Educators are always looking for new ideas and best practices to positively impact student learning. Particularly after the learning interruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, schoolteachers and leaders are seeking strategies to increase the rate of student academic growth. One approach that can be borrowed from leadership development is the strengths-based approach to goal setting. Students in 4th and 8th grade selected a strengths-based or deficit-based goal aimed at supporting their efforts to meet projected growth targets for the academic school year. This study utilized an ex-post facto quantitative approach to analyze the impact of the goal setting type on their growth, achievement, and self-efficacy data. The study's findings reveal that when math students made strengths-based goals, they achieved higher growth and achievement scores than students that made deficit-based goals. However, there was no significant difference in goal setting types in reading scores or student self-efficacy. The practice of goal setting explored in this study can be readily implemented with students to support the development of student agency and self-monitoring. More specifically, strengths-based goal setting may be especially beneficial for math teachers and leaders seeking a new strategy to positively impact academic growth. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]