Collective Teacher Efficacy: Why is it important? What difference does it make? By Francine Fishman, Special Education School Improvement Specialist, RSE-TASC

Dear Long Island educators, welcome to

2017! The start of a new year is

typically a time for reflection and

contemplation. It is a time to realign

priorities and set new performance

targets for ourselves. As we reflect

upon 2016 and consider all of the

worthwhile goals we may strive for this

year, I turn your attention to a study that

was recently released by professor John

Hattie. The study compared the effect

size of literally thousands of factors that

influence student learning. Hattie points

out that in education most things work.

The question is which ones work best

and where to concentrate our efforts.

Prioritizing our efforts in those high

impact areas may be a valuable New

Year’s resolution!

John Hattie’s research interests include

performance indicators, models of

measurement, and evaluation of

teaching and learning. Hattie gained

popularity with the publication of his

two books, Visible Learning (2008) and

Visible Learning for Teachers (2012).

Visible Learning represents a means for

teachers to become evaluators of their

own practice. According to Hattie,

teaching and learning occur best when

teachers see learning through the eyes of

students and help students become their

own teachers. At its core, Visible

Learning is about what works best to

promote learning in schools. It is a

synthesis of more than 800 meta–studies

covering 15 years of research and more

than 80 million students (visible

learning.org).

In 2015 there were new entries to Hattie’s

effect size list. Of particular note is the

factor that made it to the top of the list. It is

a concept known as Collective Teacher

Efficacy (CTE). Given its rather impressive

effect size it may be prudent for us to

explore CTE further as a pragmatic means

to reach our professional new year’s goals.

To understand CTE, it would be beneficial

to start with an understanding of self-

efficacy and work our way forward.

Self-Efficacy

The pioneer of the concept of self-efficacy,

Albert Bandura, defines self-efficacy as “a

belief in one’s capabilities to organize and

execute the courses of action required to

produce given attainments.” Self-efficacy

is fundamentally concerned with the

execution of control rather than the

outcome that action produces (Bandura

1997). Once mastery of a task is attained,

this will be the most powerful way to effect

psychological change, subsequently

changing a person’s sense of self-efficacy.

A person’s current level of self-efficacy

will help to determine which goals they

chose to pursue, how much effort they will

spend, and how long they will continue

trying under stressful conditions (Eels,

2011, p.19; Bandura, 1977, p.194). In Greg

Bell’s book, Water the Bamboo, he

discusses a concept based on a type of

bamboo that grows like no other plant in

the world. Giant timber bamboo can grow

90 feet in 60 days. That would be a

phenomenal rate of growth in one’s

personal or professional life. However,

when the giant timber bamboo is initially

planted, it takes three years to break

through the ground. Timber bamboo

farmers water the seed and tend to it

faithfully, even though there is no visible

evidence of growth, for three years (Bell,

2014)! This metaphor of “Water the

Bamboo” is commonly used to define

success. Even in the absence of evidence

of growth, timber bamboo farmers know

that their actions will be fruitful. In sum,

their own self-efficacy plays a significant

role in the bamboo’s explosive growth.

Teacher Efficacy

Teachers own self-efficacy (teacher

efficacy) underscores their persistence and

commitment to what may seem like an

arduous task with slow or sometimes even

no growth. A groundbreaking study in

1984 by Patricia Ashton expanded our

understanding of teacher efficacy to

include the extent to which teachers feel

confident they are capable of bringing

about positive learning outcomes. She

offers two dimensions of teaching

efficacy: general, the extent to which

teachers believe that their students can

learn material; and personal, the extent to

which a teacher believes their students can

learn under his/her tutelage. Ashton argues

that teachers' beliefs about their ability to

bring about positive outcomes in their

classrooms, and their confidence in

teaching in general, play a central role in

their abilities to effectively serve their

students. Fostering teacher efficacy in

schools lies mostly on the shoulders of

school leaders. Persistence among school

leaders to be successful in this endeavor

In this issue: Self-Efficacy & Teacher Efficacy ~ Page 1 Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) ~ Page 2

