The Missing Link in Student Success? Research Says It's Your Admin.

His family is very worried.

What’s the magic formula for student success?

By now most teachers have gotten back their test scores for their students. I saw it all over my teacher groups. A few teachers who wrote that all their kids passed the STAAR (Texas’ state test for 3-12) but there were many disappointed teachers who wrote about their smaller percentage of passing students. And then the comments from teachers who wanted to know from those high achieving teachers… how did you do it? Because that’s what we all want to know, right? What’s the formula? What’s the secret in the sauce? What’s the magic THING that teacher did?

The Four Paths Model: What REALLY makes students successful

When doing my graduate program, I dived deep into this topic. I hated the answer, but it needs to be shared and said: the success of the students is not tied to the teacher alone. There is a formula, but unfortunately, it’s going to take more than a textbook or a PD over writing.

All info is taken from Dr. Ken Leithwood, a leading researcher in educational leadership, who identified four key areas school leaders can influence to boost student outcomes.[School Leaders’ Influences on Student Learning: The Four Paths, a great read if you have time.]

1. Teachers must be well-supported in what they teach and how they teach it.

You want your students to be successful?  Your leaders have to first build trust, create a positive emotional climate, and foster a strong sense of shared purpose and belief in success. At the same time, admin also needs to help teachers grow professionally with teacher development that isn’t a complete waste of time. PD has to be rooted in giving teachers useful instructional skills, setting high expectations, and protecting teacher time in and out of the classroom. This means investing in instructional coaches who provide meaningful feedback for teacher growth, establishing a school culture rooted in ‘academic press’(an culture of high expectations), and making sure every classroom is focused and free from behaviors that stop learning. When emotional support and instructional excellence work hand-in-hand, students benefit the most.

2. Teachers need to feel confident, valued, and supported.

Teachers need to feel confident, valued, and supported in order to do their best work—and that starts with school leaders who are intentional about building relationships where trust is at the core. When teachers know their voices are heard and their efforts are recognized, it creates a positive emotional climate where risk-taking and growth can happen. Leaders play a key role in fostering this kind of environment by being visible, approachable, and consistent. More importantly, they must work to create a strong sense of shared purpose, where everyone in the building believes in their collective ability to help students succeed. When teachers feel emotionally supported and professionally respected, they’re far more likely to stay invested, collaborate with others, and bring their best energy into the classroom.

3. The school must be well-organized and focused on learning.

A successful sc

hool runs on systems that make learning the priority, not meetings. This means leaders need to be thoughtful about scheduling, transitions, hallway procedures, and even how announcements are handled. Every minute matters in the classroom. Strong organizational leadership ensures that the structure of the school day supports learning at every level, from how students move between classes to how teams collaborate to what happens when Billy throws a chair across the room for the third time this week. When schools are intentionally designed around instructional goals, learning becomes the default, not the exception.

4. Families must be involved and feel like partners.

Families are essential partners in student success, and their involvement should be more than a phone call or a text message to inform them of bad behavior. To build strong connections, schools and teachers must engage families early and keep the lines of communication open throughout the year. Parents need to feel welcomed, informed, and empowered to support learning at home. When schools, through admin and teachers, help families understand what success looks like and how to encourage it, they create a shared investment in student growth. The most effective schools don’t just inform families, they invite them into the learning process as active contributors.

Team Work Makes the Dream Work

While no single person is solely responsible for student success, school leaders hold the key to making it all work.  They influence all four paths (instruction, emotions, systems, families). They decide where time, resources, and energy go. If administrators don’t actively support teachers or build family partnerships, the system breaks down. If students aren’t succeeding, strong leadership is usually the missing link. If you’re an administrator reading this, ask yourself: Am I actively supporting all four paths—or is one being left behind? If you’re a teacher reading this, tell yourself this: It’s not all on me. I am not the only one who is responsible for student success, and that’s ok!

The success of students only works when everything works TOGETHER.

I will leave you with this: we continue fighting the good fight and giving students the most important thing we can when we educate them – choices. When we educate, whether that’s massive step forward in the student’s learning or small step, we have given our students the power to make choices for their future. And isn’t that what’s really important?