Research on school improvement has accumulated an extensive list of factors that facilitate turnarounds at underperforming schools. Given that contextual or resource constraints may limit the possibilities of putting all of these factors in place, an important question is what is necessary and sufficient to turn a school around. We use a…

In the United States, thousands of students attend urban, secondary schools that are in need of improvement due to their inability to meet state standards (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020a). These schools are in need of transformation but cannot be turned around without the right leader in place (Herman et al., 2008). Turnaround…

School leaders find it extremely hard to lead effectively without a model designed specifically to provide effective leadership in the best interest of students. This study examines the unanswered question as to how to lead successful turnaround efforts in challenging schools today. A critical analysis of studies found the absence of an effective…

Since the passage of early federal K-12 school legislation such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965 and its many evolutionary successors including the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) there has been increased scrutiny on low-performing schools and particularly their leaders. These…

This mixed-methods study identified the effective practices of the principal and leadership team in an Improvement-Required (IR) high school that significantly influenced student achievement and guided their school from IR to a rating of Met Standard in one year. IR or F schools under the new system are schools that failed to meet the state…

This report presents changes in educator and student outcomes for HISD, Achieve 180 Program schools, and non-Achieve 180 comparison schools which were Title I, Part A campuses for the fifth year of the program. Positive effects of the Achieve 180 Program were observed although there were still challenges which Achieve 180 Program schools needed to…

Building upon the prior development of a model of turnaround principal competencies, we investigated the extent to which the identified principal competencies correlate with student achievement. Participants met rigorous selection criteria for having effectively turned around their schools during their first 2 years as principal. We conducted…

Ever since the publication of "A Nation at Risk" (1983), and in particular over the last 15 years with the implementation of federal policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] (2002) and its successor, Every Student Succeeds Act (2017), the spotlight on how failing schools support our neediest and most marginalized students has…

What personal challenges and tactical problems arise when a leader attempts to turn around an educational organisation regarded as failing and not given much prestige by the media and wider public? The London Metropolitan University had for several years been designated by its regulator as 'At Higher Risk'. In 2012, it had lost its 'Highly Trusted…

This study uses framing theory and the concept of causal stories to examine beliefs about causes and solutions to improving chronically low-performing schools in response to Michigan's school turnaround policy. Across cases, policymakers and district leaders assigned most responsibility to poor leadership, poverty, and chronic educator turnover as…

This qualitative case study identified how rural school principals utilized the transformation turnaround model in conjunction with the eight turnaround principles to promote and sustain academic success within their schools. The transformation turnaround model focuses on the following key strategies: replace the principal and work towards…

School leadership is a key component of successful school environments and academic performance strategies. Among school-related factors, school leadership is second to teaching in its impact on student learning. In addition, research shows that strong leaders contribute significantly to successful school turnaround. To ensure that school leaders…

This informational brochure outlines Southern Regional Education Board's Learning-Centered Leadership Program which builds the capacity of aspiring school leaders and empowers current school leaders to lead changes in school and classroom practices that increase student achievement and transform school cultures.

We understand very little about what is special that leaders do to facilitate improvement that is both transformational and lasting in previously persistently failing schools in the United States. Relatively little is understood about change not just during the initial turnaround stage, but that "endures" on the larger journey as the…

To support systemic thinking about school improvement, the Center on School Turnaround at WestEd developed a framework to assist states, districts, and schools in leading and managing rapid improvement efforts. The framework, which is presented in this article, has four domains that have proved central to rapid, significant improvement: (1)…