Expectations of Administration Key to Academic Team Success

There is an old adage credited to business leader Lee Iacocca that states, “The speed of the leader is the speed of the team.” In this current fast-paced, politically charged, ever-evolving environment in which educators are struggling to navigate, one thing has become clear. In order to create exemplary extracurricular programs, educational leadership requires leaders who are fully equipped to navigate all the vast challenges high school campuses now face, including the impact of our own expectations.

Based on 22 years as a coach and director of academic competition, there seems to be a correlation between the expectations administrators hold for the overall academic performance of the general student body and the competitiveness and rigor with which the school’s academic team practices and competes. While at state and national level competitions there are always schools that are perennial competitors, it is the newcomers, those first-time appearance- makers, that are most intriguing.

What was the change that ignited the determination in both the coaches and students to make it to the next level? Could the coach’s expectations possibly influence the success or failure of say the debate team, the history fair contestants or any of the extracurricular events outside of the athletic arena? Is the coach’s “speed” setting the pace that would encourage and grow the coaches and teams into the next level?

Research has uncovered some harsh truths about educational leadership expectations. The data indicates that 21 percent of educational administrators have expectations that the majority of their campus will only reach the minimum ranking on standardized testing. Even more startling was that 12 percent of the polled administrators have no goal at all for their campus. This means that one-third of campus administrators have little to no academic expectations for their campus.

If educational leaders hold low expectations for general academic success, how will they be able to support, grow, encourage and motivate the students competing in the school’s academic competitions? If the adage, “Where you look is where you go” holds true, then the expectations of the school’s educational leader acts as the compass.

The importance of the administrator’s high expectations is clear and supported in several research studies. In his study on the Achievement Differences between Large and Small Schools in Texas (2009), Lee Stewart identifies school culture as a predominant indicator of overall student success. In the Journal of STEM Education (2013), Sahin Alpaslan discusses the impact competitive academic competitions have on post-secondary enrollment. The list of research studies surrounding this topic is vast.

From the many studies, it can be surmised that expectations are vital, not only academic competitive success, but also to the success of the campus in general. What the studies don’t tell, however, is how to implement expectations into action.

Sometimes, that is easier said than done. Following is a checklist to consider in trying to make this happen:

1. Identification of Expectations. What are your actual expectations for yourself? Your faculty and staff? Your students? Have you written them down? Are they set as SMART goals and actionable items?

2. Communication and Verbiage. Have your expectations been clearly stated? Do the people on your team know where you are trying to lead them? Even more, does the verbiage in your message back up your expectations? REMEMBER: Definitions matter. There is a huge difference between being called a coach or director, or being considered simply the sponsor or volunteer.

3. Actions. Are your actions consistent with your expectations? Monday during announcements, are you celebrating the chess team’s victory on Saturday along with the football team’s victory Friday night? Do pep rallies and send-offs include academic teams?

4. Attitude. Are you showing the same enthusiasm in attending events outside of your areas of interest and comfort zone as you are for events in your interest area? Do you “have” to go OR do you “get” to go?

As you set the pace for your team, remember sometimes you have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run. Whatever pace you set, your expectations will be the key to you and your team’s success.