Differences in the Policies, Programs, and Practices (PPPs) and Combination of PPPs across Turnaround, Moderately Improving, and Not Improving Schools

The TALPS study aims to build on the existing research base to develop promising methodologies to identify chronically low-performing and turnaround schools, as well as to identify promising strategies for turning around chronically low-performing schools. By looking specifically at schools identified as turnaround, in comparison to nonturnaround schools, this study may help discern what lessons from prior research apply to turnaround efforts and what unique solutions--and challenges--are associated with turnaround. The TALPS study was composed of Study I and Study II. Study I focused on identifying turnaround schools, as distinct from moderately improving (MI) and not improving (NI) schools. Study I used student-level data from Florida, North Carolina, and Texas, spanning Grades 3 to 8 for the six school years between 2002-03 and 2007-08. The authors focused on student scores on state accountability assessments in reading/language arts and mathematics. They examined both achievement level (at a given grade level) and growth (progress students make as they move from one grade to the next). The Study I identified 1,042 schools as CLP, including TA, MI, and NI schools, which were the population of Study II sample. Study II sought to examine whether particular policies, programs, and practices (PPPs) occurred more often in turnaround (TA) schools than in nonturnaround (moderately improving and not improving) schools. It appears from this study that (1) accountability pressures and support from the district combined with (2) strong instructional leadership, (3) strategic staffing (i.e., strategic recruitment, assignment, and "counseling out" of ineffective staff), (4) intensive professional development, and (5) data use focused on identifying and assisting struggling students are key components of a school's turnaround process. How these components work together and are implemented should be explored further in future real-time, qualitative research efforts. Appended are: (1) References; and (2) Tables and Figures. (Contains 3 exhibits.)