The standards movement can motivate educators and students to reach higher levels of performance if we recast our perception of standards from a threat to a challenge, said Richard Sagor, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Inquiry in Education (Camas, Wash.). Rather than seeing the standards movement as an attempt by legislators to coerce educators into trying harder, Sagor advised, we should consider it akin to President Kennedy's challenge to NASA to put a man on the moon: an inspiring call to achieve something hitherto deemed impossible.
"To bring every kid to high levels of performance on meaningful standards—no one in the world in human history has done this," Sagor said. "It's a really exciting challenge."
How can such a big challenge be made motivating rather than daunting? According to Sagor, a challenge is motivational if
- It calls for creativity. Rather than mandating how teachers should meet standards, administrators should tap teachers' creativity by saying, "Help me figure it out," Sagor recommended. Teachers should solicit students' ideas in a similar fashion. For example, teachers could ask students, "What's the best way for you to master this skill?"
- Expectations are high. A too-easy challenge is not motivating, Sagor pointed out. By contrast, an ambitious challenge—such as trying to produce a computer better than any already on the market—can inspire people's best efforts.
- There are opportunities to collaborate. "By ourselves, we are likely to shy away from big challenges," Sagor noted. So, rather than challenging individual teachers, administrators should challenge their faculty as a team. Working together, educators "can accomplish extraordinary things," he said.
- There is support. The school leadership needs to provide "tangible" support, such as staff development and planning time, Sagor said. Equally important, administrators need to provide "cheerleading support."
- There is a compelling vision. People are motivated when they have "a meaningful objective," Sagor said—such as putting a man on the moon or creating a prototype. Therefore, educators and students must be able to visualize what achievement of the standards would "look like." Educators should say, "Wouldn't it be awesome if each one of our kids had mastery of these skills when they left school?"
When these five conditions are present, people relish challenges, Sagor said. "The same kids who invest very little of themselves in academic pursuits will sweat bullets in athletics—where they have a compelling vision and high expectations and can work collegially," he noted.
Making Good Use of Data
To bring a big challenge within reach of accomplishment, people need to use data, Sagor contended. Coaches motivate athletes by giving them data that show how they are progressing and where they need to improve, he said. Like athletes, educators and students are motivated when they can use data to improve their performance. Young learners try harder when they receive data on their performance and are allowed to strategize ways to improve their learning, he said, with the teacher acting as an academic coach. To improve their own performance, educators should begin by asking "What do we need to know?" and "What type of data would be helpful?"
Administrators can help teachers see that they do have the power to be successful and meet high standards, Sagor urged. Educators who enforce low expectations by saying, "Let's be realistic about what we can expect from these kids" have exactly the wrong attitude, he asserted. Instead, educators must embrace the challenge of ensuring that all students succeed. "We must see ourselves as giant slayers."