Over the past few years, Tennessee has taken important steps to improve public education. With a focus on higher standards, great teaching, turning around low-performing schools, and using data in new and important ways, Tennessee has made significant progress. Even with student achievement improving, there is still a lot of work left to do before every student graduates high school prepared for college and the workforce.
One important way Tennessee has worked to raise student achievement is through initiatives aimed at turning around low-performing schools. Redefining the School District in Tennessee helps to illuminate this work by examining the development, implementation, and ongoing efforts of the Achievement School District (ASD). The ASD is a special statewide district that acts as both as school operator and charter authorizer that steps in to take over and support the lowest performing 5 percent of schools in the state.
Author Nelson Smith highlights key aspects of Tennessee’s turnaround work that other states can learn from, including the importance of community support and buy-in. As Smith notes, “People hate for their schools to be closed and taken over,” and states should consider options that allow communities to participate in and contribute to the decision-making process. It’s important for the ASD to understand local community needs so that they can best serve students.
While much can be learned about school turnaround from the ASD, the Fordham Institute reminds us that recovery districts will not solve every problem, but “they open a valuable window to what innovation and the question for alternatives can lead to.”
Emily Carter is a policy and research associate at Tennessee SCORE.