An Examination of Turnaround Leadership: A Case Study of Superintendent and Principal Leadership

Improving low-performing/failing schools in the United States, especially in urban areas, has been a focal point of policymakers since the 1960s. Turning around low-performing schools gained increased attention after Congress passed No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top in the 2000s. In 2009, President Barack Obama and his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, championed improving failing schools with a $3.5 billion investment in School Improvement Grants (SIG program) to decrease dropout rates, increase college readiness among high school graduates, and improve their potential for postsecondary success. Our qualitative case study examined the turnaround leadership actions of an urban superintendent in New Jersey and a high school principal in Michigan. Our case studies identified specific turnaround leadership actions that practitioners could replicate in their urban school district or school. Finally, we conclude with several vexing policy implications regarding the future direction of improving or turning around failing schools, especially in urban areas.