The Role of the Local Human Capital Context in School and District Turnaround

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: School Leaders: Human Capital, Compensation, and Evaluation

Abstract

Educators and reformers have attempted to improve – or “turn around” –low-performing schools and districts through a variety of policies and interventions. Importantly, many turnaround strategies assume a degree of stability in the pool of human capital available for turnaround, but little research examines how the local human capital context shapes capacity for turnaround. The present study examines this issue in the context of Michigan’s Partnership Model, a statewide turnaround policy targeting the state’s lowest-performing schools. Using a mixed-methods design that integrates interviews with district leaders and other stakeholders, educator surveys, and administrative data, we find that the human capital requirements of turnaround often outstrip that which is available, thus reducing capacity for reform. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Jason Burns, Seton Hall University

• Katharine Omenn Strunk, Michigan State University

• Chris Torres, Michigan State University

• Joshua M. Cowen, Michigan State University

• Amy Auletto, University of Utah

• Sandy Frost Waldron, Michigan State University