Turnaround schools are those that manage to reverse long-term patterns of poor performance and low student achievement. This research project investigates the organizational dynamics that enable such transformations. Rather than searching for one-size-fits-all interventions, the project uses a set-theoretical approach to identify multiple, context-specific pathways to success.

Drawing on two samples of Swedish secondary schools—77 schools followed over a period of nine years—the team combines quantitative set-theoretical analysis with in-depth case studies. This dual approach allows the researchers to identify which combinations of conditions are necessary and sufficient for significant school improvement, particularly when adjusting for differences in student socioeconomic backgrounds.

The findings challenge the idea of a single “silver bullet” for educational reform. Instead, they show that different schools may require different strategies depending on their local context. For policymakers and school leaders, this means that effective improvement efforts need to be tailored to each school’s specific circumstances, rather than relying on uniform models.

The project is a collaboration between Stefan Arora-Jonsson, Ema Kristina Demir, Axel Norgren, and Karl Wennberg at the Stockholm School of Economics, with affiliated institutions including Uppsala University and Linköping University.