Virginia School Turnaround
In the spring of 2004, the Virginia Department of Education contracted with the Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education to design and implement the Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program. The program was a key component of Virginia Governor Mark Warner’s landmark Education for a Lifetime Initiative, a set of targeted reforms aimed at improving schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
UVA School Turnaround Program Expansion
The University of Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program expanded in 2006, based on promising results in Virginia, demand from other districts and a $3 million grant from Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Program. Subsequent cohorts have included urban, suburban and rural districts in:
- Arizona
- Florida
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
National Recognition 
In 2008, the University of Virginia School Turnaround Specialist Program was selected as a national finalist for the Pioneer Institute’s Better Government Competition, which showcases innovative ideas and programs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government.