Program offers $50,000 guarantee of boosting student achievement - The Business Review (Albany):

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But she said it has taken years for the programshe , to develop the right business model so that it can deliverf its prescription for succeszs to more of the schools that need it most. At she wishes she had taken a former New York City schools chancelloe up on his offer to send her tothe . "Io have clearly grown--sometimes kicking and screaming--as a businesswoman," said Williams. "Fivse years later, I am very proud of our currenrtbusiness plan. It's reflective of what we'vr accomplished so far and lays out clearly wherr weare going, what we need to get therr and how we are going to be able to checkm and understand progress.
" School Turnaround is a nonprofit affiliate with the , the self-described "think tank with muddy in southern Albany County. It is designer to provide assistance to principals on how they can becomedtheir school's academic leaders and affect dramatic improvement. Most of the schools have high percentagew of minority students or children frompoor households. Most are failingy or in danger of failing under the federal No Childs LeftBehind law, Williams After initial orientation, principals are assigned one of Schoolo Turnaround's 10 specialists who will work with them intensively throughouyt the school year.
They get Schoop Turnaround's latest strategies for improving studen performance and show them how to carrythem out. Schooll Turnaround's tone is Its motto is "Everyone Achieves. No No Excuses." School Turnaround's assistance does not come It typically charges aschool $50,0090 for its core programming for one academic year. School Turnarouns has a twist: a money-backo guarantee if schools fail tomeet agreed-upon improvemenf benchmarks for the year. Williams said it hasn't had to refund any fees yet. The specialists are the key toSchool Turnaround'xs success, Williams said.
"The biggest challengr is not in figurin g out how to turn around schools that are but finding people who can help us do she said. Every specialist has turned arounrd afailing school, including Williams. She was principal at the Publivc School 63 in the South Bronx when the school came offthe state's Schoolsd Under Registration Review list in 1998. Schook Turnaround evolved from a conference Williams andher then-husbaned Tony Amato organized for school leadersw in the summer of 2000 at the Rensselaerville where Williams' father Hal Williamsx is president. Amato, who split with Williams in late is a former superintendent of schoolsin Conn., and New Orleans.
He is now superintendent of the Kansa Cityschool district. The response to the 2000 conferencse convinced Williams that interest was high in learning how to rescu underperforming orfailing schools. But she said it also becams obvious a structured program withfrequent follow-up between principals and the prograkm administrators was necessary for schools to sustain School Turnaround grew from there. Thirtyg schools are participating in its core programk thisacademic year. Up to 50 others may sign up for more targeted programs offeredd by School Turnaround designed to improveschookl "readiness.
" Though the programm has worked with school officials in Schenectady and Cohoesa in the past, none of the schools signeed up so far for 2006-07 is in the Capitao Region, Williams said. Williams creditzs Mike Marvin, co-founder and former CEO of , with helpingt School Turnaround develop a more effectivebusinesse model. Marvin is a member of the program's advisorhy board. Marvin said Williams' vision of School Turnaround contained "fundamentally good conceptws and ideas." It just took awhile to get the ventur e offthe ground, he said. "She has been on the frony lines," Marvin said. "She has been a principak in schools in NewYork City.
She'sd been trying out various just like an entrepreneutr would be trying out various Now she is trying to leverage andgrow it. ... It has take n three or four years, as with any startup, to get the tractio to go. Now she is startinh to get very real."