School Turnaround at a Glance

School Turnaround is an intensive intervention and leadership development initiative that helps principals turn around failing or underperforming schools. Here's what to expect:

Establishing The Partnership

Before beginning any training or consulting, School Turnaround staff undertake initial research in the form of data analysis, school visits, and conversations with the principal. This allows School Turnaround to gain a deeper understanding of the current state of the school so that none of the work to follow is generic or "one size fits all".

Turnaround Training

Participating principals attend this conference with two or three key staff members from their schools. These "turnaround teams" receive training on the six characteristics of successful turnaround leaders and the six key strategies for turnaround. These are immediately applied to schools by each school team in the form of a Turnaround Design. Teams leave the conference with a set of achievement targets, a new message for their schools, and a pragmatic course of action based on proven strategies for immediate and incisive change.

Undertaking the Turnaround

Each team is assisted, supported, and challenged by a Turnaround Specialist. This partnership is the foundation of our work with schools. Each Turnaround Specialist is carefully selected based on having turned around a failing school or district and an ability to help others do the same. Principals and Turnaround Specialists engage regularly through site visits, email and phone communication. Unlike traditional mentoring programs, Turnaround Specialists maintain a low profile. Turnaround Specialists are clear that their feedback is important but that ultimately it is the principal and his or her team who will make the turnaround a success.

Principals convene at a mid-year conference to share strategies and persistent challenges in an effort to course-correct before high-stakes testing occurs. Facilitated conversation and presentation among the principals lends itself to useful problem-solving. Additionally, principals receive newsletters, attend relevant web-conferences, and are provided access to the members-only section of the Turnaround website.

Assessment and Learning

At the end of the first year, participants attend a conference where they assess their initial targets and how well the results have met or exceeded them. Turnaround Specialists and other School Turnaround staff assist in looking carefully at this information. From the lessons learned, principals create a design for the next year that will continue the upward trajectory of academic achievement.