Trust in Schools A Core Resource for School Improvement Summary of Research by Anthony Bryk and Barbara Schneider 2

3 The Components of Relational Trust Respect Genuinely listening and valuing the opinions of others during social discourse that takes place across the school community. Competence Execution of an individual’s formal responsibilities. There is recognition of the interdependence of our roles in attaining the desired outcome. When negligence or incompetence is allowed to persist in any one role in the school, it undermines trust.

4 The Components of Relational Trust Personal Regard for Others The willingness of members of a school community to extend themselves beyond what their role might formally require in any given situation. Actions are made in an effort to reduce others’ sense of vulnerability. Integrity Consistency between what a person says and does. Others believe and perceive that a moral-ethical perspective guides one’s work.

5 Research The researchers analyzed Chicago Public Schools from to “examine the link between relational trust in school communities and the likelihood of organizational improvements that culminate in increased student learning”.

6 Findings Teacher-Principal Trust in Schools with Top and Bottom Quartile Scores on Standardized Tests

7 Findings Trends in Mathematics Scores in Schools Improving and Non- Improving regarding Relational Trust

8 Findings Trends in Reading Scores in Schools Improving and Non- Improving regarding Relational Trust

9 Conclusions Schools reporting strong relational trust levels in 1994 were three times more likely to eventually improve in reading and math than those with very weak trust reports. By 1997, schools with strong relational trust reports had a one in two chance of being in the improving group vs. a one in seven chance for schools with very weak relational trust reports.

10 Perhaps Most Significantly... Schools with weak relational trust levels in 1994 and 1997 had virtually no chance of showing improvement in either reading or mathematics.

11 Presence of relational trust was more predictive of improvement than... School size Teacher educational/professional background Percentage of new teachers Average years of teaching experience Racial & ethnic composition of student body Poverty levels Stability of student body Prior school achievement

12 Organizational Effects Relational trust reduces the sense of vulnerability related to new and uncertain tasks, increasing classroom innovation Relational trust facilitates public problem-solving within an organization Relational trust undergirds and supports organizational norms of continuous improvement and collaboration Relational trust creates a “moral resource” for sustained adult effort

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