning and focus in professional activities. Teachers are simply putting in time and going through the motions. • Faculty meetings are useless.

3. Organizational Climate of Schools Supportive Directive Restrictive Collegial Intimate Disengaged Openness of Principal Behavior Openness of Teacher Behavior

4. Types of Organizational Climate Principal Behavior Open Closed Open Climate Engaged Climate Open Teacher Behavior Disengaged Climate Closed Closed Climate

5. Organizational HealthOrganizational Health Inventory (OHI) Community Level—Interactions with the community • Institutional Integrity Managerial Level—Interactions with the principal • Principal Influence • Consideration • Initiating Structure • Resources Support School Level—Interactions with colleagues and students • Morale •Academic Emphasis

6. Organizational Health A Healthy School Climate is characterized by institutional integrity--teachers are protected from disruptive outside forces. The principal has influence with superiors, gets needed resources, and has a integrated leadership style that is concern with both the task at hand and the social well being of teachers. Morale is high and there is a general press for academic achievement by teachers, parents, and students. A Unhealthy School Climate is vulnerable to disruptive outside forces. The principal has little influence with superiors, resources are scarce, and the principal neither sets direction nor is supports teachers. Moral is poor and there is limited attention to academic matters because the teacher have given up. However, only Academic Emphasis was consistently related to student achievement, controlling for SES. First school property related to Student Achievement, controlling for SES.

7. Trust: The First Generation of Studies--Rutgers Bill Kupersmith TRUST: A generalized sense held by the work group that the word or promise of another could be relied upon (Rotter). Measures: Faculty trust…. In Colleagues In Principal In District Trust related to many important attributes: • Authentic leadership of the principal • Morale of faculty • Openness of climate • Health of school • Subjective measure of effectiveness BUT NOT to ACHIEVEMENT, controlling for SES.

8. Trust: The Second Generation—Ohio State Megan Tschannen-Moran—more refined definition of trust. TRUST: Trust is a state in which individuals and groups are willing to make themselves vulnerable to others and take risks with confidence that others will respond to their actions in positive ways, that is, with benevolence, predictability, competence, honesty, and openness. Faculty Trust in 1) Colleagues 2) Principal 3) Students 4)Parents Faculty Trust in Students and Parents is the same thing. Measured three referents of trust (Omnibus T-Scale) Faculty Trust in Student and Parents was related to Student Achievement controlling for SES. Second organizational property to make a difference in achievement.

9. Collective Efficacy—Ohio State Roger Goddard—A study of Collective Efficacy Grew out of the work of Albert Bandura, who claimed efficacy could be framed as a collective as well as an individual construct. COLLECTVE EFFICACY: teachers as a whole (as a collective) have a sense that they can organize and execute decisions and influence the activities that have positive effects on students. Developed a reliable and valid measure of the collective efficacy of a school. Collective Efficacy was the third property of schools that predicted student achievement controlling for SES and other demographic characteristics of schools. Academic Emphasis, Trust in Clients, and Collective Efficacy were the three characteristics that make a difference in schools beyond SES. What about the three properties working together? This is a problem because of the high interrelations between the three concepts. HOW TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM?

10. Academic Optimism: A New Construct The elements of academic optimism and their reciprocal relation to each other. Academic Emphasis Collective Efficacy Faculty Trust Academic Optimism is the uniting of these three concepts into an integrated whole. Efficacy is the belief faculty can make a positive contribution to student learning: teachers believe in themselves. Trust is the belief that students, parents, teachers can cooperate to improve student learning: teachers believe in their students. Academic Emphasis is the academic enactment of these beliefs: teachers act to improve academic success of students. Academic Optimism is the collective belief that that: The faculty can make a difference--cognitive facet. Students can learn--affective and emotional side. Academic performance can be achieved--behavioral enacted.

