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  • Resources by Topic │ESSA
1 Jan 2017
ESSA

ESSA │Low-Performing Schools

Efforts to improve conditions and outcomes in the lowest-performing schools and districts remain a high priority for policymakers and for AIR. While policy initiatives, targeted technical assistance, and research findings have yielded some success, students in these struggling schools deserve our perseverance. Under ESSA, support for the lowest-performing schools and districts is primarily under the purview of states. The NCLB era sequence of sanctions for underperforming schools has been replaced by a more flexible approach to school improvement, relying on approaches tailored to each state and district context.

The experts at AIR support low-performing schools and districts through technical assistance as well as research and evaluation that continue to advance the field. For example, AIR’s District and School Improvement Center (DSI Center) offers evidence-based and customizable support to district and schools that lead to sustainable systems, increase the capacity of leaders and teaches, and ensures equity for all students. The State Support Network operated by AIR is a technical assistance initiative of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of State Support designed to support school improvement efforts by providing States and districts with opportunities to engage with their peers and connect with experts and resources.

AIR researchers have conducted ground-breaking research and evaluation of state and federal education policies, including rigorous impact analyses and case studies that reveal contextual details of the school change process.

Key Resources
  • School Improvement Path (PDF)
  • Framework for Systemic Improvement (PDF)
  • Evaluation of Massachusetts School Redesign Grants
  • Coaching and Developing Turnaround Leader Actions Professional Learning Module Facilitators Guide (PDF)
  • Case Studies of School Receiving School Improvement Grants
  • How Can States Equip School Districts to Adopt Evidence-Based Interventions?
AIR Centers with Related Content

AIR operates a number of national, regional, and state centers that produce publicly available resources. The centers that have a specific focus on low-performing schools are as follows:

  • District and School Improvement Center
  • The State Support Network
  • Midwest Comprehensive Center
  • REL Midwest

 

RELATED WORK

State and Local Evaluations of School Improvement

Evaluation of Massachusetts School Redesign Grants

Lessons Learned in Massachusetts High School Turnaround: A Resource for High School Leaders

Boston Public Schools Expanded Learning Time Research Collaborative: Year 2 Findings Report

Closing the Achievement Gap: Research from New Mexico

District Strategies for School Turnaround, Bibliography (PDF)

State Support Strategies for School Turnaround, Bibliography (PDF)

Looking Back to Move Forward: Progress and Opportunity in District of Columbia Public Schools

From Combat to Collaboration: The Labor-Management Partnership in San José Unified School District

How to Succeed in School Turnaround: Strategies that Characterize Successful Turnaround Schools in Massachusetts (PDF)

Persistently Improving Schools in Michigan: Moving Past a History of Low Performance

2015-2016 Research Schools Case Studies, Statewide Report (Texas)

Turnaround Leadership

Coaching and Developing Turnaround Leader Actions

Coaching and Developing Turnaround Leader Actions Professional Learning Module Facilitators Guide (PDF)

Coaching and Developing Turnaround Leader Handouts (PDF)

Evaluation of Federal School Improvement Grants (SIG)

Case Studies of School Receiving School Improvement Grants

Three Things We Learned from the Study of School Turnaround

A Focused Look at Rural Schools Receiving School Improvement Grants

Building Teacher Capacity to Support English Language Learners in Schools Receiving School Improvement Grants

School Improvement Grants: Implementation and Effectiveness

Evidence, Interventions, and Indicators

How Can States Equip School Districts to Adopt Evidence-Based Interventions?

Continuous Improvement through Networked Improvement Communities: Root Cause Analysis and Theory of Action Facilitator’s Guide (PDF)

Continuous Improvement through Networked Improvement Communities: Root Cause Analysis and Theory of Action Coaching Slides (PDF)

School Improvement Explained: How GIS Mapping Can Help Improve Schools 

Knowledge Building Resources for Continuous Improvement

Early Warning Systems in Education

Video: Supporting Black Students’ Excellence

The Black-White Achievement Gap: A Look at School Composition

Culturally Responsive Practices to Close the Achievement Gap

DSI Framework for School Improvement

The Research to Practice Connection in School Improvement

The Illinois CSI Effect: Leading the Way to Continuous Improvement

Research Bibliography on School Turnaround (PDF)

Want to Improve Low Performing Schools? Focus on the Adults

Guide to Working With External Providers

Beyond the School: Exploring a Systemic Approach to School Turnaround (PDF)

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Catherine Barbour

Catherine Barbour

Managing TA Consultant
Kerstin Le Floch

Kerstin Carlson Le Floch

Managing Researcher

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