The Echo

That's right.  Mass Insight is so very comprehensive that they've published the failures not just of those whom they based their 2007 masterpiece, The Turnaround Challenge, but also the failings of those who have undertaken their Turnaround Challenge Models.  Ouch!

I've bolded the text that I think is pertinent to Delaware's efforts.  Additionally, though each example is hyperlinked back to the pertinent report, you may need to create an account with M.I. to view the reports.  Ultimately, if you're interested, there's a wealth of good and bad on Mass Insight's website. Since it's free and relatively easy to join anonymously, if Delaware's students are a burning concern for you, check it all out here: http://www.massinsight.org/members/membercontent/index.aspx

Whether we like it or not, whether Delaware receives RTTT monies to support M.I. reform agenda, Delaware is going to pilot their programs.  It's time to get educated...

Here we go:

• Chicago Public Schools

What’s Missing:

While CPS has developed a unique approach, by implementing a variety of strategies at once, the district still struggles with both the shear number of struggling schools and limited capacity to take on more schools, both within the district and with Lead Partners. 

What you Should Know:

High capacity Lead Partners are integral to a successful turnaround strategy. The Office of New Schools works closely with the partner marketplace, the district’s CEO, and organizations that help build partners to ensure that there is a supply of Partners who understand both how to use autonomy and who want to be held accountable for performance.

• Miami-Dade's School Improvement Zone

What was Missing:

Very few conditions, besides extended time, were part of the plan. District staff were able to make some staffing (both principals and teachers) decisions, but they were limited by not having the full authority to hire and remove staff as needed. The Zone lacked comprehensive partners who could coordinate efforts in each school, this coordination was partially done by the Zone sub-district.

What you Should Know:
The Zone strategy lacked some key components of turnaround, most notably full autonomy over staffing and the strategic use of more intensive external operating partners. District leadership also initially designed the Zone as a short-term initiative and when the district ran into budget constraints and the end of the proposed period was reached, the Zone ended rather abruptly and schools were redistributed into regional clusters without a well-planned phase-out strategy.

• New York City's Chancellor's District

What was Missing:

While the Chancellor’s District did take steps to remove the most ineffective teachers in poorly-performing schools, it lacked the authority to truly change the culture and environment of these schools through a more complete evaluation of all staff.

What you Should Know:
By focusing on the lowest-performing schools, the Chancellor’s District funneled resources to the areas of greatest need; yet the district failed to create a systematic methodology for how schools in the Chancellor’s District related to the rest of the district. By targeting a specific set of schools the district was able to implement more control, but targeting that set of schools caused some friction with the rest of the district.

• New York City's Children's First Initiative

What’s the Plan:

New York’s Children First Initiative, launched in 2002, is a whole-district redesign strategy. The Initiative is centered on the belief that autonomy and accountability should lie with those closest to the decision being made — the principals. This newfound power is accompanied by strict accountability standards, with the ultimate goal being to create a new sense of empowerment for school leaders while creating an environment where local decision-making leads to successful outcomes in student performance.


What’s Missing:
New York’s Children First Initiative is missing several key factors that would assist in school turnarounds, including: broader authority over people, funding for an extended school day, and a strategy to ensure that principals who are given autonomy are ready to efficiently use that freedom.


What you Should Know:
Currently, the role of partners remains largely advisory due to the strong role of principals in the model – this requires excellent principals, which the district is addressing through the NYC Leadership Academy. A more specific plan focused on turnaround would ensure that chronically under-performing schools receive targeted services and  supports from a much more integrated Lead Partner.

• Charlotte-Mecklanberg's Achievement Zone

What’s Missing:

While the Achievement Zone was established to channel the above resources to the neediest schools, few of he resources were actually targeted on the 11 AZ schools. Principals, the AZ Executive Director and the AZ Superintendent did not gain any additional authority over curriculum, staff evaluations, time, or the budget. School sites were not provided with additional socio-emotional supports, despite concerns about safety and public perception of AZ schools. While salary bonuses incentivized high quality teachers to transfer to AZ schools, the district lacked the authority to remove ineffective teachers.


What you Should Know:
The Achievement Zone is largely funded by local and national foundations. The AZ is led by both a “regional” superintendent and an executive director, both housed within the broader district structure. The AZ focuses on providing schools additional supports attention and resources  supports, both from the district and from a variety of external partners.