Turnaround Necessities

Turning around chronically low-performing schools is challenging work requiring fundamental rethinking of the change process, and a systemic rather than school-by-school approach. Without a doubt, high-impact school leaders are critical to turnaround success, and pockets of success around the country demonstrate this. However, transformational and sustainable success at scale requires substantial engagement by school district leaders with the capacity and will to initiate, support, and enhance dramatic change. The most successful turnaround efforts have both--high-impact leaders and the district capacity to initiate, support and enhance transformational change. In this article, the authors, based on their work in 43 school districts, identify the basic conditions that are necessary for a school turnaround to be effective, sustainable, and scalable.