11. Academic Optimism and School Achievement: A Theoretical Model Urbanicity Socioeconomic Status Mathematics Faculty Trust in Students and Parents Collective Efficacy Academic Emphasis Academic Optimism Student Achievement Science Priori Student Achievement Mathematics Science

12. A Test of the Academic Optimism and Student Achievement Model (Hoy, Tarter, Hoy, 2007) Mathematics 1.00 Faculty Trust in Students & Parents .75 Academic Optimism Student Achievement .99 Collective Efficacy .90 .92 Academic Emphasis Science

13. A Test of the Academic Optimism and Student Achievement Model (Hoy, Tarter, Hoy, 2007) Urbanicity Socioeconomic Status .02 .20 Mathematics .19 1.00 Faculty Trust in Students & Parents .75 Academic Optimism Student Achievement .99 .21 Collective Efficacy .90 .92 Academic Emphasis .60 Science Priori Student Achievement .97 .96 R2=.67** Mathematics Science

14. A Second Test of the Academic Optimism and Student Achievement (Hoy, Tarter, Woolfolk Hoy, 2007) Urbanicity Socioeconomic Status -.18 .23 .23 Faculty Trust in Students & Parents .74 Academic Optimism Student Achievement Collective Efficacy .99 .27 .93 .93 .98 .78 Academic Emphasis Reading Writing Social Studies .44 Priori Student Achievement .99 .96 .89 R2=.54** Reading Writing Social Studies

15. Principals Creating A Culture of Academic Optimism and Student Achievement :A Path Model (McGuigan & Hoy, 2006) Faculty Trust in Students and Parents Collective Efficacy Academic Emphasis Academic Optimism Enabling Structure Student Achievement Socioeconomic Status

16. A Test of Enabling Structure, Academic Optimism, Achievement Model (McGuigan & Hoy, 2006) Faculty Trust in Students and Parents Collective Efficacy Academic Emphasis .98 .96 .95 Academic Optimism Enabling Structure .37** .54**(Math) Student Achievement .21 (Math) Socioeconomic Status Math R2=.48**

17. Academic Optimism and School Achievement: Expanded Theoretical Model Urbanicity Socioeconomic Status Mathematics Faculty Trust in Students and Parents Collective Efficacy Academic Emphasis Academic Optimism Student Achievement Enabling Structure Science Priori Student Achievement Mathematics Science

18. Why Does Academic Optimism Lead to Higher Student Achievement? • Bryk & Schneider (2002)Study of Trust in Chicago • Teachers’ “can do” Attitude and Internalized Responsibility • Outreach to Parents • Professional Community--Collaborative Work Practices and • Commitment to Improve Teaching and Learning. • 4. High Expectations and High Academic Standards School Conditions that Promote Learning and Achievement

19. Why Does Academic Optimism Lead to Higher Student Achievement? School Conditions Promote Achievement • Bryk & Schneider (2002) Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk Hoy (2006) • Study of TrustStudy of Academic Optimism • Teachers’ “can do” Attitude and • Internalized Responsibility Collective Efficacy

20. Why Does Academic Optimism Lead to Higher Student Achievement? School Conditions that Promote Student Achievement • Bryk & Schneider (2002) Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk Hoy (2006) • Study of TrustStudy of Academic Optimism • Outreach to Parents • Professional Community Faculty Trust in Parents • Collaborative Work Practices and and Students • Commitment to Improve Teaching

21. Why Does Academic Optimism Lead to Higher Student Achievement? School Conditions that Promote Achievement • Bryk & Schneider (2002) Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk Hoy (2006) • Study of TrustStudy of Academic Optimism • High Expectations and Academic Emphasis • High Academic Standards

22. Why Does Academic Optimism Lead to Higher Student Achievement? School Conditions that Promote Achievement • Bryk & Schneider (2002) Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk Hoy (2006) • Study of TrustStudy of Academic Optimism • Teachers’ “can do” Attitude and • Internalized Responsibility Collective Efficacy • Outreach to Parents • Professional Community Faculty Trust in Parents • Collaborative Work Practices and and Students • Commitment to Improve Teaching • High Expectations and Academic Emphasis • High Academic Standards ACAD EM I C O P T I M I SM

23. How Does Academic Optimism Lead to Higher Student Achievement? Feedback • Challenging Goals • Effort • Persistence • Resilience • Constructive Feedback Collective Efficacy Trust in Parents & Students Academic Optimism Student Achievement Cooperation among Students, Parents And Teachers Academic Emphasis Relational Trust Feedback Dynamics of School Properties to Promote Student Achievement

