A research review by the Education Commission of the States conclude that teachers' expectations—often influenced by factors such race, ethnicity, and family income levels—can significantly affect students' academic performance. Negative teacher expectations account for an estimated 5 to 10 percent of the variance in student achievement and contribute to achievement gaps between white and minority students, according to the findings.

The ECS's brief, which was published last month, emphasizes that learning opportunities are often dependent on a teacher's expectations for an individual student. For instance, it states:

A teacher might set lower standards for historically low-achieving students or he/she might perceive various students' behaviors differently. A delayed response from a non-minority, more affluent student might be perceived as thoughtful consideration, while the same delayed response from a minority, lower-income student might be considered as a lack of understanding. These differences in teacher behavior convey expectations to students, which can significantly affect their own behavior in ways that impede academic achievement.

To be clear, the idea of there being a strong correlation between teacher expectations and student achievement is nothing new. The ECS says the link was explored in a 1968 study by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson entitled Pygmalion in the Classroom. The group also looked at four other studies, published between 2006 and 2010, that highlighted the impact of teacher expectations on performance.

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