The Effects of Strengths-Based Information on Teachers’ Expectations for Diverse Students

This study examined the effects on teachers’ expectations of including information about students’ intrapersonal and interpersonal strengths in vignettes of Latino English Language Learner (ELL) and Caucasian non-ELL students in U.S. schools. Ninety-one elementary school teachers read one of four randomly assigned fictional vignettes describing a student struggling in school and then predicted the student’s future outcomes. Descriptions of student strengths (present vs. absent) and ethnic and linguistic backgrounds (Latino ELL vs. Caucasian non-ELL) were manipulated. Significant findings were obtained for the effects of including strengths on teachers’ expectations for both student groups in a variety of domains, including short- and long-term academic and behavioral outcomes, and level of family involvement in the child’s education. Implications for consideration of strengths in comprehensive assessments of children are discussed.