Several notable stories from the past week in turnaround:
Spotlight state reform: STG President Justin Cohen on CT Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed education reform plan, including a statewide Commissioner’s Network for low-performing schools.
More encouraging signs for SIG: EWA’s Emily Richmond reports on a recent study suggesting that SIG schools in California are making gains.
The waiver wire: EdWeek’s Alyson Klein cautions future unfunded reforms resulting from ESEA waivers. 26 states have applied for and 11 have received waivers to date, most with expansive promises to increase the number of low-performing schools they’ll serve, without guarantee of SIG funding for reforms. More schools, limited funds. What to look for: States that are serious about establishing real “proof points,” instead of spreading funds more broadly across all schools, recognizing that successful turnarounds require $750k+ of additional funds per year per school.
Turnaround in action: USDOE’s most recent Education Stakeholders Forum on School Turnaround and SIG featured district and school reformers from St. Louis Public Schools – a district that has focused on establishing the right conditions, building strong systems of support, and developing internal capacity for their 11 turnaround schools – Stay tuned for more encouraging news from this district.