FranklinCovey Education | Research

A Framework for Schoolwide Transformation

A Clear Path to Sustainable Change

Achieving meaningful, system-wide change in education often feels out of reach.

Despite their best intentions, educational leaders frequently struggle to turn their visions into reality due to a lack of clear direction and cohesive support.

 

This gap—between the desire for transformation and the ability to implement it effectively—can hinder progress and sustain the status quo.

The Leader in Me Framework bridges this gap by providing a comprehensive roadmap that guides schools through the daily actions necessary to achieve their goals. By offering a unifying structure and the essential resources, Leader in Me empowers educators, students, and families to collaborate towards lasting, positive change.

 

Central to this transformation is recognizing how expectations shape every decision and interaction, ultimately influencing outcomes for students and schools.

The Power of Expectations in Student and School Success

Nearly 60 years of research on paradigms, or expectations, has consistently shown their influence on teaching practices and students' academic and life outcomes. However, this understanding has not fully reached the front lines of education. While educators frequently discuss desired outcomes and effective instructional practices, there is far less emphasis on the underlying paradigms that shape these decisions. In 2018, Dr. Christine M. Rubie-Davies compiled research on teacher expectations,1 emphasizing their impact on student outcomes. Explore her findings on the cyclical nature of these expectations:

The Leader in Me Framework

The Leader in Me Framework is organized into three interdependent parts called the See-Do-Get® Cycle. How we see, our paradigms, drives what we do, our actions and behaviors, which determines the results we get. This simple yet powerful cycle breaks us out of the “doing” and “getting” trap by growing our awareness of the paradigms that keep us stuck. With the right paradigms schools and districts reach exponential growth.

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How Leader in Me Schools SEE Differently

At the core of Leader in Me is the See–Do–Get® model:

See: How we perceive challenges and opportunities.
Do: The actions we take based on those perceptions.
Get: The outcomes we achieve as a result of our actions.

We’ve integrated the See–Do–Get® cycle into our framework because it succinctly captures the research-backed relationship between beliefs, actions, and outcomes. Adjusting paradigms—such as embracing leadership potential in every student—can transform teaching approaches and elevate student engagement and achievement.

 

The Leader in Me Framework: Our Core Paradigms

Leader in Me is anchored in 5 Core Paradigms that reflect essential insights from educational and developmental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and leadership theory. These paradigms shape everything we do, guiding schools away from limiting beliefs and toward a more inclusive, capacity-building approach.

 

The Leader in Me Five Core Paradigms are:

Paradigm of Leadership | Paradigm of Potential | Paradigm of Change | Paradigm of Motivation | Paradigm of Education

COACHING INSIGHTS

Being Seen

For some students, school feels like a constant struggle. But what if one teacher, one moment, or one opportunity could change everything?

Join our FranklinCovey Education Coaches as they share deeply personal stories about students who started in a challenging place—those who felt invisible, uncertain, or stuck. With heartfelt insight, they discuss Leader in Me as the vehicle that drives us to see the best in others, until they see the potential in themselves. How can we help students find their voice, and what capabilities will they unlock along the way? Watch how Leader in Me is transforming students’ lives—helping them see what they are truly capable of.

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The Leader in Me Framework: Practices that Transform Schools

The Leader in Me Framework integrates practices in Leadership, Culture, and Academics to drive meaningful, sustained change. Research shows that combining these areas creates optimal outcomes for schools.

LEADERSHIP

Start with Adults Learning & Modeling

Effective leadership delivers 2.3x more success in organizations.2

Leader in Me builds leadership capacity for principals, coordinators, and staff, fostering sustainable school improvement.

  • Principal and Coordinator Development

    Leadership impacts everything—from academic outcomes to teacher retention.3 Leader in Me equips school leaders to cultivate leadership across the school.

  • New and Ongoing Staff Learning

    Changing habits requires sustained support. High-quality professional development can boost student performance by 21%.4 Leader in Me provides ongoing leadership training for lasting cultural shifts.

  • Family and Community Partnerships

    Unified efforts between schools and families create stronger outcomes.5 Leader in Me closes engagement gaps with resources and training for families and communities, building a cohesive support network.

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LEADERSHIP

Teach Students to Lead

Students need leadership competencies to thrive.6 Leader in Me provides direct instruction, integrated practice, and service learning to develop critical leadership and life skills.

  • Direct Lessons

    Leadership skills like adaptability and critical thinking are essential for future success.7 Leader in Me builds these competencies.

  • Integrated Approaches

    Students master leadership by practicing skills across content and routines. Repeated practice leads to 14x the lifetime impact of their initial investment.8

  • Service Learning

    Empowering students to lead in real-world contexts boosts academic achievement by 17% and reduces anxiety and behavior issues by over 20%.9

LEADERSHIP

A Way of Life—Lorelai Walker

Despite being diagnosed at a young with hearing loss and a heart condition, Lorelai Walker of Tyler Legacy High School refused to let adversity define her. By embracing the principles of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, she transformed challenges into opportunities to lead and inspire others. In this interview, she shares her powerful journey of perseverance and how the 7 Habits shaped her growth as a leader and prepared her for the future.

