Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program | The Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education at the University of Virginia
Program Description
The Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program is an executive program specifically designed for the needs of a cadre of experts who are charged with turning around consistently low-performing schools in the Commonwealth. The program focuses on leadership challenges, strategic change, decision-making, and data analysis. It offers the opportunity for successful school administrators who have earned at least a Master's Degree to also earn a professional credential in educational turnaround management. Successful turnaround specialists are also eligible to receive a bonus and salary differential.Virginia Standard(s) Addressed
Planning and Assessment (ISLLC standard 3) and Instructional Leadership (ISLLC standard 1)Program Goals and Objectives
The goal of the program is to turn around the low-performing school within one year and sustain the turnaround in following years. The program defines a turnaround as meeting one or more of the following criteria: Adequate Yearly Progress, Full State Accreditation, or a 10 percent reduction in reading/math failure rates.Program Format
Basic Training: The five-day residential program at Darden provides intense, concentrated training in turnaround leadership skills for the Turnaround Specialist. Content areas include data analysis, characteristics of high-performing organizations, turnaround leadership skill building, and developing a balanced scorecard as a turnaround design. This training is for Turnaround Specialists only.
District Leadership Academy: This two-day residential program at Darden embraces and identifies the district level support necessary for a turnaround. The program offers the superintendent along with key staff members the opportunity to engage in discussion with the Turnaround Specialist about the issues facing the school and district. This group will also collaborate on the creation and implementation of the balanced scorecard. This training is designed for the Turnaround Specialists and their division leaders.
Turnaround Leadership Institute: This three-day program at Darden is designed to continue work on the balanced scorecard and implement a project management system to accomplish the goals within the turnaround design. Content areas include mission and vision clarification, strategic planning, organizational capacity, internal processes, communication, and stakeholder assessment. This training is designed for the turnaround specialists and key leaders they choose from their school.
Support Network: In order to provide the most comprehensive support for the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program, Peer Coaches with experience and expertise on school turnarounds are assigned to each of the turnaround specialists. Peer Coaches are available at all times to assist the turnaround specialist with the implementation of their turnaround design. Peer coaches will make four site visits to each of the schools they serve to meet with the turnaround specialist and the participants from the District Leadership Academy and the Turnaround Leadership Institute.
Year-End Conference: This training is designed to analyze end-of-year results, modify strategies, and set new targets for the coming year.
Target Audience
The Darden/Curry Partnership works with the Virginia Department of Education to select schools that are eligible for participation in the Turnaround Specialist Program. Turnaround Specialist candidates are recruited by the Darden/Curry Partnership. Successful candidates will be established leaders who are dynamic, committed, strategic, data-driven, and results-oriented. Moreover, they will have demonstrated success at mobilizing resources and motivating people to elevate student achievement in a time-compressed manner. Ultimately, eligible divisions interview and hire select candidates.Self-Selection and/or Identification Through School Division
No/yes.Duration of Program
- District Leadership Academy: two residential days
- Basic Training: four residential days
- Turnaround Leadership Institute: three days
- On Going Support: four site visits and weekly contact
- Year End Conference: two and one-half days
Outcomes Measured
The Balanced Scorecard (Turnaround Design) has four main goals. The goals are Student Performance, Customer Perspective, HR Learning and Growth, and Internal School Process. Each of these goals has a number of measures that will be monitored throughout the year. However, at the end of the year, student performance will dictate whether or not a school has been turned around.Program Evaluation
The Darden/Curry Partnership has contracted with Phi Delta Kappa to evaluate year one of the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program.Contact Information
Dr. Ben Sayeski
Senior Project Director, Darden/Curry Partnership
100 Darden Blvd.
Charlottesville, VA 22901
sayeskib@darden.virginia.edu
434-924-3823