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Principal Colleen M. Lennon proudly watched over some of her young charges at the Emily G. Wetherbee School on a recent afternoon in this struggling city of 77,000, seeing students engage in activities that are a given in most middle- to upper-income communities.

They were taking drumming lessons. Fingerknitting. Practicing cheerleading stands. Illustrating a short story. And making fruit salad in a class on healthy eating.

Just four years earlier, such enrichment activities were not the norm in Lawrence鈥檚 schools, said Ms. Lennon, a veteran school leader. Then the state of Massachusetts stepped in.

In 2011鈥攆ollowing years of poor academic performance and weak leadership鈥攕tate education officials took what was an unprecedented step in Massachusetts of seizing control of the 14,000-student district.

The plan was simple: to provide rigorous academics and a holistic education experience. Less than five years later, positive shoots are sprouting. The percentage of Lawrence students scoring proficient on state math assessments increased from 28 percent in 2011 to 41 percent last year, and those proficient in English/language arts moved from 41 percent to 44 percent. The number of Level 1 schools鈥攖hose that meet state performance targets and are not among the state鈥檚 bottom 20 percent鈥攈as risen from two in 2011 to six in 2014. And in schools that are labeled as Level 3 or Level 4鈥攕till a majority of the district鈥檚 33 schools鈥攕tudents are making promising gains in English and math achievement.

The school district is still considered a Level 5鈥攖he lowest category in Massachusetts鈥� accountability system鈥攂ut its steady progress has sparked interest well beyond the state over whether the Lawrence approach to district turnaround holds promise for other urban school systems with similarly daunting challenges. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan paid a visit last fall. And an adviser to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been looking to Lawrence as a model for district turnaround in that state.

By involving teachers and principals in decisions about how to improve achievement for the students in their schools, Lawrence has avoided the common roadblock of imposing a one-size-fits-all strategy, said Sarah Yatsko, a senior research analyst at the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, Bothell. And the district鈥檚 non-dogmatic view of who is best suited to run schools targeted for turnaround鈥攃harter-management organizations, the local teachers鈥� union, and the district itself are all operating schools in Lawrence鈥攈as also been a strength.

"[Lawrence is] looking deeply at performance and data, and they are targeting interventions at the problems,鈥� Ms. Yatsko said. 鈥淭hey are unleashing their professional staff in the buildings by providing them with autonomy and coupling it with supports.鈥�

The guiding star was a comprehensive turnaround plan focused on 鈥渉ow the district is organized, and how to empower our strongest staff, teachers, and administrators,鈥� said Massachusetts鈥� education commissioner, Mitchell D. Chester, who recommended that the state board of education approve a state takeover.

鈥淚鈥檇 be the last one to say that we have succeeded in Lawrence, but we are succeeding,鈥� Mr. Chester said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a work in progress. I am very pleased with the results in the first couple of years.鈥�

Lawrence, a former industrial town on the banks of the Merrimack River about 30 miles north of Boston, faces myriad challenges. Ninety percent of the district鈥檚 students are low-income; about 30 percent are English-language learners. The city has struggled in recent years to combat high crime rates, low employment rates, and pervasive images of urban decay.

Mr. Chester chose Jeffrey C. Riley, a former principal and former chief innovation officer in the Boston public schools, as Lawrence district鈥檚 receiver in 2012. In that role, Mr. Riley has had all the powers of a superintendent and a school board.

Deft Leadership

The deft way in which Mr. Riley has exercised those powers may be one of the reasons for the emerging turnaround, according to a report released last month by the Watertown, Mass.-based Education Resource Strategies, a school improvement consulting group. The report examines the key strategies Mr. Riley and his team put in action in Lawrence. Among them: an emphasis on creating and supporting strong school leaders; attracting and developing effective teachers; aligning resources to student and teacher needs; and providing both the funding and flexibility to school leaders to design programs that meet their school鈥檚 unique needs.

