Achieving School Turnaround

school turnaround

Over the years, the call for school reform, closing achievement gaps, and raising overall achievement has grown increasingly urgent. Despite our best efforts, too many students still fail to meet academic standards. For persistently low-performing schools, the focus is on school turnaround – a fundamental change to the organization, context, and academic factors necessary to boost student achievement significantly.

This concept of school turnaround gains traction as educators, parents, and community leaders become increasingly desperate to improve student learning. Nationally, 32% of 4th and 28% of 8th graders performed at or above the NAEP proficient level in reading. Nearly 40% of 4th graders in math were proficient, while a little more than a quarter of 8th graders performed at or above the proficient level (Nation’s Report Card, Jan. 29, 2025).

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) synthesized research on school turnaround in its 2008 Practice Guide: Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools. This guide recommends four key areas of focus:

1. Signal the need for dramatic change with strong leadership: School leaders must communicate the urgency for immediate and significant change, shifting the school’s mindset from accepting the status quo to embracing new practices that demonstrably improve student outcomes. This aligns with the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE) Best Practices and Sustainability initiative, which emphasizes leadership capacity as a crucial element in ensuring progress toward stated objectives. KDE promotes practices that motivate, engage, and provide measurable results, and this includes strong leadership. District leaders can support this by:

   • Providing autonomy and support to turnaround principals: Empowering principals to make necessary changes while offering ongoing guidance and resources.
   • Establishing clear expectations and accountability: Defining specific, measurable goals and holding schools accountable for progress.

2. Maintain a consistent focus on instruction: School leaders should dedicate significant time to improving instruction, organizing school activities around improvement efforts. This includes analyzing student data to inform decisions, continuously monitoring progress, and adjusting classroom instruction as needed. Effective professional development is also crucial for meeting instructional goals. District leaders can support this by:

   • Investing in high-quality professional development: Ensuring teachers have access to training and resources that align with the school’s improvement goals.
   • Facilitating data-driven decision-making: Providing tools and support for analyzing student data and using it to inform instructional practices.

3. Achieve quick wins: School leaders, teachers, and key stakeholders should identify areas for immediate improvement to build a culture of success. These short-term goals, utilizing existing resources and authority, might include changes to time management, distributed leadership for departmental decisions, or reducing tardiness. District leaders can support this by:

   • Removing barriers and streamlining processes: Eliminating bureaucratic obstacles that hinder schools’ ability to implement quick wins.
   • Celebrating and sharing successes: Recognizing and publicizing early achievements to build momentum and morale.

4. Build a committed staff: School leaders must cultivate buy-in for a new vision for the school and its improvement goals. This may involve re-assigning or replacing staff unwilling to commit to improving practices and recruiting new staff aligned with the school’s vision. District leaders can support this by:

   • Developing a clear vision and communication strategy: Ensuring all staff understand the school’s goals and their role in achieving them.
   • Providing support for staff transitions: Offering resources and guidance for staff who are being reassigned or replaced.

These four recommendations are interconnected and work best when implemented comprehensively. They offer a purposeful approach to moving schools from low to high performance, although they are not a “magic bullet.” The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement’s report, “Successful School Turnarounds: Seven Steps for District Leaders,” provides further guidance, emphasizing the critical role of district leaders in supporting turnaround principals. The report outlines seven steps for district leaders to maximize the chances of success in school turnaround efforts.

At CTL, we believe that research offers valuable insights for improving student achievement. We are committed to bridging the gap between research and practice, and we recognize the importance of practitioner knowledge, shared experiences, and mutual support in this process.

Would you like to explore any of these points in more detail, or perhaps discuss specific strategies for implementing these recommendations?