24. RESEARCH AGENDA FOR ACADEMIC OPTIMISM A. School-Level Questions: Antecedent and Consequences 1. What are the characteristics that produce School Academic Optimism? [ANTECEDENTS] • The Leadership of the Principal? • The Structure of the School? • The Professionalism of Teachers? • Professional Learning Community? • Open Organizational Climate? • A Climate of Humanism? • Mindfulness of the Principal? • Self-efficacy of the Principal? • Participatory Decision Making? 2. What are the consequences of a Culture of Academic Optimism? [CONSEQUENCES] • Higher level of School Effectiveness? • Lower Drop-out Rate? • Lower level of Teacher Absenteeism? • Higher levels of Student Engagement? • High level of Student Self-Efficacy? • Higher level of Student Motivation? • Higher level of Organizational Citizenship? • Higher level of Teacher Morale? • Higher level of Teacher Motivation?

25. Individual Teacher Academic Optimism Individual Academic Optimism is a set of beliefs held by a teacher that he or she can: 1) Teach all students effectively---------------------------—Self-efficacy. 2) Trust students to learn and parents to support them —Trust in students & parents. 3) Set the bar high and emphasize academics----------- —Academic Emphasis. Measures: TAOS-E for Elementary Teachers TAOS-S for Secondary Teachers Academic Emphasis Faculty Trust Self-Efficacy

26. RESEARCH AGENDA FOR ACADEMIC OPTIMISM B. Teacher- Level Questions? [Antecedents and Consequences] 1. What personal characteristics facilitate individual teacher optimism? [ANTECEDENTS] • Open-mindedness of Teacher? • General disposition to be Optimistic. • Self-Efficacy of the Teacher? • Humanistic Pupil-Control Orientation? • Professional Orientation? • Bureaucratic Orientation? • Teacher Mindfulness? 2. What are the consequences of individual teacher optimism? [CONSEQUENCES] • Higher level of Student Engagement? • Higher level of Student Motivation? • Higher level of Student Achievement? • Higher level of Student Satisfaction? • Higher level of Student Optimism? • Higher level of Student Self-Efficacy? • Healthier relationships with the principal? • Higher level of Cooperation and Collaboration with parents? • Higher level of Professional Behavior? SEE HOY’S PRIMER for other ideas on hypotheses. Hoy, W. K. (2010). Quantitative Research in Education: A Primer. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

27. Suggested Readings on Academic Optimism 1. *Beard, K. S, Hoy, W. K. & Woolfolk Hoy, A (in press). Academic Optimism of New Teachers: Confirming a New Construct. Teaching and Teacher Education. 2. *Hoy, W. K. & Miskel, C. (2007). Educational Administration: Theory, Research, and Practice(8th edition). New York: McGraw Hill. 3. *Smith, P. A. & Hoy, W. K. (2007). Academic optimism and student achievement in urban elementary schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 45, 556-568. 4. *Hoy, W. K., Tarter, C. J., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2006). Academic optimism of schools: A force for student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 43, 425-446. 5. *McGuigan, L. & Hoy, W. K. (2006). Principal Leadership: Creating a Culture of Academic Optimism to Improve Achievement for All Students. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 5, 203-229. 6. **Goddard, R. G., Hoy, W. K., & Hoy, A. W. (2004). Efficacy Beliefs: Theoretical Developments, Empirical Evidence, and Future Directions. Educational Researcher, 33, 3-13. 7. ** Goddard, R. G., Tschannen-Moran, M., Hoy, W. K. (2001). A Multilevel Examination of the Distribution and Effects of Teacher Trust in Students and parents in Urban Elementary Schools. The Elementary School Journal, 102. 3-17. 8. **Hoy, W. K., Tarter, C. J., & Bliss, J. R. (1990). Organizational Climate, School Health, and Effectiveness. Educational Administrative Quarterly, 26, 3, 260-279. 9. ***Hoy, W. K. (2010). Quantitative Research in Education: A Primer. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing. * Major articles on Academic Optimism ** Articles on the elements of Academic Optimism *** A primer of Hypothesis Development and Testing.