To transform education, school leaders must evolve “hope” – real systemic change — from an emotion to H.O.P.E., an actionable, strategic system built on Habits, Optimism, Passion, Purpose, Perseverance, and Excellence, writes Brandi Kelly, superintendent of Mt. Olive Community Unit School District #5 in Mt. Olive, IL, in K-12 Dive. She is a member of the Institute for Education Innovation, a national school superintendent think tank driving change in education. Mt. Olive School District is a small district of slightly less than 500 students in central Illinois.
I’ve discovered that living out H.O.P.E. requires an intentional practice of self-reflection and self-efficacy to learn, lead and consistently grow. And the process must be modeled for others so administrators and teachers alike can drive meaningful, sustainable change, she writes.
Turning hope into action starts by building self-efficacy through self-reflection. Introspection is uncomfortable, forcing us to reevaluate our goals and motivation, examine our behaviors, and hold ourselves accountable.
Once we have a clear understanding of our emotions and attitudes, we have a roadmap to dismantle defeatism and a guide toward greater self-efficacy, or the belief in our ability to execute a plan of action based on our personal strengths.
When we believe in ourselves and those who surround us, we can hold on to hope and mold it into action, Kelly writes.
As psychologist Albert Bandura found, academic success “reflects the collective whole,” not the sum of individual contributions. In addition, research from John Hattie shows that collective efficacy is one of the top drivers of student achievement — three times more powerful and predictive than socioeconomic status.
As a new superintendent in a small district where change hasn’t always been embraced, I found building trust with and securing buy-in from students and staff required a lot more work than wishful thinking. Leading from the top down wasn’t going to work — we needed a collaborative approach to move the district forward, writes Kelly.
With guidance from PJ Caposey, interim superintendent of Illinois’ Meridian Community Unit School District, Mt. Olive performed a cultural assessment of the district to identify challenges, which we shared with all stakeholders. By bringing different teachers, staff, and administrators into the same room, acknowledging each person’s contributions and strengths, and listening to and valuing their expertise and ideas, we could foster collective self-efficacy and a plan moving forward.
During the past two years, the team at Mt. Olive has initiated a strategic plan, integrated the Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework into our elementary schools, implemented professional learning communities, and partnered with local colleges, school districts, and businesses to expand dual credit and extracurricular opportunities.
We are also developing a tiered, relationship-centered model to address chronic absenteeism, including daily check-ins with students, parent outreach, and if needed, home visits. From year to year, we’ve seen up to a 25% improvement in different areas of student achievement.
Each day, as a part of my H.O.P.E. process, I spend a few minutes journaling the impact our team had on our students. When I feel my optimism waning in a world of uncertainty, revisiting these highlights resets my mindset and creates a positive outlook for the days ahead. I know that our staff and teachers are united in our mission to better our district and cultivate hope for our students, Kelly concludes.
K-12 Dive
