Examining the Key Drivers of Successful School Turnaround: A Comparative Case Analysis of Three School Leaders

• In Event: Strategies for Turning Around Underperforming Schools: Have We Learned Anything New?

Abstract

To combat the critique that turnaround research lacks empirical support this study examines the experiences of three unique turnaround cases within the context of a large urban school district. In a district with over 150 elementary schools, the three schools selected for this comparative case study experienced the district’s most dramatic academic growth out of all elementary schools during a single school year. Additionally, five state distinctions were earned for their academic achievement in science and reading, as well as post-secondary readiness. While each school houses students from 75%- 95% economically disadvantaged background, the principals leading these schools empowered the school community to counteract a number of the negative academic factors associated with children living in concentrated poverty.

Authors

• Amy Poerschke, Houston Independent School District

• Bradley W. Carpenter, The University of Houston