About the Author/Upcoming Workshops ~ Page 3 The Role of a SESIS in Building CTE/References ~ Page 4

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on the web, at:

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RSE-TASC LO N G I S LAN D REG I ON AL S PE C I AL E DUCATI O N—T EC HN I C AL AS S I S TAN C E S UPPORT C E N TE R

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February 2017 Volume 4: Issue 6

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will ultimately lead to a more inclusive and supportive school

climate, which will then lead to teachers who encourage their

students’ increased self-efficacy. The result of failing to promote

teacher efficacy can lead to a self-fulfilling prophesy, wherein

teachers who don’t think that they can improve the lives of

students ultimately do not (Ashton Webb, 1986; Eells, 2011, p.

36).

An important fact about efficacy is that it is not necessarily

stable, it may wax and wane over time. In other words, efficacy

beliefs are not always permanent and can be influenced by a

variety of factors. There is little consistency across the literature

regarding the stability of teacher efficacy over time; some studies

indicate efficacy may increase over time and others suggest it

may decline. What is clear is that teachers' efficacy beliefs tend

to shift as they enter into new contexts. For example, Woolfolk

Hoy and Burke-Spero (2005) found that teacher efficacy declined

as they entered the field. One explanation for possible initial

declines in efficacy may be that when new teachers enter the

teaching force, they encounter a “reality shock” as they confront

the complexity of the teaching task. Ashton and Webb offer

strategies to help leaders bring their teachers to higher levels of

efficacy. They include meeting teachers where they are,

motivating them to always improve, and modeling the learning

practices that will get them there (Ashton & Webb, 1986).

Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE)

Now that we have discussed self-efficacy and teacher efficacy we

can explore the concept of collective efficacy which will lead to

our understanding of CTE. According to Bandura (1997),

collective efficacy is defined as “a group’s shared belief in its

conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action

required to produce given levels of attainment.” Groups of

educators can be considered a Community of Practice whereby

individuals share a concern or passion for what they do and who

they interact with regularly to learn how to do it better. In short,

the concept of collective efficacy is similar to self-efficacy in that

it focuses on the amount of effort and persistence dedicated to a

task and the perception of the success of that task (Bandura,

1997). However, rather than focusing on the beliefs and efforts of

the individual, it focuses on the beliefs and efforts of the group.

In an educational Community of Practice where teachers are

working toward the same destiny, their collective efforts lead to

CTE. CTE may then lead to a realization of common goals.

When schools work toward inspiring teachers to work together as

a team, they are employing an approach that has a powerful

positive effect on students’ learning outcomes. Hoy and Miskel

(2008) argue that a school's system of shared beliefs binds the

teachers together and gives the school a distinctive identity.

Studies have demonstrated that higher aggregate CTE is

associated with increased rates of parental involvement, increased

school orderliness, teacher innovation, teacher familiarity with

colleague's courses, reduced suspensions and dropout rates, and

higher achievement across elementary and secondary schools. In

a series of studies, Roger Goddard and colleagues found that the

CTE of a school had a greater positive impact on student

achievement than the locale of the school (i.e. urban, suburban,

rural) and individual student demographic variables (e.g. race,

gender, socio-economic status). Therefore, it makes sense that

the pursuit of CTE would promote an inclusive and more

supportive learning environment, which may eventually lead to

augmented student achievement (De Witt, 2016). When

everyone in a school believes that together they can make a

difference, the impact on student attainment can be almost

quadrupled (Eells, 2011). The establishment of CTE across a

school is a powerful precursor to student success. Given its effect

on student achievement, fostering CTE should be a top priority for

school leaders. So now that we have discussed the importance

and sizable effect of CTE, the question remains, how to begin to

build capacity and foster CTE? While there may be no failsafe

techniques, Jenni Donohoo, Educational Consultant, offers

techniques to create optimal conditions in order to set the stage for

creating CTE along with small steps to making it happen. See

How to Make CTE Happen, below...

