The EdVisions Hope Study:
Improve School Effectiveness
by
Growing Student Hope
Background
• Minnesota New Country School
• EdVisions Cooperative
• EdVisions Schools
Hope Study Overview
• Adolescent developmental needs as a means
to academic success
• Series of scientifically sound self-perception
surveys to measure the five components
• Research question: Is our educational
environment developmentally healthier for
adolescents, and if so, how do they respond?
Stones in Today’s High Schools
Decreases in:
*Student Engagement
*Intrinsic Motivation
*Attention and Effort in School
*Interest in Learning
*Achievement
Drop Out Rates
• Remain basically unchanged despite expensive and
ongoing reforms
• 347,000-544,000 per year 1990-2000
• Dropouts have a decreased chance of success as
adults
Social Emotional Behavioral
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Depression
Suicide
Eating Disorders
High Risk Behaviors substance abuse, delinquency
Intellectual growth impeded
when these are present.
Stage-Fit Environment Theory
• Mismatch between adolescent developmental needs and
the educational environment results in negative outcomes.
• Matching the educational environment to student
developmental needs results in:
higher levels of motivation
engagement
achievement
has a positive effect on student psychological health.
Key Developmental Needs of
Adolescents (Nails!)
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Autonomy*
Belongingness*
Competence*/Goal Orientation
Engagement
Hope
The Three R’s of Academic
Achievement
• Rigor
• Relevance
• Relationships
* Hope Study connects basic developmental
needs to the three R’s to impact student
outcomes.
*Academic results follow when the 3 R’s are
integrated into the school culture.
*Autonomy*
• Frustrating this need leads to maladaptive
behavior and neurosis (Erik Erikson)
• Self management, choice of what to study,
personalized goals and timelines, various points
of view valued, creativity and learning styles,
academics relevant to student
• Directly affects motivation, persistence, and
engagement (Relevance)
*Belongingness*
• Need for strong, mutually supportive
relationships is a fundamental human need.
• Quality and Depth of relationships with teachers
and peers
• Increases motivation, positive social behavior,
and academic achievement (Relationship)
• Enhances school adjustment, perceived
competence, and self esteem.
*Goal Orientation/Competence*
• Reasons behind efforts to achieve
• Approach to learning:
Perceived high expectation
Belief that effort will be recognized
Emphasis on deep understanding
• Task Goal Orientation has positive results
• Performance Goal Orientation has negative results
• Directly related to Rigor
Engagement
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Occurs when core developmental needs are met
Student work ethic
Concentration and persistence
Attention to school work
Behavioral and emotional involvement in school
Effort and passion put into learning
Results in superior work, deeper understanding,
and longer retention of knowledge and skills
Hope
• An individual’s conception of their ability to
*conceptualize goals
*develop strategies for goal completion
*initiate and sustain motivation toward goals
Growing Hope Can Produce :
*Higher College GPA,
*Higher graduation rates
*More Optimism about life
*Better physical health
*Higher self esteem
*Greater levels of happiness
Adding Nails
Create reforms that permit:
*Higher levels of autonomy for students
(Relevance)
*Encourage higher levels of peer and teacher
support (Relationships)
*Provide higher levels of task or mastery goal
orientation (Rigor)
Example: EdVisions Model
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Individual Project Based Learning
Authentic Assessment
Small Learning Communities/Advisory Groups
Teacher Governance/Democratic Governance
How Can Your Team Meet the
Challenge?
• Brainstorm concrete, systemic, cultural
changes using the Hope Study Components
Checklist to create a better match.
Tools for the Journey
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The Pinnacles Group
EdVisions Schools www.edvisions.com
The Hope Study
Search Institute’s 40 developmental assets
www.search-institute.org/assets
• Ted Sizer’s Essential Elements of Schools
www.essentialschools.org/resources
Works Cited
• www.edvisions.com
• Phi Delta Kappan, Feb. 2007. “Growing Hope
as a Determinate of School Effectiveness”.R.
Newell and M. J. Van Ryzin
• Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships in
Educational Reform: The Story of the Hope
Study. R. Newell and M.J. Van Ryzin
• Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets
• www.search-institute.org/assets