Domain #1
The Four Domains

Turnaround Leadership

When focusing on the Turnaround Leadership domain, state, district, and school levels collaborate to improve struggling schools, emphasizing their interdependence. They swiftly implement policies, allocate resources, and hire staff to drive rapid progress. When coordinating efforts, they tailor turnaround plans to local needs, use data, and take responsibility to ensure all students receive a quality education.

How to Apply the Practices

The Four Domains practices are action items for state, district, and school leaders. There is no set order for implementing the practices, and a turnaround plan should prioritize them. Ideally, many practices may be started simultaneously, but focusing on too many at once can be counterproductive.

Prioritize improvement and communicate its urgency

  • Set the strategic direction for the turnaround and establish clear policies, structures, and expectations for constituents to work toward ambitious improvement goals.
  • Articulate a commitment to turning around the lowest performing schools and advocate fiercely across audiences for these schools.
  • Closely monitor, discuss, report, and act upon the progress of schools undertaking rapid improvement.

School-Based Example

Develop and update the turnaround plan to ensure that it has clear short- and long-term goals. Monitor the progress of strategy implementation and make changes in personnel, programs, and methods as needed to keep the effort on track. Intervene swiftly if waning progress is detected.