A Think Twice Review of:

Measuring School Turnaround Success

Think Twice - Jul 20, 2016

Publisher/Think Tank - Public Impact and The Center on School Turnaround (WestEd)

Author(s) - Cassie Lutterloh, Jeanette P. Cornier, & Bryan C. Hassel

A report produced by Public Impact for WestEd’s Center on School Turnaround asserted that because there is a lack of a shared definition of school turnaround success for states and districts, it is difficult for school districts to learn from one another. The report claimed to provide a model for defining school turnaround success. The report bases its model framework for determining turnaround success on three school-level measures: (1) proficiency in reading and math on state assessments; (2) growth in reading and math on state assessments; and (3) graduate rate (for high schools).

Reviewer(s) - Tina Trujillo, University of California Berkeley; and Marialena Rivera, Texas State University

A review of the report found following shortcomings: (1) Sufficient research evidence for the claims made is not presented in the report; (2) It lacks sound methodological techniques; and (3) It omits several rigorous, peer-reviewed studies that contradict a majority of its proposals. The review concludes that the proposed model continues the trend of relying on flawed, test-centered strategies.