Memphis school improvement shows value of localized turnaround efforts

Tennessee state results released last week show that Memphis, a focus of state turnaround efforts since 2012, had only 43 public schools on the “priority schools” list compared to 69 in 2012, Chalkbeat reports.State Education Commissioner Candice McQueen credited the 2012 creation of Tennessee’s Achievement School District, which has taken over dozens of local schools, for creating a sense of urgency that spurred action, while also praising Shelby County Schools for “changing the landscape” in Memphis by closing at least 15 schools on the list and creating its own district-run "Innovation Zone," where student gains have outpaced those in the state-run district.If a school is included on the third priority schools list since 2012 — they're released every three years — it doesn't automatically place a school on track for state takeover, since the state is now working to be more collaborative with districts and considers that move as a last resort.