The Turnaround Experience

Our Schools' Turnaround Experience

In 2006 SLI launched a new network of ten low-income, low-achieving schools to implement a four-year model, the Focused Instruction Process (FIP). The model stresses shared leadership, professional development, parent engagement and applying continuous improvement strategies drawn from best practices identified by the research. Results of the first two years show strong improvement, with the average annual increase in reading scores for the ten schools improving five times faster than previously. The turnaround results were sustained in the third year, and offer promise for accelerating school improvement nationally.

For the last two decades, the Chicago Public Schools has engaged in a sustained effort to improve its underperforming schools. The results are better than other large districts for K-8 schools. Educators, parents, civic and community leaders, researchers and advocates have put their ideas and energies behind accelerating student achievement. The Essential Supports research from the Consortium on Chicago School Research shows that the best results come from a systemic and comprehensive strategy for leading change, not a strategy that relies on a “silver bullet” or a handful of them. See “Making a Difference” for the full results.