Turn Around Schools

1. Turn Around Schools Managing Material and Human Resources EDD 7201 Spring, 2011 Lisa, Stephanie, & Brian

2. "When a school continues to perform in the bottom five percent of the state and isn't showing signs of progress or has graduation rates below 60 percent over a number of years, something dramatic needs to be done..”Arnie Duncan U.S. Secretary of Education

3. Turn Around Defined An avenue for providing students a better chance of succeeding by bringing low-performing schools and ineffective staff up to par through any number of methods including: • Government/business take-over • Removal of staff • Incentives • Grants • Testing/Review/Assessments • Monitoring of data/curriculum/instructional methods http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l5dWs_FJxs

4. Turn Around Defined What can be done for failing schools? The 4 choices: • Turnaround Model:Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies. • Restart Model: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization. • School Closure:Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the district. • Transformation Model:Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTiAPwpmLl0

5. Pros/Cons • Can schools be considered a business? • If a restaurant or any other business can fail – why not schools? • Do businesses truly know how to run a school/district? • What can’t schools use business/managerial concepts techniques to better run an organization? http://educationnext.org/should-failing-schools-be-fixed-or-closed/

6. Pros/Cons • Can successful business practices be used to manage schools? (i.e.. Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Google) • Teachers are naturally good hearted and want what is best for students – regardless of change. • Gives existing schools and communities a chance • Puts the education agenda on the national social agenda • Debates the value of NCLB, National Curriculum, Funding, etc.

7. Funding • Obama Administration offering over $900 million in turnaround funds • Creating a new genre of educational business ventures • $546 million in School Improvements grants (2010) • Various Race to the Top Funding

8. Nationally • Obama Administration desires to fire underperforming teachers,/principals • Opposed by teacher Unions • Collective Bargaining as seen in Wisconsin and Rhode Island • Within the next five years 5,000 of the nation’s worst performing schools will be eligible for turnaround grants program • To receive the funds, participating schools must either replace their principals and at least half of their staff, close and reopen under new management, close for good, or completely transform

9. Nationally • Obama Administration has mentioned that more than half of those who fail to graduate are Black or Hispanic • More than 90% of 11th graders tested in Philadelphia schools could not read or do math at grade level • Minnesota expects to remake 34 schools by next fall • Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent announced that the district plans to substantially cut back on granting lifelong tenure to inexperienced teachers

10. What the data says • The first lesson is that “people are the essential ingredient in recovery”. • Success depends on retaining the people who truly want the organization to succeed. • Organizational dynamics is as important as organizational structure. • The way people feel on the job can make them perform like cripples or champions. (Murphy & Myers, 2009)

11. Delaware • Delaware to Received $1.54 Million to Turn Around Its Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools Stubbs Elementary Glasgow High School Positive Outcomes Charter Howard High School

12. Turnaround Plans in DE • Stubbs Elementary (Christina SD) • Low- income • STEM Focus • Glasgow High School (Christina SD) • Small school/Academy approach • STEM, Business, Humanities/Arts • 110 students each

13. Turnaround Plans in DE Positive Outcomes Charter (Camden Charter) • Innovative Schools • “Big Picture Learning” • Internships Howard High School (NCC Votech) • Small Learning Academies • Post Graduate Planning

14. Plans: • Announced August 31st –planning since then! • Teachers and principals need to re-interview for jobs • First Principal hired – at Howard High School • Christina Union has negotiated to save jobs – transfers if not part of Partnership Schools • In interview process for principals

15. Concerns • During his address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Obama praised a decision in Rhode Island to fire the faculty and staff at Central Falls High School, where only 7 percent of 11th-graders passed state math tests • 2009 report by Rhode Island’s education commissioner blamed challenges on leadership instability and not deficiencies among the staff. • In Philadelphia, Renaissance Schools are backed by a union contract- eliminates seniority and extends school day. • (http://www.usatoday.comn/news/education)

16. How do Principals meet challenges and successfully turn failing schools around? • -exposure to professional development • -build positive learning communities • -develop relationships with teachers, parents, students and the community • (http://www.academicleadership.org/article/)

17. School Leadership Executive Institute (SLEI) • A rigorous two-year experience for principals to develop and improve leaders’ skills in: • LEADERSHIP • MANAGEMENT • EDUCATIONAL BEST PRACTICES • (www.academicleaderhsip.org/article/Successful_Leadership_in_Turnaround_School)

18. School Turnaround Success • Revolves around the principal’s ability to effectively apply the Center for Creative Leadership Direction Alignment Commitment (DAC) integrative leadership theory • (www.adacemicleaderhsip.org/article/Successful_Leadership_in_Turnaround_School)

19. Beliefs • There is a reasonable level of collective agreement about the mission or goal of the group’s shared work. (Direction) • Formal structure and shared work is necessary to achieve alignment. (Alignment) • The establishment of commitment comes with a strong sense of loyalty for the values and goals of the organization. (Commitment) • (www.academicleadership.org/article/Successful_Leadership_in_Turnaround_School).

20. The Focus • A new way of thinking about leadership • Focus more on shard and distributed leadership rather than traditional leader-follower practices • Focus more specifically on the outcomes that can be accomplished • Use data to make decisions

21. The Task of all Turnaround Leaders • Restore confidence through empowerment • Replace denial with dialogue • Replace blame with respect • Replace isolation with collaboration • Replace helplessness with opportunities for initiative (Kanter, 2003)

22. Results • The principal sets the tone. • Expectations are very high and clearly defined. • Schools become a professional learning community where teacher’s conversations are focused on instructional practice and how to improve instruction. • Teachers engage in professional conversations about the quality of assignments. • Feedback is sought after and received.

23. References Kanter, R. M. (2003). Leadership and the psychology of turnarounds. Harvard Business Review 81(6) pp. 58-67. Rowland, K. (2010, March 2). The Washington Times. Retrieved 2 19, 2011, from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/02/obama-offers-grants-to-schools-taking-radical-step/ Ed.gov. (2011, February 11). Retrieved February 22, 2011, from http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/eight-states-receive-funding-turn-around-persistently-lowest-achieving-schools Matheson, K. (2010). Teachers face consequences, support reform at failing schools. Retrieved February 1, 2011, from http://www.usatodeay.com/news/education/2010-02-24-failing-schools-teachers_N.htm Mcfeeters, B. & Hoole, E. (2009). Academic Leadership: The online journal. Retrieved January 31, 2011, from www.academicleaderhsip.org/article/Successful_Leadership_in_Turnaround_School Murphy, J. & Myers, C. (2009). Rebuilding organizational capacity in turnaround schools: Insights from the corporate, government and non-profit sectors. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. 37(1) pp. 9-27.