Starting Fresh: What, Why, How?
NACSA’s Perspective and Resources

NACSA has produced a series of five manuals, the Starting Fresh in Low-Performing Schools series, that guide district leaders through key considerations and steps in designing and implementing a successful start-fresh strategy. 
Starting Fresh: The NACSA Definition

NACSA defines “Starting Fresh” as converting a chronically low-performing school and empowering a new school provider to re-open the school with wide latitude to redefine every aspect of the school’s operation – from staffing to curriculum, from budget to governance, from bell schedules to homework policies. It is the across-the-board change with high levels of autonomy for high levels of accountability that make a start-fresh school truly a fresh start.

Start-fresh schools are strongly akin to start-up charter schools, in terms of both autonomy to design a new school and accountability for performance. However, NACSA believes that starting fresh can also take place through contractual agreements with the new school and district – an approach that may, in some cases, be more advantageous than the charter route (e.g., a good option for districts without chartering authority, or for states under charter caps).

One impetus for starting fresh is the federal No Child Left Behind Act ’s (NCLB’s) restructuring mandates for schools that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for five consecutive years. There are five “restructuring” options under NCLB. Two of these – contracting with an education service provider to run the school or re-opening the school as a charter – are most aligned with NACSA’s notion of starting fresh.

The bottom line is this: whether through NCLB or a district’s own initiative – and whether through a charter, contract or some other legal structure – for powerful change to happen, a start-fresh school must have the freedom to redefine every aspect of the school and be held accountable for performance.

While starting fresh is relatively new to the education world, NACSA’s theories and practical guidance draw upon successes in reform-minded districts that have carried out start-fresh initiatives (San Diego Unified, Chicago Public Schools, Polk County Public Schools (FL), Milwaukee Public Schools), experienced and successful charter school authorizers, and other industries that have seen success in organizational change strategies.


Why Start Fresh?: The NACSA Rationale


How to Start Fresh: NACSA’s Steps to Successful Restructuring - Download the publication series