Most guides on the process of turning around low-performing schools typically are addressed to principals and superintendents. Teachers, however, are the individuals expected to conduct the "heavy lifting" of school improvement. Teachers' Guide to School Turnarounds is the first book on the subject written expressly for teachers. It provides a step-by-step introduction to the process of raising student achievement, beginning with diagnosing the causes of low performance and extending beyond the first year of improvement to the factors involved in sustaining high performance.

Based on the authors' experiences with the School Turnaround Specialist Program as well as a review of research on successful school improvement projects, the book contains a wealth of tips and warnings for those engaged in, or anticipating being engaged in, the process of turning around a low-performing school.