Ambivalence at East High School:
1. Will you share the results with your teachers?
Yes, I will share the results with my teachers. Chapter 5 and 6 both highlighted the significance of trust
in a school. Part of trust is open communication between the principal and the staff Sharing the results
of the survey shows the staff that the principal trusts them to have the results of the findings.
2. What is your interpretation of the profile?
My interpretation of the profile is that although there are some areas that are below average, the about
average areas allow the school to make changes and improve the culture of the school. The theme of
trust is repeated frequently throughout chapters 5 and 6. There are multiple studies and research
findings that support trust in the school setting promotes a positive school culture and a healthy school
climate. At East High School, faculty trust in the principal and faculty trust in colleagues is about average
according to the data. Research conducted in 2002 by Byrk and Schnierder supported the notion that
trust in the school promoted higher student achievement. Bennis, Ouchi, and Zand found that trust is a
fundamental feature of successful leadership in a variety of organizational settings. It is also suggested
that there is a strong link between faculty trust in students and parents and student achievement. This
area was below average on the profile of the school.
3. What can be done to improve the profile?
Based on the results, I think the best plan of action is to highlight the average areas and provide
examples of how the school demonstrates these areas. Then, the principal should discuss the areas that
need improvement and develop a plan to improve the profile. To work on the school culture, the
principal should implement a norm changing strategy. Specifically, he/she should focus on replacing
negative norms with more desirable norms. I also think that there is an opportunity to provide some
additional resources for the parents and students, to help foster and improve the trust. Maybe a staff vs
student basketball game or a fundraiser for a local charity. The principal can create a committee of
teachers to specifically work on this issue.
4. Outline a five-minute talk about the results, which you will present at the next faculty meeting.
Thank the staff for participating in the survey and for their honest answers.
Highlight the positives of the survey:
o Faculty trust in principal and colleagues promotes a positive school culture and
a healthy school climate.
o Academic Emphasis promotes achievement. I am proud of my teacher’s belief
and support towards their student’s achievement.
Briefly discuss the three areas for improvement and ask for committee volunteers to
look at each area and discuss ways to promote positive change in these areas.
5. What are the likely consequences of a weak culture of academic optimism?
In the book, the author state that strong academic optimism creates a strong positive impact on school
achievement, even controlling for socioeconomic factors, previous success and other demographic
variables (Hoy, Miskel, Tarter, 2013). One could then argue that a school with a weak culture of
academic optimism would create an environment where controlling factors such as socioeconomic
factors, previous failures and other demographic variables could negatively influence student
achievement. By focusing on improving academic optimism, the principal and staff can work together
to create an increase in school achievement, regardless of the factors previously mentioned.
6. You need an improvement plan. How can you improve the academic optimism of your school?
For East High School, I think the best method to move forward is to create an improvement plan based
on the Growth-Centered strategy. The principal and staff can work together to discuss and create
decisions for the school that promote change. Since East High already exhibits a strong level of trust
between the principal and staff, they are the most qualified people to be tasked with improving
academic optimism at the school. I would create a sub-committee for all six areas of the survey results,
even the areas with average scores. Each committee can make decisions and determine activities to
continue or improve each category within the school.
