The Expectations Leaders Are Trying to Rebuild | Rebuilding the Expectations Students Need – Ep 22

Send us Fan MailHosts: Courtney Acosta & Mario AcostaBios: https://www.theedleadershippair.com/about-usPodcast: The EdLeadership Pair – Unfiltered Conversations for Today’s School LeadersJoin our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together. Let us know what topics you want us to tackle next.Episode OverviewMany school leaders are feeling the same pressure right now: behavior expectations have slipped, academic expectations feel harder to maintain, and too many students seem disconnected from school. In this episode, Courtney and Mario unpack what leaders can do to recommit to behavioral expectations before the next school year begins.Drawing from current principal concerns, national behavior data, and Mario’s current book on school transformation, this episode focuses on practical leadership moves for rebuilding student behavior systems. The conversation emphasizes that schools cannot simply wish behavior back into place. The central message is direct: if schools do not rebuild behavior, academic improvement will continue to stall.Leadership Actions Recommended in This Episode1. Identify students who are becoming invisibleTrack students who are chronically absent, emotionally disengaged, repeatedly disruptive, or increasingly apathetic. Name the students who need support before they disappear further from the school community.2. Assign every high-need student to a connected adultUse the “starfish” idea: every adult cannot save every child, but every adult can intentionally connect with a few. Build a system where struggling students are paired with adults who check in, monitor, encourage, and follow up.3. Create simple check-in systemsUse mentoring, advisory, check-in/check-out systems, PLC time, or team meetings to review student needs and ensure students are not falling through the cracks.4. Clarify and teach behavioral expectationsName the specific behaviors students need to demonstrate. Teach expectations directly instead of assuming students know them. Model, practice, reteach, and reinforce the behaviors that make learning possible.5. Define adult supervision responsibilitiesMake sure staff know where they are expected to be, what they are expected to monitor, and how they should interact with students during transitions, arrival, dismissal, lunch, hallways, playgrounds, and other unstructured times.6. Build common behavior response protocolsCreate clarity around which behaviors teachers own, which behaviors require administrative partnership, and which behaviors require immediate administrative intervention. Then align consequences and responses so students experience consistency across the school.7. Use a consequence-plus-repair approachDo not eliminate consequences. Instead, combine consequences with reflection, repair, reintegration, and problem-solving. Address the behavior while also identifying what is underneath it.8. Monitor adult consistencyDefine what success should look like if the behavior system is working. Then look for evidence: fewer hallway issues, cleaner common spaces, stronger adult presence, fewer repeat behaviors, improved attendance, and more consistent classroom expectations.9. Communicate with families earlyDo not wait until behavior patterns become severe. Build parent partnership as soon as concerns appear, and make family communication part of the behavior response process.10. Rebuild behavior before expecting academic recoveryAcademic expectations matter, but schools cannot get to deep learning if student behavior, attendance, safety, and connection are not addressed first.🎙️ Final ThoughtSchools don't improve because they add more.They improve when leaders intentionally strengthen the fundamentals:🤝 Relationships🎯 Expectations🏫 Community📚 Engagement❤️ ConnectionSometimes the most important leadership work isn't creating something new—it's restoring something valuable that was lost.🔗 Connect With Us📸 Instagram: @edleadership_pair▶️ YouTube: The EdLeadership Pair🎥 TikTok: @theedleadershippair🌐 Website & Newsletter: www.theedleadershippair.comJoin our growing community of school leaders navigating today’s challenges together.