School Academic Optimism Scale (SAOS)
Measures a school's academic optimism through collective efficacy, faculty trust in parents and students, and academic emphasis.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The School Academic Optimism Scale (SAOS) was developed by Hoy, W. K., Tarter, C. J., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2006). It is designed to measure Academic Optimism. The scale is intended for use with School faculty and teachers.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Collective Efficacy, Faculty Trust in Parents and Students, Academic Emphasis.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Collective Efficacy | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 | 12 |
| Faculty Trust in Parents and Students | 13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 | 10 |
| Academic Emphasis | 23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree (Items 1-22) / Rarely (Items 23-30), 2 = Disagree (Items 1-22) / Sometimes (Items 23-30), 3 = Somewhat Disagree (Items 1-22) / Often (Items 23-30), 4 = Somewhat Agree (Items 1-22) / Very Often (Items 23-30), 5 = Agree (Items 1-22 only), 6 = Strongly Agree (Items 1-22 only).
The scale includes 7 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 100 to 900. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Academic Optimism (Below Average): 100 – 399
- Average Academic Optimism: 400 – 600
- High Academic Optimism (Above Average): 601 – 900
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.