Turnaround Schools in California: Definition, Selection, and Reported Turnaround Strategies

• In Event: Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: Characteristics of School Improvement Grants and Turnaround Schools

Abstract

The American Institutes for Research, as a partner in the California Comprehensive Center, has developed a rigorous 10-step process to define and select turnaround schools. We will share our methodology for defining, selecting, and interviewing 10 turnaround school principals in California (4 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 3 high schools), as well as the strategies most often cited as contributing to their schools’ turnaround success (e.g., an emphasis on standards and specific instructional strategies, regular assessments and analysis of data, and prioritization and implementation of teacher collaboration and teamwork). This information will contribute to the discussion of strategies for turning around low-performing schools, which may be of interest to practitioners and policymakers not only in California but across the nation.

Authors

• Tom B. Parrish, American Institutes for Research

• Mette Huberman, American Institutes for Research