Understanding Principals’ Expectations on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps

• In Event: Leaders' Enactment of Equitable Practices

Abstract

Using a representative sample of data from Florida, this study focuses on principals’ expectations on two accountability goals: raising student performance and closing achievement gaps, seeking to address what factors affect principals’ expectations, and how principals’ expectation explains student academic outcomes. The finding suggested that principals placing higher expectations on raising achievement than closing achievement gaps; middle school principals and fresh principals with 0-5 years experiences may communicate their expectations about achievement less strongly, or less clearly than elementary school and more “senior” principals; black teachers perceive higher expectations from their principals regarding both raising achievement and closing gaps; and there is a positive relationship between principal expectations and student achievement but it disappeared after controlling for prior test scores.

Authors

• Huang Wu, University of Missouri - Kansas City

• Eric M. Camburn, University of Missouri - Kansas City