The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) puts responsibility for improving student outcomes back where some say it has always belonged--under states' purview. No longer will prescriptive federal requirements dictate how states should identify, support, and turn around the lowest-performing schools and districts. Instead, states are empowered to craft…

Catalyst: Another newspaper article ("Ranks of School Librarians Dwindle in HISD, Statewide" in the October 7, 2013, "Houston Chronicle") detailing another decision by a Houston Independent School District (HISD) campus principal to eliminate the librarian (Mellon 2013). In response to this article, Dorcas Hand, an experienced…

Each year, school systems build a plan for how to improve student learning for the coming year. This process involves reviewing student achievement and student progress, establishing priorities, and building a budget aligned to these priorities using all available funding sources. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, in preparation for the…

Students in America live in two educational nations. In the vast majority of high schools with 300 or more students, the average graduation rate is already at the national goal of 90 percent or more and dropping out is a rarity. In the remaining high schools, the average graduation rate is 49 percent and on-time graduation for students is only a…

A "turnaround" refers to a quick, dramatic improvement in an organization's performance -- inside or outside of the field of education. In education specifically, the term describes a rapid, dramatic improvement in low-performing school brought about by a new -- or newly empowered and accountable -- leader and staff. State, local…

Background: Recent effectiveness studies have investigated the relationship between two dimensions of effectiveness -- namely, quality and equity. Specifically, the question of whether effective schools can also reduce the initial differences in student outcomes attributed to student background factors has been examined. In this context, the…

Community Partnership Schools™ are designed to serve as a positive resource center in their community, staffed with dedicated professionals committed to student success and community well-being (Coalition for Community Schools, n.d.; Ellis, 2016). Following the education model created at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the first…

Despite the intensity of funding and numerous intervention efforts in recent school turnaround initiatives, many perspectives, practices, and policies specific to school turnaround appear to be at odds with organizational theory. Yet, many actors in research, policy, and practice arenas appear convinced that their steadfastness will eventually be…

The purpose of this brief is to support stakeholders in their efforts to influence how states use the mandatory 7 percent Title I school improvement set-aside in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)--an allocation that could total more than $5 billion nationwide over the next five years. First, the authors provide an overview of the ESSA's school…

To improve struggling schools, Louisiana school systems are required to develop an evidence-based improvement plan for each struggling school and engage families and local stakeholders in the development of the plan. To create a strong plan for the upcoming school year, school systems should analyze their results and prioritize their needs, plan…

The Massachusetts Office of District and School Turnaround (ODST) assists the Commissioner's Districts (the 10 largest districts in the state) and schools within those districts. The assistance focuses on turning around the lowest performing schools in the district while building district capacity to support improvement in other district schools.…

This qualitative study represents an exploration into how faculty stakeholders in higher education experienced leadership actions and their own engagement with an organizational turnaround. Turnaround efforts were aimed at revitalization throughout the institution but little has been studied about faculty experience in this context. An interview…

The purpose of this re-examination is to further study the effectiveness of a 5-year plan to turnaround failing schools. The original study, published in 2013, utilized 16 urban schools to investigate the role of climate and leadership in the transformation process. The authors asserted that utilizing academic gains as the single indicator in…

The Tennessee Achievement School District (ASD) is among several state-run districts established to turn around underperforming schools. Like other such districts, the ASD removes schools from local control and is not accountable to local political institutions. Despite its authority, the ASD has encountered opposition within Memphis where its…

This guide delves into often-overlooked federal funding sources that can be used to support local efforts to pursue rapid turnaround. Although focused on spending at the district and school levels, this guide is appropriate for those involved in school improvement at the state, district, or school level because policies and procedures at all those…