Mr. Riley and his team implemented the changes in phases, focusing on actions in the first year that would yield quick results for students, then later turning attention to wider system changes. The timeline had been laid out in the district鈥檚 detailed transformation plan.

The ERS report highlights the collaboration between the district鈥檚 leadership team and the Lawrence Teachers鈥� Union as a key part of the transformation. Though Mr. Riley had the authority to unilaterally change the teachers鈥� union contract, he worked with the union to reach an accord.

The two sides did not always agree鈥攖he union filed complaints with the state claiming that Mr. Riley had violated state labor laws before the parties reached an agreement. But the contract approved a year later created career ladders for teachers and gave them opportunities to earn more money based on their performance and the leadership roles they embraced in their schools. And Mr. Riley insisted that all teachers, including those in charter-run schools, be members of the local union, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.

Another reason the early results appear promising, Mr. Chester said, is that the turnaround team approached the takeover with a 鈥渟trong dose鈥� of respect for the adults in the system.

鈥淲e did not start with the assumption that the adults were the problem,鈥� Mr. Chester said. 鈥淲e started with the assumption that the system as a whole was broken and needed to be restructured.鈥�

Mr. Riley has championed a governance model he calls 鈥渙pen architecture,鈥� in which the district consists of a combination of charter-run schools and regular district schools. There is expanded autonomy at the school level and the central office鈥檚 role is curtailed.

鈥淭he problems in urban education are far too big for the civil war that鈥檚 going on out there today,鈥� Mr. Riley said about the debate over charter versus district-run schools.

鈥淲e鈥檝e created a small community where people have been willing to put aside their differences, work under this unified umbrella, and get results for kids,鈥� he said.

An example of that 鈥渙pen architecture鈥� system is evident in the district鈥檚 approach to turning around the low-performing Henry K. Oliver School. The Lawrence Teachers鈥� Union took over grades 1-5 and launched the Oliver Partnership School in August 2013, while the Boston-based UP Academy, a charter-management organization, took over grade 6. That new school is the UP Academy Oliver Middle School.

鈥楢cceleration Academies鈥�

Mr. Riley said the opportunities that children now have to engage in enrichment activities have been a critically important piece of the turnaround effort. Through partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club, the Merrimack Valley YMCA, and the district鈥檚 teachers, students are able to take classes in cooking, karate, theater, swimming, squash, and a host of other extracurricular activities they might not otherwise be exposed to. Increasing parental engagement鈥攖he district recently opened a resource center at one of the city鈥檚 old mills, where parents can get help finding jobs and housing鈥攊s also part of the turnaround strategy. 鈥淔undamentally, what we are trying to do here in Lawrence is mirror the suburban experience,鈥� Mr. Riley said. 鈥淚 believe that if my kids get the same experience that suburban kids get, then they would do just as well as, if not better than, them.鈥�

But intensive academic supports for many of the district鈥檚 struggling students have also been essential to improvement. Students who had been flagged as lagging were selected for 鈥渁cceleration academies鈥� that provided small-group instruction with high-performing teachers during scheduled school breaks.

Researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education dug into the impacts of the acceleration academies in the tested grades鈥�3-8 and grade 10鈥攊n the first year after the takeover and found that they significantly boosted student performance in math.

Their preliminary findings, which have not yet been published, show that, overall, math scores for all of Lawrence鈥檚 students have improved, but they did so more dramatically for students who participated in the acceleration academies. Between 2012 and 2013, those students, who have historically trailed their peers in other demographically-similar, low-income districts in the state, nearly caught up with their peers in those districts.

鈥淎 year is a relatively short period of time to see this kind of impact,鈥� said Beth E. Schueler, a doctoral student at Harvard who worked on the study with Harvard professors Joshua S. Goodman and David J. Deming.

The acceleration academies had smaller effects on student performance in English/language arts. The researchers said it was difficult to tease out the specific initiatives that moved the needle for those students who did not attend the academies, but that it was fair to say the 鈥渂asket鈥� of initiatives put into motion in the first year was having a positive impact.

