The following study of Strategic Inquiry (SI) in New York City’s Renewal High Schools
offers a new answer to the perennial question that often dominates and divides
reformers: How do students learn? Our analysis also challenges conventional wisdom
about New York City’s Renewal program by suggesting there are successful components
worth pursuing and adopting elsewhere.
Our findings show promising results from Strategic Inquiry, a framework for school
turnaround that aims to improve student performance through creating a culture of
shared accountability, distributed leadership, and evidence-based instructional
practices. The Strategic Inquiry process, discussed in greater detail below, empowers
teacher teams to identify underperforming students, diagnose their needs, and
implement customized interventions to improve performance for those students.
Examining the period from November 2014 to December 2016, this study covers the
implementation of Strategic Inquiry’s train-the-trainer approach in the Renewal High
Schools, an initiative that included providing struggling schools with three years of
additional funding and support from the New York City Department of Education in an
effort to improve student outcomes.
Find the full report HERE.
