Successful Teachers Develop Academic Momentum with Reluctant Students

Last year, I couldn't keep track of my work. I lost homework on the way to school or forgot it at home. I got in a lot of trouble. This year I'm staying out of trouble. I have more friends, some of them are better, some still get in trouble, but not as much as they used to. I'm on the ABC honor roll, so I get to go on the honor roll trips. That's something I've never done before. (Randy, 01/05) As an eighth grader, Randy's academic engagement increased dramatically. He rarely got in trouble. He became a leader on community service projects. He qualified for the honor roll. His scores on statewide achievement tests rose significantly. He and his teachers reversed the negative dynamics that had plagued him in years past. Their story demonstrated a pattern of performance that has grown clearer in recent research reports. In a series of investigations, my colleagues and I have examined ways that students who once did poorly in school made progress and how their teachers nurtured their accomplishments