How to Make CTE Happen in Small Steps

Advanced teacher Influence: Change agents may consider

areas for school improvement (environment, delivery of

curriculum, professional learning, collective efficacy, etc.)

Who are the key stakeholders and how can they be afforded

greater influence over important decisions?

Goal consensus: Leaders can help build collective efficacy by

communicating a strong belief in the capacity of the staff to

improve the quality of teaching and learning and to attain

appropriately challenging goals throughout the goal setting

process. Acknowledge joint accomplishments. What small

wins have resulted from teamwork?

Teachers’ acknowledge one another’s work: Set up

opportunities for teachers to learn more about each other’s

work. Peer observation, videotaping instruction, teacher

moderation, lesson study, developing common assessments,

and sharing teaching practices and student work. What

opportunities are there for teachers to learn collaboratively?

Cohesive staff: Encourage individual teachers to think like a

team. Clarify each teacher’s role in achieving a common

purpose as part of the larger team. In what ways are teachers

inter-dependent on one another? What are some opportunities

to increase inter-dependence?

Responsiveness of leadership: Awareness of situations or the

details and undercurrents in the school. Is anything preventing

the team from carrying out their duties effectively? If so how

can change agents respond to the situation?

Effective systems of intervention: Create a task force to learn

more about effective systems of intervention. Evaluate aspects

of intervention plans and determine which aspects might be

transferable to the school environment. Collective efficacy is

built through vicarious experiences.

The Role of a Special Education School Improvement

Specialist (SESIS) in Building Collective Teacher Efficacy

Learning together is a key tool in building efficacy. It is essential

for educators to engage in continuous learning and ongoing mean-

ingful professional development; not only to develop knowledge

and skills but also to address the current challenges facing educa-

tion and students today, including special education students. Jen-

ni Donohoo shares Seven Characteristics of Effective Professional

Learning that may lead to CTE ( see figure 2, page 4). For those of

you who may have not had the opportunity to work with a Special

Education School Improvement Specialist (SESIS), let me take a

moment to share the goals of a SESIS. A SESIS provides targeted

technical assistance to school districts after a non-evaluative as-

sessment of student outcomes and provides professional develop-

ment in the areas of literacy, behavioral supports, and the delivery

of specially designed instruction, depending on the school’s priori-

ty needs. The school improvement goals, activities, and assess-

ment of progress toward improving student outcomes are then

documented and monitored through a Quality Improvement Pro-

cess (QIP). (cont. on pg. 4)

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L ONG ISL AND R S E - TAS C R EG IONA L WOR KSHO PS

BEHAVIOR WORKSHOPS • BILINGUAL WORKSHOPS • NON-DISTRICT WORKSHOPS • REGULATIONS • TRANSITION WORKSHOPS

To Register for 2016-2017 Regional Workshops, you may visit our website by

clicking on this link: http://www.esboces.org/Page/89, or...

Please go to http://webreg.esboces.org to register online.

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• LONG ISLAND RSE-TASC REGIONAL CATALOGUE SAMPLE • FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF WORKSHOPS, VIEW OUR REGIONAL CATALOGUE

February & March, 2017

CDOS Module 2 (Peconic Teacher’s Center)—2/15/17 facilitated by Ms. Doris Stanojev

Skill Based Strategies for Teacher Assistants & Paraprofessionals (SLCD, Glen Cove)—2/15/17

facilitated by Mr. Larry Anderson

ENL practices for the Special Education provider (Nassau BOCES)—2/16/17

facilitated by Ms. MariLuz Genao Tier II—Targeted Supports and Interventions: The Importance of Teaching Social Emotional Skills based on the

Preschool Pyramid Model (Part 1 of 2) (Alternatives for Children—Dix Hills)—2/16/17

facilitated by Ms. Carolyn Candela Tier II—In-depth Exploration of Targeted Supports based on the

Pyramid Model for Preschool (Part 2 of 2) (Ronkonkoma)—2/27/17

facilitated by Ms. Carolyn Candela

Skills & Achievement Commencement Credential (Western Suffolk BOCES)—2/27/17

facilitated by Ms. Andrea Lachar

Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) (Western Suffolk BOCES)—2/27/17

facilitated by Ms. Arlene Crandall

NYS PBIS TAC Regional Forum—Integrating Trauma Sensitivity (Western Suffolk BOCES)—2/28/17

