What Are the Side Effects of School Turnaround? A Systematic Review

Abstract

In this systematic review, we examine research from 2009 to 2022 to identify and classify the unintended effects of turnaround in the United States. We develop a conceptual framework classifying three types of side effects—spillover effects, systemic side effects, and internal side effects—and differentiate these side effects from unintended negative intervention effects. We identify four broad categories of side effects within this framework based on the population they impact: communities, school systems, educators, and students. We find that the most prevalent side effects are related to educator experiences, staffing, community reaction, education governance, and the proliferation of external actors. We conclude by calling for future research to explicitly examine common side effects alongside the intended effects of turnaround.