Abstract:

Since the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation was enacted in 2001 and its re-envisioned Every Student Success Act (ESSA) was enacted in 2015, school accountability for student performance has received increased public attention in the United States. This increased attention has facilitated pressure on lawmakers, policymakers, State Boards of Education (SBEs), and K-12 school officials to develop an accountability system that is transparent and easy for the public to understand. As a result, states have adopted three (3) main types of accountability systems:
(1) A-F Letter Grade Accountability System (16 States),
(2) School Index Scores (12 states), and
(3) ESSA Ratings (22 States) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023; Schueler, 2023).

However, no matter the type of accountability system being used, one finding is consistent – every state has a minimum of 200 or more schools that are receiving failing letter grades or index scores (Lewis, 2023).

ESSA results have far-reaching implications not only for states, but also for school districts and key stakeholders that will be discussed in this presentation. Furthermore, it is important to highlight at the onset of this report that students, families, and local neighborhoods have been adversely impacted by a system that has not produced the results that were part of the core values of ESSA legislation originally enacted in 2001. As a result, many students have to attend schools that are deemed as failing. In turn, students’ lack of opportunities to attend high-performing schools that adequately prepare them for postsecondary options and the workforce has significant opportunity costs for students and their families. School performance and student results on school report cards have yielded a new conversation over the past decade that No Child should be Left Behind will be discussed in this report related to School Turnaround, also known as School Reform!

Various stakeholders have addressed this issue of underperforming schools, including State Departments of Education (Lewis, 2023), Education Policymakers (Osborne, 2021) and the National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). But, unfortunately, one stakeholder that has remained relatively silent but can have a significant impact not only on the performance of schools but has credibility among the previously mentioned stakeholders are Major Research Universities. These institutions are needed now more than ever because research has noted that “only about half of the states have increased student achievement following enactment of an A-F school accountability system” (Schueler, 2023 p. 21). To say it nicely, many states are implementing accountability systems with little to no plan to increase academic results – particularly those in Large Metropolitan areas across the United States.

Given these findings, the main focal point of this presentation is to provide a pathway for Major Research Universities and School Districts to facilitate successful Urban K-12 School Turnaround efforts that will be a win-win for all K-12 stakeholders and the universities. This presentation is the first step in forging the pathway forward for Major Research Universities to get more actively involved in supporting this national dilemma in K-12 education.

Keywords:

School Turnaround, Urban Education, School Reform.