Voices from turnaround: What five schools are doing to boost student achievement

The state of Colorado labels more than 100 schools with the same term: failing.

But no two turnaround schools, as they’re sometimes called, are failing for the exact same reason. And it’s unlikely that the solution the schools need is the same.

That’s probably because the schools and the communities they serve are just as unique. Some schools are urban, some are rural. Some serve large populations of English language learners. Others serve second, third, and fourth generation Coloradans.

Last month, nine schools from five school districts that are participating in the state’s voluntary Turnaround Network gathered at a Colorado Springs hotel for a lesson on teacher feedback. In its first year, the network is run by the Colorado Department of Education and provides mentoring and independent analysis for its partnered schools.

At the seminar, Chalkbeat asked school leaders about their most important work to improve student learning. Listen to the clips below and then explore the turnaround network school profiles on the map below. Clips are color coded to match their schools on the map.