A Think Twice Review of:

Measures of Last Resort: Assessing Strategies for State-Initiated Turnarounds

Think Twice - Feb 14, 2017

Publisher/Think Tank - Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE)

Author(s) - Ashley Jochim

A recent report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) attempted to provide evidence for states seeking to better support state-initiated turnaround strategies. The report sought to identify effective mechanisms states can use to improve school performance. It provides a broad-brush profile of the various forms of state initiated turnarounds.

Reviewer(s) - Betty Malen and Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland

Although the report draws on multiple sources of information, the review finds the following limitations: (1) the report fails to elevate the research base or the policy discourse; (2) the methods used are neither well-described nor justified; (3) the evidence provided does not support the claims made; and (3) the report neglects to consider relevant research on the specific turnaround mechanisms available to states. The reviewers conclude, “As a result of these problems, the report does not enhance the evidence base or provide the substantive guidance to state policymakers require to make informed decisions about the use of the various school turnaround strategies.”