![Sample our Education journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5932/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Education.jpg"})
Abstract
An impact study of the Onward to Excellence (OTE) school improvement process was conducted in 33 elementary, middle, and high schools in rural, high-poverty areas of Mississippi. The study examined the implementation of OTE and its impacts on student achievement over a 5-year period. It was found that implementation and retention of the OTE process was uneven across the schools. More importantly, even though implementation was strong in the goal setting and early planning phases, it was weak in making substantial changes in teaching practice. Overall, student achievement showed a pattern of no change over time in OTE schools, and OTE schools did not outperform non-OTE schools while controlling for poverty and prior achievement. The 4 highest implementation schools showed somewhat more promising results than did the full sample of 33 OTE schools. The authors discuss the inherent difficulties of implementing whole-school reform models and some of the factors that help and hinder success.