The Achievement School District

Achievement School District

It’s been three years since Tennessee implemented the Achievement School District (ASD), a statewide district to turnaround the state’s lowest-performing schools by pulling individual schools under state control. In 2015–16, 29 ASD schools—27 in Memphis and two in Nashville—will serve more than 10,000 students. The Achievement School District: Lessons from Tennessee reports on the ASD model, including the viability of charter schools within a community-based enrollment system, developing a sustainable teacher and leader pipeline, and collaboration with the Shelby County district-run turnaround effort, called iZone.

Charters in the ASD show initial signs of success, but at only three years into implementation, the ASD’S full impact remains
to be seen.

—Juli Kim, Tim Field and Elaine Hargrave of Public Impact

In addition to Tennessee, other state legislatures have created statewide turnaround districts, including Louisiana in 2003, Michigan in 2011, Virginia in 2013, and Nevada in 2015, and Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi are considering them.

The Achievement School District: Lessons from Tennessee
October 2015
Authored by: Public Impact