District Leaders Engaged in School Turnaround: Identified Challenges and Espoused Responses

Abstract

School turnaround initiatives have prioritized the school principal as the change lever. Little overall consideration about the critical role district leadership plays. In this study, we analyze the turnaround launch and, improvement plans of school district leaders participating in a university, turnaround program. We find that district leaders identify certain systems, levers as more significant challenges than other ones, but their espoused, ways to address these challenges are disparate if determined at all. Implications for districts and schools are discussed.