Katherine Klein PhD

Getting The Wrong People Off and The Right People On The Bus: A Qualitative Exploration Of Drastic Disruption and Turnaround

Students in schools in high-income communities in the US typically perform far better on standardized tests than do students in schools in low-income communities. This income-achievement gap reflects differences in school funding, in the quality of teaching and school leadership, and in students' school readiness, family engagement in education, and more.

A number of school districts in the US have recently implemented major organizational change efforts designed to "turnaround" their chronically under-performing schools. I am leading a qualitative study of the dynamics and effectiveness of a radical turnaround effort in four schools in "City School District" (CSD). In these schools, CSD:

1. Replaced the existing school principal with a new, highly respected principal;
2. Replaced 90% of the existing teachers with teachers hand-picked by the new principal;
3. Extended the school day by 1 hour to increase instruction time;
4. Motivated the new principals and teachers with an annual bonus of $8,000 - $15,000; and
5. Charged the principals and teachers with bringing students up to grade level within 3 years.

We have gathered survey and interview data from the principals and teachers in the four schools. We need your help in cleaning and analyzing our survey and interview data. Two schools are thriving. Two are struggling. But, why? You will gain experience in qualitative research analysis and new knowledge of organizational behavior and change. Applicants should have a deep interest in schools, organizational change, and management; attention to detail; strong conceptual and analytical skills; and self-discipline.