Raising Expectations in Schooling: Obstacles and Opportunities for Change

Abstract

Given the gap in research on applied expectancy interventions, this study examined perceived obstacles encountered by a collaborative team of teachers, administrators, and researchers in raising expectations for ninth graders at risk for failure in an inner city high school. Qualitative analysis of narrative records of team meetings over 2 years revealed perceived constraints emanating from deficits in students, pessimism about efficacy and fears about exposing vulnerability in teachers, and lack of support for collaborative action and for mixed-ability teaching in the school. Over time, collaboration enabled participants to challenge these beliefs, thereby opening the door for disconfirming evidence. Teachers took increasing responsibility for reframing obstacles so that positive changes were made in practices and policies that increased learning opportunities for students. The findings illustrate that preventive action must move beyond the teacher-student dyad to include an understanding of the context in which expectations for students, teachers, and schooling are embedded.