The school turnaround process focuses on rapid and dramatic improvements that result in substantial gains in student achievement in no more than three years. There are four key practices that can help under-performing schools make the drastic shift from low-performing to "turnaround" school: develop improved leadership that signals the need for change, focus on instruction quality throughout the process, earn quick wins by making small but visible improvements, and build a committed staff engaged in the process.

To learn more about the research underlying these practices, view the IES Practice Guide, Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools.