How principals communicate expectations for raising academic performance and closing the achievement gap: evidence from Florida

Purpose This study investigates how teachers perceive their principals' communication of expectations, and how these perceptions differ based on teacher, principal and school characteristics, and the extent to which principals' communication of expectations is associated with student achievement. Design/methodology/approach This study leverages a variety of statistical approaches including multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, multiple regression and hierarchical linear models to analyze survey and administrative data from a state representative sample of schools in Florida. Findings First, principals communicate their expectations for raising student achievement more frequently and more clearly than they communicate their expectations for closing achievement gaps. Second, principals tend to rely on oral communication rather than written communication. Third, junior principals, middle school principals and those leading schools with lower concentrations of students in poverty communicate their expectations for closing achievement gaps less frequently and with less clarity. However, no significant differences were found in communication patterns based on principals' race, gender or school location. Fourth, although a positive relationship between communicating expectations and student achievement was observed after controlling for background variables, this relationship became less evident when adjusting for prior achievement. Originality/value This study delves deep into the patterns and mechanisms an important leadership practice – communicating expectations. It provides new empirical evidence on the role of principals' communication of their expectations in influencing student achievement, highlights gaps in communicating expectations concerning educational equity, uncovers differences in how expectations are conveyed across principals and schools with varying characteristics and offers guidelines for principals on effectively communicate expectations for both excellence and equity in school improvement.