Researchers have called this school-level variable "pressure to achieve" or "high expectations for student achievement. In McREL's meta-analysis of school-level factors, we found that this variable was associated with a gain in student achievement of 11 percentile points. This variable can be thought of as communicating a strong message at the school level that academic achievement is one of the primary goals of the school. In other words, it means placing a clear focus on mastery of basic subjects, establishing high performance expectations for all students, and carefully monitoring student progress.

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Source: Marzano, R.J. (2000). A New Era of School Reform: Going Where the Research Takes Us. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Resources

The following resources provide practical examples and guidance of how to communicate clearly that high academic achievement is the primary goal of your school.

Setting High Expectations for Girls. This excerpt from NWREL's newsletter, The Tutor, describes some strategies for ensuring that teachers set high expectations for girls in their classrooms.

Expectations and Student Outcomes. This research brief from NWREL describes the "Pygmalion Effect," research correlating expectations with student outcomes, and offers recommendations for improving the ways teachers form expectations and communicate their expectations to students.

Improving School Culture: Centennial High School. This research brief from NWREL, describes one school's experience in creating a school climate where among other things, "everyone emphasizes the importance of learning" and "there are high expectations for quality instruction."

NCREL Monograph: Raising Expectations to Improve Student Learning. This monograph 1) explores the relationship between teacher expectations and student achievement, 2) identifies and discusses the factors that contribute to low teacher expectations for students, and 3) describes the changes that must occur to resolve the problem of low teacher expectations for students.