Facilitated by the NYSED, P-12/OSE: NYS PBIS TAC

CDOS Module 2 (Nassau BOCES)—2/28/17

facilitated by Mr. Michael Mastrocinque

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Evaluations (Eastern Suffolk BOCES)—3/1/17

facilitated by Ms. MariLuz Genao

Special Education Process for Principals (Eastport-South Manor)—3/6/17

facilitated by Ms. Arlene Crandall

About the Author –Fran Fishman Francine Fishman has spent the past ten years working at Nassau and Eastern Suffolk BOCES as a school social

worker. She is committed to empowering and advocating for students with special needs. Over the years she has

worked with students from K-12 and appreciates the importance of support and advocacy at every level. A deep

appreciation for multicultural and global understanding has led her to travel to schools internationally to gather

and share ideas. She has earned advanced certification in School Building and District Leadership from the

College of St. Rose, a MBA in business management from Adelphi University, a MSW from Stony Brook

University, and a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University. Francine finds her position as a Special

Education School Improvement Specialist a most unique and invaluable platform to help foster positive change

for special needs students. You may visit Fran on the web by clicking this link:

http://www.esboces.org/Page/1040

4

• RSE-TASC STAFF •

The Role of a Special Education School Improvement Specialist (SESIS)

in Building Collective Teacher Efficacy (cont’d.)

This process of professional and collaborative learning encourages shared

experiences which are vicariously influenced through the observations of

successful student outcomes. As we work in collaboration with staff to de-

velop professional learning, we can hopefully assist schools to see the link

between their collective actions and resulting positive student outcomes. As

a team we then regularly engage in reflective practice, where self-awareness

is increased and direct connections between teaching practice and student

learning are made clearer. A SESIS’ vision and passions are entrenched in

the concept of “Start with Why” (Simon Sinek). While we can typically an-

swer the questions of “What” we do, or “How” we do it, the question of

“Why” we do what we do always drives our work.

So as we set off to meet the challenges of a new year, let us remember our

“Why” and realize that we can be, and will be stronger together. Lets face it,

80 million students and 15 years of research is an impressive survey! What it

tells us is that if we believe in each other and in our students together we can

accomplish anything! Wishing you much success in 2017!

Seven Characteristics of Effective Professional Learning 1. Ongoing

2. Reinforces meaningful collaboration 3. Grounded in educator’s practice

4. Involves reflection based on evidence of student outcomes 5. Increases teacher influence 6. Builds capacity for leadership

7. Taps into sources of efficacy

(figure 2)

References Ashton, P. T., & Webb, R. B. (1986). Making a

difference: Teachers’ sense of efficacy and

student achievement. White Plains, NY: Longman,

Inc. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The exercise of

control. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

Bell, G. (2009). Water the bamboo: unleashing the

potential of teams and individuals. Portland: Three

Star. DeWitt, P. M. (2016). Collaborative leadership: six

influences that matter most. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin, a SAGE Company. Donohoo, J. (2016). Collective Efficacy: How

Educators' Beliefs Impact Student Learning. Cor-

win Press. Eells, R. (2011). Meta-analysis of the Relationship

Between Collective Efficacy and Student Achieve-

ment. Dissertation. Loyola University of Chicago. Goddard, R. D. (1998). The effects of collective

teacher efficacy on student achievement in urban

public elementary schools. Columbus: Ohio State

University. Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2008). Educational

administration: Theory, research, and practice

(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Hoy, A. W., & Spero, R. B. (2005). Erratum to

“Changes in teacher efficacy during the early years

of teaching: A comparison of four measures”.

Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(6), 743. visible-learning.org

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CENTRAL OFFICE (Suffolk office): Vincent Leone, Long Island RSE-TASC Coordinator & Editor in Chief

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~ Jenni Donohoo