Transforming School Culture. Anthony Muhammad

2015).

      Upon further review of the research, we find that the teacher’s race and background do not have to be a major factor in forming student expectations. In fact, the research finds that low student expectations cross racial, ethnic, and social class lines. Teachers of similar race and class to their students are just as prone to developing low expectations.

      Black students may not be at a disadvantage because of the “mismatch” between student and teacher race. In other words, black teachers are not always more likely to give black students more support and attention than white teachers would, because there may be other factors more powerful in guiding teacher behavior beside race like social class and generational differences. In fact, some black teachers appear to have similarly low expectations for black students as non-black teachers (Ferguson, 1998).

      Ron Ferguson (1998) goes on to reveal that this mix of high and low expectations of students among teachers may help explain why poor and minority students fail to gain academic momentum and therefore fall behind students from other groups. A 2015 study of teacher quality in Washington State reveals that the teacher-quality crisis in high-risk schools goes well beyond teacher expectations. The study reveals that for the teachers of students of poverty, as well as African American and Latino students, quality indicators are lower than other teachers in the state of Washington on every measurable category including years of experience and licensure scores (Goldhaber, Lavery, & Theobald, 2015).

      In a study done at five of Philadelphia’s lowest-performing middle schools, researchers spoke with students to get feedback from them about the kinds of teachers they needed and wanted. The students wanted teachers who were strict but fair, nice and respectful, and who took the time to explain their lessons to them clearly and effectively (Wilson & Corbett, 2001). They wanted teachers who believed in them and taught them in the ways that they learned best. These sound like very reasonable expectations. All these characteristics are cornerstones of a healthy school culture. It is amazing that students have figured out what they need better than the adults in the school and the so-called experts responsible for guiding these professionals.

      Teacher expectations clearly play a role in how much students learn, and high expectations can be a very powerful tool if we can create conditions that allow teachers to have a favorable image of students and their ability. This involves the resocializing of those within our schools who have unfavorable expectations of student performance. We must somehow help them replace their existing belief systems with a more informed and accurate assessment of student potential. We will address this issue in chapter 6 (page 77).

Intrinsic Predetermination

      Intrinsic predetermination is the student’s perception of his or her probability of achieving success in school. The messages students receive from their environment—the home, community, and school—can either build their confidence or work to destroy it. Students who come from homes or communities where high academic achievement is not the norm develop what Ron Ferguson (1998) calls a self-fulfilling prophecy. The overwhelming message these students receive says that success in school is not likely. Unfortunately, for students who grow up in communities where poor academic performance is the norm, school becomes a place to hang out until you are old enough to do something else—not a place to prepare for a bright future. In fact, this message is so strong in some communities that students may feel that if they achieve in school, their peers will view them unfavorably. One study of African American students in a very prominent suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, finds that many African American students are afraid of cooperating with teachers and achieving academically because of the risk of being perceived by their fellow African American peers as “acting white” (Ogbu, 2003). This type of cultural resistance to academic excellence makes the job of creating a healthy school culture even more difficult.