More on Turnarounds

No doubt, CPS, Mayor Emanuel, and the brass at the Board of Education headquarters are going to find plenty to crow about relative to the performance of the turnarounds in the city schools.  To be fair, a number of elementary school turnaround test scores have risen in reading and math, some by significant amounts.

So what's the problem?

For one, though reading and math scores have risen in a number of elementary schools, we have seen almost no data regarding improvements in other subject areas.  If all we have to go on is data regarding a couple of subjects then I don't believe we can cast turnarounds as a panacea for 'reforming' schools.

This leads to my next point...improving reading and math, though not insignificant, is not the end all.  Improvments, from a standpoint of the whole child, need to take place in a number of additional areas.  Until we have data on how turnarounds affect these other social and curricular areas we won't be able to fully assess the impact of this educational model.

For another, CPS says little about how its high school turnarounds are performing.  The fact of the matter, according to a number of studies, is that Chicago CPS high school turnarounds are making very little headway.

I want to add another point.  I have been in turnaround classrooms and have seen a number of terrific teachers.  I have also been in a number of regular CPS neighborhood public schools and seen a number of terrific teachers.  The quality of instruction is more important than the organizational model of a school.

Dick