Examining States' Capacity to Support Turnaround in Low-Performing Schools (In Focus Brief)
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Examining States' Capacity to Support Turnaround in Low-Performing Schools (In Focus Brief)

In Focus Brief
Published: May 05, 2015
Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research
Human Services Education School Reform
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Full Publication
Associated Project

Evaluating Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants

Time frame: 2010-2018

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences

Authors

Courtney Tanenbaum

Andrea Boyle

Cheryl Graczewski

Susanne James-Burdumy

Lisa Dragoset

Kristin Hallgren

Key Findings

Key Findings:

  • More than 80 percent of states made turning around low-performing schools a high priority, but at least 50 percent of all states found turnaround very difficult.
  • Thirty-eight states (76 percent) reported significant gaps in expertise for supporting school turnaround in 2012, and that number increased to 40 states (80 percent) in 2013.
  • More than 85 percent of states reported using strategies to enhance their capacity to support school turnaround. The use of intermediaries decreased over time, and the use of organizational or administrative structures increased over time.
  • Twenty-one states reported prioritizing school turnaround and having significant gaps in expertise to support it. Although these states were no more likely than other states to use intermediaries, all 21 reported having at least one organizational or administrative structure to improve their capacity to support turnaround, compared to 86 percent (25 of 29) of other states.

This fact sheet from a large-scale, multi-year evaluation of the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) School Improvement Grants and Race to the Top programs, documents states’ capacity to support school turnaround as of spring 2012 and spring 2013. Through structured telephone interviews with administrators in 49 states and the District of Columbia, the study found, among other key findings, that more than 80 percent of states made turning around low-performing schools a high priority, but at least 50 percent of all states found turnaround very difficult. Mathematica is conducting the evaluation for ED, in partnership with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), and Social Policy Research Associates.

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