“Transformation May Be the Easiest Thing to Do Politically, But It’s the Hardest to Do Technically.”

Many U.S. schools that are using federal funds to turn around schools are opting for the "transformation" model, which requires the school's principal -- but not its instructional staff -- to be replaced. 

Educators say that is the least disruptive model of the options made available by the Department of Education for recipients of School Improvement Grants. 

The other models are the turnaround method, which requires the replacement of at least half of the school's teaching staff; the "restart" method, which would turn the school into a charter; or "closure," which shutters a school and moves students to a better-performing one. 

 See more of Lesli A. Maxwell's articles at Education Week.