Why School Turnaround Work is Important

Mississippi First believes that nothing is more important than setting our children on a path for lifetime success. We believe this path to success requires providing all children with excellent schools. Sadly, Mississippi’s student outcome data shows that our children are not getting the education they deserve.

Since 1992 when state-level data reporting first began, Mississippi has ranked or tied for last among the states in reading and math achievement on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card. Furthermore, although Mississippi has experienced slight growth in achievement, NAEP scores have flat-lined in 4th and 8th grade math since 2005 and have remained stagnant in 4th grade reading since 2003. 8th grade reading has not improved since 1998. Even worse, achievement gaps in 4th grade math and reading between black and white students have remained unchanged since baseline data was taken in 1992. The gap between poor and non-poor students in math has not improved since 1996; in reading, the income gap has not narrowed since 1998.

In addition to low achievement, Mississippi also has the lowest number of adults per capita with a high school diploma. This problem is caused in part by students failing to complete their high school education; another problem is that our graduates are drawn away from Mississippi in search of better job opportunities.

We believe that turning around our low-performing schools is critical if Mississippi is to change these troubling statistics.

Why School Turnaround Work is Urgent

In addition to Mississippi’s depressing achievement and attainment records, we believe recent state and federal legislation adds more urgency to discovering and implementing effective methods of school transformation than ever before. With the passage of the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (a re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965), schools accepting federal education dollars began tracking and reporting the achievement of all populations of children. Schools that did not meet annual progress targets—or make “adequate yearly progress”—fell into “school improvement,” a designation that carried consequences for the school for each successive year the school remained in improvement status. Additionally, schools in improvement qualified for special pots of money known as school improvement grants, but the grants schools received were typically small. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education hoped that by joining consequences and additional dollars, targeted schools would improve. Unfortunately, the school improvement list became a quagmire for many: schools languished on the improvement list even as consequences for being there increased. If the school remained on the improvement list long enough, it was required to be “restructured.” However, this restructuring process left a lot to be desired: authentic change was rare due to what many perceived as an “out” clause in the law that allowed schools in “restructuring” to do as little as change the school schedule.  

Enter the new administration in 2009. Secretary Duncan, who had experience with the difficult work of turning around failing schools in Chicago, commented several times early in his tenure that he wanted to add more carrot to the carrot-and-stick approach. With the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Secretary Duncan got his chance. Congress added $3B the 1003(g) School Improvement Fund, one of two existing funds for school improvement grants. For Mississippi, this allocation meant that, in addition to formula dollars districts received through 1003(a), eligible districts could compete for $47M in school improvement grants rather than $3-7M. More specifically, districts could apply for up to $2M a year for three years for each school, rather than the $500,000 cap on the grants in previous years. However, with ARRA came new rules about how districts could spend these dollars. Rather than using them for a Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program, for example, districts had to select one of 4 defined turnaround options: 1) close and consolidate, 2) re-start as a charter or under charter-like conditions, 3) turnaround, or 4) transformation. In August 2010, Mississippi gave $33M in new SIG money to 8 schools. In Spring 2011, the state will give out an additional $18M in grants. Time is of the essence in making sure this process works and whether these grants are implemented well.

But the story isn’t over with federal grants. This new federal approach to school improvement coincided with changes at the state level in how Mississippi deals with failing schools and districts. For years, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has had the power to place school districts under state conservatorship. This power could be exercised if a district failed the state’s accreditation process due to low achievement, financial mismanagement, or concerns over the safety and welfare of the district’s students and if the Governor declared a state of emergency in the district based on MDE’s findings. However, the powers granted to MDE to do this work were severely constrained: while MDE was required to take responsibility for improving achievement, they were not allowed to change the circumstances of the district, i.e., replace the school board, superintendent, or staff. In the last three years, the Mississippi legislature granted the MDE new and expanded powers to takeover local districts and local schools. The Children First Act of 2009, which also changed Mississippi’s school accountability system, gave MDE the power to abolish failing districts. In abolishing the district, MDE can disband the district’s school board, remove the superintendent, and place the district under the control of a conservator. While the district is under conservatorship, it would be part of a new structure called the Recovery School District (RSD). In the law, MDE is tasked with designing regulations governing when districts enter and exit the RSD and the services districts receive while in the RSD. 

Although this law was a step in the right direction, MDE officials and legislators remained cognizant that not all failing schools are in a failing district. Children First gave MDE more power over failing districts but did not offer the agency new powers over failing schools. The New Start School Act of 2010 enables MDE to takeover individual failing schools after a period of three years regardless of whether those schools are in a failing district. The law also requires the creation of a new state teacher evaluation instrument that incorporates student data as a significant factor. Children First and the New Start School Act are two of the boldest pieces of education legislation to come out of Mississippi since the 1982 Education Reform Act.

Taken together, state and federal legislation creates an environment of possibility for making the kinds of deep changes in our schools that are required. Mississippi First believes the time for action is now and that our organization is poised to make an impact on the direction of school turnaround in Mississippi for the next decade.

What We Believe About Turning Around Schools

All children can learn to high levels.

Mississippi First emphatically believes that all children can learn to high levels. We do not accept that—because they are born into poverty, because they come from single parent homes, because they have a learning disability, because they have family members in the justice system, or because [fill in your favorite excuse here]— some children simply cannot be successful. Research and first-hand experience show us that all children can meet high expectations if given the right resources and support.

Schools must take responsibility for closing the achievement gap and raising achievement for all students.

We believe many factors, both in-school and out-of-school, may contribute to low achievement and achievement gaps in Mississippi. However, we also believe—based on research and experience—that schools have tremendous power to substantially narrow achievement gaps and raise low achievement, regardless of their causes. We believe that in order for Mississippi’s outcomes to improve, schools must take primary responsibility for leading this hard work.

Money is necessary but not sufficient.

We know that it costs money to run a great school. We also know that money alone will not improve student outcomes. We believe Mississippi must make investments in proven and promising strategies, whether this requires new spending or re-allocating current dollars.

Perfecting our current system will not solve the problem.

Public education in America is broken. Doing what we have always done—even doing it better—will not substantially improve outcomes for our children: we believe that Mississippi must dramatically transform the operations of many of its schools and districts. We must carefully study national research and best practices and adopt effective practices that seek to fundamentally re-make our system. Furthermore, while we believe local models of success for students in poverty exist, they are not widely known or understood. Mississippi must identify, recognize, and learn from our high-performing, high-poverty schools. Finally, Mississippi First believes this very important work to turn around traditional public schools and districts goes hand-in-hand with our work to bring high-quality charter schools to Mississippi. We believe both traditional and charter schools have a role to play in enabling Mississippi to provide an excellent education to every child.