Understanding How Leadership Matters - Collective Efficacy and Student Achievement

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Marglet

This study examines relationships between collective efficacy factors and college readiness outcomes for Illinois high schools. Using Illinois 5Essentials Survey measures and ACT reported college readiness scores, the research evaluates whether 5Essentials relate to student achievement and whether any factors show predictive strength. Findings indicate correlations exist but are at best weak, offering policy-relevant insights into recommending collective efficacy factors to shape school culture and improve student achievement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Collective efficacy, organizational intentionality, and leadership

Academic press and reciprocal causality

Accountability pressures and achievement gaps

Understanding How Leadership Matters: Collective Efficacy and Student Achievement By Matthew E. Haug 􀀍 & Teresa Wasonga† The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among collective efficacy factors, as measured by the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, and college readiness scores, as reported by American College Testing (ACT), for high schools in the state of Illinois. The 5Essentials have been considered crucial to school success and therefore used to describe learning environments and as basis for decisions on school improvement. However, little research has investigated the efficacy of the 5Essentials in their impact on academic achievement. This study used Illinois 5Essentials Survey and ACT data to interrogate the value of 5Essentials. Analysis of data determined that while correlational relationships do exist among the 5Essentials (collective efficacy factors) and that some have predictive qualities for student achievement, the strengths of those relationships are, at best, weak. Outcomes of this survey provide insights that policy makers should consider when recommending the use of these factors to influence school culture and student achievement. Keywords: collective efficacy, Illinois 5Essentials Survey, reciprocal causality, self-efficacy, student achievement, leadership Introduction The American public education system has long been trusted to improve the lives of individuals and to help them, among other things, rise to political, economic and social success (Bennett, 1988) . While this goal has remained the same over time (Kober, 2007; Willis, 1977), the structuring of the education system has changed in response to the needs of citizenry. For example,“[i]n the 21st century, at least some postsecondary education will be necessary for economic success –even survival– in an economy where the exchange of information dominates the world of work”(ACT, 2004). High school education only is no longer good enough to attain successful quality of life. In response, government leaders have called “…for a national commitment for every American to attain at least one year of postsecondary education” (Wolniak & Engberg, 2010). In an attempt to fulfil this commitment, the state of Illinois adopted the 5Essentials as a way to organize schools for improvement (Bryke, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010) . High school education is required to transition to college. But, high schools do not operate in a vacuum, especially when the measure of student achievement is brought to bear. Like other institutions, high schools are social organizations built upon a sense of collective efficacy, which Bandura defined as “…an organizational 􀀍 School Administrator, Central CUSD \#301, USA. †Professor, Northern Illinois University, USA. [https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.8-2-5](https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.8-2-5) doi=10.30958/aje.8-2-5 property and group-level attribute that represents teachers’ collective beliefs about their collective power to execute a course of action that will result in a positive impact on students…”(in Evans, 2009, p. 65). When community actions result in gains for the organization, this experience feeds into future experiences and strengthens the organization as a collective. This collective is also known as organizational intentionality, whereby organizational members’ work as a collective builds a sense of efficacy for the organization (Ingersoll, Sirinides, & Dougherty, 2018; Goddard, Hoy, & Woolfolk-Hoy, 2000) . To this end, Bandura (1993) has argued that the most critical component affecting student achievement in a school is the collective efficacy, especially that of its teachers. The perception that the collective has a positive impact on student achievement is strengthened through academic press, or “…quest for academic excellence…”(Hoy, Sweetland, & Smith, 2002). Over time, academic press becomes a normative process with faculty believing that their efforts to bring about qu

FAQs

What does the study examine about leadership and achievement?

The study examines how collective efficacy factors relate to college readiness scores and student achievement in Illinois high schools.

What data sources are used in the analysis?

The research uses the Illinois 5Essentials Survey for collective efficacy measures and ACT-reported college readiness scores.

How strong are the relationships between the 5Essentials and student achievement?

Correlational relationships exist, and some factors show predictive qualities, but the strengths of these relationships are described as weak.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Marglet