Educational Champion Training
MODULE 1:
Beliefs, Expectations and Aspirations
© National Center for Youth Law, April 2013. This document does not constitute legal advice or representation. For legal advice, readers should consult their own
counsel. This document may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes provided any reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement. All other rights
reserved.
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Why Focus on Beliefs,
Expectations and Aspirations?
 Research shows that high parental aspirations and expectations for
academic performance are correlated to children’s success in school.
 High parental aspirations and encouragement, specifically
discussions of college planning and college attendance, are strongly
associated with continued HS attendance, higher test scores and
college enrollment.
 A parent’s own sense of self-efficacy affects his/her ability to be a
“good parent.”
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What you think and say can have an impact on
how the child feels about education.
 Know that your belief in the child’s ability to succeed in school, and
your high expectations and aspirations for the child, can help build
up the child’s self-confidence and improve his/her performance in
school.
 When you are talking to the child about school, be aware that your
words may impact how the child thinks and feels about education,
and about his/her own ability to do well in school.
 REMEMBER: if you believe that you have the ability to help the
child in school, then you will help the child in school.
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Tell the child that you
believe education is important.
 Let the child hear you express excitement about school and
interest in learning new things.
 Talk to the child about the ties between school and the future – like
getting to go to college, having good job options, and being
financially secure.
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Show the child that you
believe education is important.
 Keep a folder or scrapbook of the child’s best schoolwork. This
will show the child that you value his/her hard work and
achievements.
 If your schedule allows it, think about signing up to volunteer in the
child’s classroom or at a school event.
 Attend school meetings and events.
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Other ways to show the child that
you believe education is important.
 When something the child is learning in school comes up in
daily life, talk about it with the child. This will help the child
understand that what s/he is learning in school is important.
 Encourage the child to read every day.
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A NOTE FOR
Birth Parents and Education Rights Holders
 NOTE FOR BIRTH PARENTS WHO ARE EDUCATIONAL
CHAMPIONS: If the child does not currently live with you and
you are not sure whether your case plan allows you to
volunteer at school or attend school events, be sure to check
with your attorney or social worker first.
 NOTE FOR EDUCATIONAL CHAMPIONS WHO DO NOT
HOLD EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS: If you do not hold education
rights, reach out to the person who does to talk about
participating in school meetings. If the education rights holder
is the child’s birth parent, check with the social worker for the
best way to do so.
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Let the child know that you believe
s/he has the ability to do well in school.
Here are some examples of things you can say to the
child:
 “I know learning _____ is hard work, but I believe you can
do it.”
 “I know that your goal is to get into college, and I am
confident that you can do it.”
 “You came up with a very interesting idea for your project.
I think you’ll do a great job on it.”
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Regularly praise the child for his/ her hard work,
improvements and success in school.
Here are some examples of things you can say to the
child:
 “Great job with your homework this week!”
 “I’m very proud of you for working so hard on this
assignment.”
Let the child hear you compliment his/her hard work,
improvement, and successes in front of other adults.
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Setting educational goals for
younger children.
Here are some things you can say to a younger child:
 “What kinds of things do you want to learn to do by the end of
this school year?”
 EXAMPLES: learn to read a book with chapters, learn
multiplication tables
 “Let’s set a goal for something you want to do this week.”
 EXAMPLES: get 90% on my math quiz, practice all of my spelling
words
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Setting educational goals for
older children.
Here are some things you can say to an older child:
 “What classes would you like to take next year and why?”
 “Have you thought about taking any honors or AP
(Advanced Placement) classes?”
 “What is your goal GPA (grade point average) for this year?”
For long-term goals, help the child develop smaller, more
manageable steps.
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Keep a positive attitude.
Be encouraging.
If the child is struggling in school, he or she may feel
frustrated or sad about school. It is important that you:
 Always keep a positive attitude; and
 Encourage the child to always keep a positive attitude.
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Focus on improvement and
problem-solving.
Help the child focus on how to problem-solve and improve the
situation.
 FOR EXAMPLE, if the child is struggling in a specific subject, here are
some ways you can help the child focus on improvement:
 Talk to the child about the situation, and let him/her know you are
there to help figure out a solution.
 Review the child’s work in that subject. Look at the
questions/assignments the child did well on, and the ones with which
the child struggled. Try to determine why the child struggled.
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For Education Rights Holders.
Know your rights as the educational decision maker for the child.
 As the person who legally holds education rights for the child, you
can make decisions regarding such issues as:
 changing school placement,
 requesting school records,
 consenting to psychological testing, and
 requesting meetings with teachers (to name just a few).
 Don’t hesitate to ask the Court or your attorney if you have
questions about your right to advocate for the child.
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Consider getting input from other
adults involved in the child’s life.
Especially if the child does not live with you, you may want to
ask other adults in the child’s life for support and feedback in
making education-related decisions.
 EXAMPLES:
 If you are not the child’s caregiver right now, think about inviting
the child’s caregiver to attend parent-teacher conferences.
 You may also want to consider inviting tutors, coaches, or other
adult family members to school meetings.
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My Goals:
What I will do:
How often I will do this:
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Resources.
This PowerPoint, Tip Sheets, Mentoring Modules, and supporting materials can be found at:
www.foster-ed.org.
If you have questions about the materials, please contact: info@fostered.org.
Other Resources:

Action Information Sheet: A Parent’s Vision and High Expectations are Powerful, written
by the Minnesota Parent Center

High Expectations, guidelines written and translated by ExpectMoreArizona.org

A New Wave of Evidence, written by the National Center of Family & Community
Connections with Schools
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