Dr. Megan Tschannen-Moran is a professor of educational leadership at the College of William and Mary School of Education. She prepares prospective school leaders in the Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership program. Her research focuses on relationships of trust in school settings and how these are related to important outcomes such as the collective efficacy beliefs of a school faculty, teacher professionalism, and student achievement. 

Abstract: A growing body of research attests to the vital role that trust plays in high performing schools. The level of faculty trust in the principal and in their teacher colleagues plays an important role in the climate of collective efficacy and academic press in the school. However, teacher mutual trust between teachers and students is the most potent predictor of student achievement. In one study, over 75% of the variance in student achievement could be explained by a set of trust variables. In this presentation, we will explore the nature and meaning of trust in schools, as well as the factors influencing the dynamics of trust in today’s schools.