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CULTURE

Create a Leadership Environment

Leader in Me Schools design high-trust environments where leadership principles are reflected in both culture and space.

  • Physical Environment

    A thoughtfully designed school environment acts as a “third teacher,”10 reinforcing leadership values and creating belonging.

  • High-Trust Environment

    High-trust environments reduce stress by 74% and burnout by 40%.11 Leader in Me fosters strong relationships and emotional safety for all.

  • Leadership Events

    Students plan and lead school-wide events, honing skills like collaboration and public speaking while driving engagement and ownership.12

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CULTURE

Share Leadership

Leader in Me empowers everyone in the school community to lead and drive meaningful change.

  • Lighthouse & Action Teams

    Shared leadership boosts student outcomes by 30%.13 Leader in Me builds collective efficacy, equipping teams to lead change.

  • Leadership Roles

    Authentic responsibilities increase belonging and engagement. Systemized roles combat chronic absenteeism and deepen student connections.14

  • Student Voice

    Amplified student voice leads to 7x greater motivation and higher attendance.15 Leader in Me helps students take ownership of their learning and contributions.

CULTURE

Part of The Change—Luis' Story

What can students accomplish when we nurture a shared leadership environment?

In the heart of Guatemala, Luis Pedros embraces his culture and community, seeing leadership as a way to create change. Guided by Leader in Me and The 7 Habits, he transformed from a student leader to a workplace change-maker, proving that shared leadership can break paradigms. Now, he’s mentoring the next generation to find their voices and lead with purpose, shaping a brighter future for all.

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ACADEMICS

Achieve Goals

Goal-setting drives growth. Leader in Me empowers individuals, teams, and schools to achieve meaningful results using proven processes.

  • Individual Goals

    Setting clear, actionable goals improves achievement rates by 40%.16 Leader in Me teaches students and staff how to set and track goals effectively.

  • Team Goals

    Collaborative goal-setting enhances learning outcomes and persistence by up to 46%.13

  • Aligned School Goals

    Shared school-wide goals foster coherence and drive progress toward key objectives, ensuring every effort contributes to success.17

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ACADEMICS

Empower Learners

Empowered learners take control of their growth and future. Leader in Me provides tools and experiences to help students own their learning journey.

  • Leadership Portfolios

    Reflective practices can add up to 7 months of additional progress in academics.18 Leader in Me portfolios help students track and reflect on growth.

  • Student Led Conferences

    Students who own their data and progress develop metacognitive skills with an effect size of 0.69.13

  • Empowering Instruction

    Student-led learning fosters problem-solving and critical thinking—skills valued by 85.5% of employers.19

ACADEMICS

Achieving Goals—Pershing Magnet

At the heart of Chicago’s John J. Pershing Magnet School’s remarkable success are their powerful goal achievement structures, built on The 4 Disciplines of Execution® and their commitment to student-led learning. Students set goals, track progress with accountability partners, and document their growth in leadership binders for student-led conferences. In this video, hear from students, teachers, and administrators about the impact of these strategies on learning and leadership.

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The Leader in Me Framework: Achieving Measurable Success

Tracking and analyzing data informs the actions that lead to impactful results.
The Measurable Results Assessment (MRA) demonstrates the effectiveness of implementing the paradigms and practices of Leader in Me.
The practices in the Leader in Me Framework, when implemented with fidelity, lead to measurable results such as:
  • Increased student leadership and academic performance
  • Enhanced staff leadership and collaboration
  • Greater family and community engagement
  • A more supportive and inclusive school environment
  • Empowered learners and educators
  • Life-ready students prepared for success in college, career, and life 

Achieving Results With Coaching

Education leaders at every level recognize the growing complexity of today’s landscape. Balancing the needs for academic growth, staff well-being, and student readiness for postsecondary success is no easy feat. Leader in Me Coaching offers a path forward—providing personalized support that bridges the gap between ambitious goals and scalable achievement.

  • Modeling in Real Classrooms: Coaches demonstrate research-based practices with actual students, allowing teachers to see strategies in context.
  • Guided Practice & Feedback: Through one-on-one sessions and real-time observation, coaches offer insight and direction that build teacher confidence and skill.
  • Long-Term Change: Prolonged, consistent coaching is shown to boost teacher knowledge and instructional practices by 35%, resulting in more sustainable improvements in student performance.
How Does Coaching Accelerate Academic Growth—Especially in Under-Resourced Schools?

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What Measurable Outcomes Are Schools Achieving With Leader in Me?
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Resource Hub

To support your school’s growth and continuous improvement, we’ve created the Research-to-Practice Resource Hub, where you’ll find a curated collection of multimedia content designed to support your journey. Browse videos featuring expert insights, read in-depth articles unpacking key concepts and evidence, listen to thought-provoking podcasts, and access practical tools and resources, and bibliographies.

Whether you’re looking to deepen your understanding or find actionable strategies, these resources will help you translate research into meaningful practice.

Click Below to Start Exploring Today.

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