Today, state education officials will reveal which schools in California they will target for “turnaround,” a process that’s sparked angst and controversy before the list is even public.
California is eligible for more than $415 million in federal Title I grants for school improvement, as long as education officials follow one of the U.S. Department of Education’s four prescribed methods for overhauling chronic underperformers. The state will award the grant money to districts on a competitive basis.
According to early reports, the list will have just 187 schools on it. With more than 10,000 public schools statewide, that represents a sliver of those that would likely meet the definition of low-performing. The feds have told states that they must target the lowest performing five percent of schools.
I will update this space when the announcement of schools is out a little later today. Or, if you prefer to check yourself, the list is scheduled to post here at 10 a.m. sharp. (Pacific time).
UPDATE: Here’s the news release announcing the list. And here’s where you can find the actual list of schools.