iZone – Memphis Flyer

Mitchell High School

In the 2016-17 school year, Shelby County Schools will add Douglas High School, Mitchell High School, and Westwood High School to its iZone program.

The iZone program is SCS’ alternative to the state-run Achievement School District (ASD). Both programs attempt to turn around schools with scores in the bottom five percent statewide, but the iZone does so while retaining the schools within the SCS district. The ASD is a separate state-run district that pairs failing schools with charter schools. Through the iZone program, low-performing schools are able to avoid ASD conversion.

All three high schools are part of an iZone feeder pattern that already includes elementary and middle schools in the same neighborhoods as the high schools. Bringing them into the iZone ensures that students in lower grades that are currently run through the iZone program will remain in the iZone through graduation unless they move or transfer to other schools within the district.

Once a school is chosen for iZone, faculty and staff must reapply for their jobs. The principal is replaced and given more autonomy than before. The way the school is run is primarily set by its principal rather than dictated by SCS’ central office.

“We believe the proven strategies and culture of the iZone will accelerate student achievement in these schools,” said Superintendent Dorsey Hopson. “The current academic status of these schools illustrates the fact that we have not been effective enough in supporting students. We have a responsibility to do things differently in order to improve achievement at a more aggressive pace.”

A Vanderbilt University study released earlier this month found that the iZone program is actually doing better than the ASD in improving student scores. That study found looked at data from the first three years that the ASD and iZone have been in operation and found that iZone schools had made greater gains.

Malika Anderson

The state-run Achievement School District (ASD) will take over Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary, Hillcrest High, and Kirby and Raleigh-Egypt middle schools in the 2016-17 school year.

Those schools, which all had scores in the bottom five percent statewide, have been matched with charter school operators that will rename the schools, hire new staff and a new principal, and reformat the way the schools are run. The ASD is the state school district charged with turning around the state’s lowest-performing schools (called “priority schools”).

Charter operator Scholar Academies will take over operation of Caldwell-Guthrie and Raleigh-Egypt Middle, and Green Dot Public Schools will be taking over Hillcrest High and Kirby Middle.

“The input we received from parents, teachers, and community members was critical in making these matches,” said Malika Anderson, incoming ASD superintendent. “And we look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with parents and educators in our new schools to ensure every child meets their full potential.”

The ASD’s Neighborhood Advisory Councils (NAC) — made up of parent, students, teachers, and community members — worked with the ASD on the charter matching process.

“We are so grateful to all NAC members for their hard work over the last few months assessing operators and for their commitment to ensuring appropriate matching decisions were made,” said Anjelica Hardin, ASD’s Director of Strategic Partnerships. “We believe strongly in the NACs and the process we used this year to include more parent and community voice in our conversion decisions.”

A Vanderbilt University study released earlier this month found that Shelby County Schools’ (SCS) iZone program, which attempts to turn-around low-performing schools that ASD doesn’t take over, is actually doing better than the ASD. That study found looked at data from the first three years that the ASD and iZone have been in operation and found that iZone schools had made greater gains.

At a press conference on Thursday, State Representative Antonio Parkinson called for the possible abolition of the ASD. He cited the Vanderbilt study and claimed that “the ASD model has not worked.”

There are 77 priority schools in the state. Currently, the ASD runs 23 of those, and 26 are run by SCS’ iZone. The majority of the state’s priority schools are in Memphis.