Comparing Turnaround and Transformation SIG Models

Qualified school districts can apply for School Improvement Grants (SIGs) ranging from $50,000 to $2 million per school for their
Tier 1 and Tier 2 schools. District and school leaders must choose one of four SIG improvement models: Closure, Restart,
Turnaround, or Transformation. In the Closure model the school is closed and students are assigned to other schools. In the Restart
model schools are closed then reopened as charter schools or as schools run by private educational management organizations.
Many districts will want to keep their schools open and maintain control; they will have to choose between the Turnaround and
Transformation models. The table below compares those two models. You can also find more information and frequently asked
questions on the SIG grant program on the Department of Education website - http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/faq.html.
Required activities for one or both models

Turnaround

Transformation

Required

Required

Requires evaluation and rehiring

of teacherscan rehire no more
than 50 percent of current
teachers

Requires new teacher

evaluations but no rehiringcan
retain all current teachers

District Role: New governance in which district creates a school turnaround

office and district turnaround leader

Required

Not Required

Data Use: Use data to identify and implement an instructional program that is
research based, vertically aligned, and aligned with state academic standards

Required

Required

Professional Development: Ongoing, high quality, job-embedded professional

development aligned with instructional program

Required

Required

Increased Learning Time

Required

Required

Turnaround

Transformation

Principals: Replace principal and provide operational flexibility to new principal

(including budget); provide ongoing leadership development to create effective
leaders
Teachers: Implement new evaluation systems of teachers based on locally
adopted competencies; use student growth data as one factor in evaluating
teacher performance

Required activities for one or both models

Meet social/emotional needs of students

Provide appropriate
social/emotional community
services

Provide mechanisms for family

and community engagement

Permissible activities: A turnaround school may implement a new school model and/or any of the permissible activities below that are specified for
the transformation model
Develop teacher and leader effectiveness such as:

Additional compensation to attract best teachers

Institute a system for measuring instructional practices resulting from professional development
Do not have to accept teachers based on seniority

Implement comprehensive instructional reforms such as:

Periodic evaluations on fidelity of implementation

School wide Response to Intervention model
Support and professional development to support English language learners and students with disabilities
Technology supports for instruction

Implement operational flexibility strategies such as:

Per-pupil school-based budget formula that is weighted based on student needs
Reallocation of resources from combined categorical programs