Improve Low Performance School Teachers Strategy Study

Quantities of research results and education samples indicate that the quality of schools has great relation to the performance of students, the higher performing school is, the greater progress students make. However, the development of education is unbalanced, there are many low performing schools in every country. It's becoming a worldwide problem, to improve these underperforming schools is the shared goal of all the countries. There are also many low performing schools in China because of the incline of our policy and many historical factors. It is essential for our country to learn from other developed counties on this issue for the improvement of low performing schools and the promotion of balance in education. Therefore, this thesis investigates what the United States has done on turning around low performing schools and analyzes its effects and the existing problems.Since the standards-based education reform began in the United States in 1990s, low performing schools have been the focus and criticizing emphasis of the educational field and the public. All levels of educational departments in America also identify and improve low performing schools enthusiastically. There are series of strategies the United States has adopted to improve low performing schools, including the Capitals, curriculum, management, staff quality, the cooperation of parents and the community and so on. This paper regards teacher quality as the critical factor influencing students' performance and school improvement, so this research lays emphasis on the teacher strategies the United States has adopted to improve low performing schools and take the states of New York. California and North Carolina as an example to do the research intensively and specifically.First of all, the paper illustrates the background of the problem raising, introduces the present research at home and abroad, the clue and methods of this paper and defines some important concepts. Then I introduce the general situation of low performing schools in the United States, including the background of these schools' identification, how to identify them and their characteristics. The next chapter not only investigates the assistance provided by the federal, the states and the school districts but also points out schools and teachers' own responsibilities, concluding that teacher is the most important factor in students' performance and school improvement, so we should adopt teacher strategies to improve low performing schools. In the following chapter, the paper chooses three states of New York, California and North Carolina to analyze the teacher strategies their states and school districts have implemented. Then, the paper makes comparisons of these three states' teacher strategies and finds out the causes of their difference, summing up the characteristics of teacher strategies' implementation and their existing problems as well. Finally, in order to learn experiences and draw lessons, we conclude the inspirations on improving low performing schools for our country according to the achievements and shortcomings the United States have made.