Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Blazing a New Trail for the Educational Turnaround Leader 341
choice to participate in a program that can help them and their schools regardless of the level
of improvement deemed by accountability standards.
Even though some of the efforts at turning around schools have been successful, they
have not been replicated in enough schools. While there is hope that a turnaround process
may work for some, there is not enough research in the education sector to suggest that the
majority of declining schools can become successful utilizing the existing format of
turnaround programs. Even in the large business sector, there were only twelve studies that
provided empirical evidence of success (Hess & Gift, 2009). The nation cannot continue to
accept failing schools that do not adequately endorse the highest teaching and learning
standards that afford maximum student achievement. This professional development model
may serve as a tool to advance the turnaround effort and make its core successful components
available to a vast number of schools unable to conform to or participate in the existing
turnaround programs due to various reasons. It is time we recognize the importance of
educational leadership and provide the professional development our leaders need. The
proposed Educational Turnaround Leader Professional Development Model may prove to be
a promising solution for turning around or improving the countless schools in need of
assistance.
REFERENCES
Baden-Fuller C & Stopford, J. (1992). Rejuvenating the mature business. London: Routledge.
Brady, R. C. (January, 2007). Can failing schools be fixed? Thomas B. Fordham Foundation Outside the Box.
Broome, M. E. (2000). Integrative literature reviews for the development of concepts. In Rogers, B. Knafl,
K.(Eds.), Concept and Development in Nursing. (pp. 231–250). Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders.
Calkins, A., Guenther, W., Belfiore, B., & Lash, D. (2007) The Turnaround challenge: Why American's best
opportunity to dramatically improve student achievement lies in our worst-performing schools. Boston,
MA: Mass Insight Education and Research Institute.
Chapman, J. (2005). Recruitment, retention, and development of school principals. The International Academy of
Education (IAE). Education Policy Series. The International Institute for Educational Planning.
UNESCO Palais des AcadÚmies1, rue Ducale, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. Retrieved from
http://www.unesco.org/iiep
Downey, C., Steffy, B., English, F., Frase, L., & Poston, W. (2004). The three minute walkthrough: Changing
school supervisory practice one teacher at a time. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Duke, D. L. (2007). Turning schools around, Education Week. 26(4), 35–7.
Harker, R., (2001). Education and cultural capital in Harker, R., Mahar, C., & Wilkes, C., (Eds.) An Introduction
to the Work of Pierre Bourdieu: The Practice of Theory. London: Macmillan Press.
Harrigan, K. R. (1988). Joint ventures: A mechanism for creating strategic change. Boston, MA: Graduate
School of Business. Harvard University.
Hassel, B.C. & Steiner, L. (2003). Starting fresh: A new strategy for responding to chronically low performing
schools. Public Impact, LLC, Chapel Hill, NC.
Herman, R., Dawson, P., Dee, T., Greene, J., Maynard, R., Redding, S., & Darwin, M. (2008). Turning around
chronically low-performing schools: A practice guide (NCEE #2008-4020). National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Institute of Education Sciences.
Hess, F. M. & Gift, T. (February, 2009). School turnarounds: Resisting the hype, giving them hope. American
Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Education Outlook. Retrieved from http://www.aei.org/
docLib/ 02-23911%20EduO%20Feb%2009-g.pdf
Hoff, D. J. (2009). Schools struggling to meet key goal on accountability number failing to make AYP rises 28
percent. Education Week. 28 (16), 14-15.
Jas, P., & Skelcher, C. (2005). Performance decline and turnaround in public organizations: A theoretical and
empirical analysis. British Journal of Management. 16. 195–210.
Kowal, J.M. & Hassel, E.A. (2005). Turnarounds with new leaders and staff. Learning Point Associates.
Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL).