The Superpower of Collective Efficacy

Hi.

Welcome to The EDU Files, bringing education insights, stories, and vibes to your inbox every Tuesday.

Sorry for the week off. I was on vacation with the family and spent some time just having fun with my people. We spent some time at the beach in the Sarasota area. If you are in Florida, it is a great spot to visit. The beaches are second to none.

While this info is beachin’, you’re here for the educational content. So, let’s dive in.

Shall we?

Deep Dive 🤿

The Superpower of Collective Efficacy

Have you ever seen Avengers?

In the later movies, the Avengers are on a quest to collect the Infinity Stones to save the Earth. It was important work. Kind of like school leaders pulling the power of the collective together to save your school. You get the analogy.

Collective efficacy is the shared belief among educators that, together, they can positively influence student outcomes and drive school success.

Why You Need to Harness the Superpower of the Collective

Other than harnessing the power of a superhero (what’s cooler than that), it is about the research. If I could offer you the power of Collective Efficacy, and you could see it right in front of your face - what would you say?

Well… here you go.

The Need

Hattie’s findings highlight that collective efficacy has an incredibly significant effect size (d = 1.57), indicating its powerful impact on student learning.

In Hattie’s research, 0.4 represents a year’s worth of growth for a student. Anything over that measure is seen as having a greater influence on student learning. And it costs… nothing.

What I am sharing with you here is that a shared belief in your staff’s ability to positively affect students leads to improved outcomes. This belief also helps you build a positive school culture and enhances collaboration among staff.

Build Support

How do you do it? Great question. Here are four areas you can focus your efforts:

1️⃣ Professional Development: Offer regular training sessions focused on collaborative practices and team-building.

2️⃣ Leadership Support: Encourage your school leaders and leadership team to model collaborative behaviors and provide resources for team collaboration. No compliance items - see The EDU Files on Purpose.

3️⃣ Shared Goals and Vision: Develop and communicate (better yet… live) a clear, shared vision and goals for all students' success.

4️⃣ Data-Drive Practices: Use data to identify areas of improvement and celebrate successes, reinforcing the belief in the team’s efficacy.

Overcoming

You will face challenges in the work. However, if you know and have a plan going into this work, you will be better prepared when they show up.

You will face adversity. Recognize and address any resistance or skepticism among staff members. I would ask this question in a whole staff meeting: “Is there anyone here who does not want all of our students to achieve at high levels?” Crickets. (If anyone says yes, you have bigger challenges.)

You will need to think creatively to find time for collaboration, such as modifying schedules or leveraging technology for virtual check-ins. Identify and leverage available resources, when possible, seek additional funding, and encourage resource sharing among staff.

Go

I urgently encourage you to enter the new school year by engaging with your staff in discussions about collective efficacy and reflection on current practices in the building.

Take baby steps. Implement one new high-impact strategy and build collective efficacy around that. Suggest you are available for regular check-ins to monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed.

I would love for you to share success stories and tag me on socials. I want to lift up the strategies to help build a broader educational community to foster a culture of continuous improvement and collective learning.

Go bring your superpowers into your building!

Track of the Week 💿

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Rock Out with The EDU Files Playlist: Get ready to jam all week long with our curated playlist, The EDU Files! This week's featured track is playing on my iPod; click the wheel to listen now.

Surfing the Web 🌊

Here is my favorite EDU content from the web this week.

• Making an Impact Beyond the Classroom by Starr Sackstein

• 3 Surefire Ways to Build Trust Among Teachers by Jennifer Reilly

Be sure to check these out…

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Thanks for spreading the word, and keep up the good fight. The work you do matters.

See ya next Tuesday! 🍏

PS: If you are interested in supporting your school or district with any of the content or strategies in The EDU Files, click here to drop me a note or to talk more.