鈥淭here is always the question of whether implemented changes are going to sustain themselves or not,鈥� Mr. Goodman said, 鈥渂ut at least the short-run effects that we are seeing are in the right direction, and that鈥檚 not always the case with turnarounds.鈥�

But Andy Smarick, a partner at Bellwether Education Partners, a Washington-based consultancy group, said that what鈥檚 happening in Lawrence is simply a more 鈥渕uscular鈥� version of state takeovers that have mostly failed over the last 20 years.

Despite the inclusion of charter schools and more autonomy for principals in the Lawrence strategy, Mr. Smarick said the efforts were likely doomed because the initiatives are still part of a traditional school district.

鈥淵ou can rearrange the seats within the district, you can change the leadership of the district, you can change the reporting structure in the district, but as long as you maintain the district as the dominant system, the efforts are always going to come up short,鈥� Mr. Smarick said. 鈥淭his, in my view, is pushing a state takeover as far as it can go before you admit that no state takeover is ever going to work the way we need it to.鈥�

Major Work Ahead

Lawrence officials say a lot of work remains. While the district鈥檚 graduation rate has improved, for example, it still lags behind the state鈥檚, and all the high school academies, while making strides, are still among the state鈥檚 lowest-performing.

Julie Swerdlow Albino, the district鈥檚 chief redesign officer, and Seth D. Racine, the deputy superintendent said this fall, the district鈥檚 high school campus of 3,100 students, which is divided into six smaller schools, will be redesigned with a focus on successfully transitioning freshmen. The district will create a 9th grade academy across all six schools, and add additional supports, including guidance counselors and advisers, for at-risk students.

Mr. Chester, who just successfully made the case for the struggling Holyoke school district to be placed under state control, said that the Lawrence turnaround effort was likely to continue for 鈥渁nother three years and possibly more鈥� to ensure that the changes are baked into the system.

鈥淚 think it would be a huge mistake to end the receivership at this point,鈥� he said.

Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who is generally an outspoken opponent of state takeovers, has been highlighting the progress in Lawrence as an example of transformation that鈥檚 possible when the union and the district work together.

鈥淟awrence is succeeding because of the work between people鈥攊ncluding the superintendent, the teachers, and parents, and now, the city administration,鈥� she said. 鈥淟et me be really blunt. Anybody who thinks that it鈥檚 structure rather than human capital will make a huge ... policy mistake.鈥�

Frank McLaughlin, the president of the Lawrence Teachers鈥� Union, praises the gains and Mr. Riley, though he credits strong leadership and an infusion of resources for the positive momentum, not the state takeover itself.

The district receives about 95 percent of its annual $190 million budget from the state, and that contribution level has not changed under the takeover.

However, some schools received an extra $500,000 annually over three years through the Massachusetts school redesign grants, the state鈥檚 version of the federal School Improvement Grants.

鈥楢 Positive Shift鈥�

Inside the Wetherbee School, an impressive brick building, Ms. Lennon, the principal of the 700-student school, said the state takeover was the 鈥渂est thing鈥� to happen to Lawrence.

Wetherbee has progressed to a Level 1 from its Level 3 designation when Mr. Riley first arrived in 2012.

Under Mr. Riley, principals and teachers are expected to know the proficiency levels of every student in their schools, Ms. Lennon said. Students are also keenly aware of their scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, what they need to do to reach proficiency, and how much their schools are expected to grow annually, Ms. Lennon said.

For her school鈥檚 progress, Ms. Lennon also credits professional development for teachers, giving them latitude to collaborate with their peers on classroom strategies, and creating leadership teams that rely on their expertise.

鈥淗e knows that [teachers] are the people doing the work every day, and they are the ones solving the problems,鈥� she said of Mr. Riley. 鈥淎nd the fact that he could gather information from them, and say to them, 鈥榃hat are some ideas that you have at the school level that鈥檚 going to impact students?鈥� That鈥檚 a positive shift.鈥�

At UP Academy Leonard Middle School, Principal Komal Bhasin says the dedicated planning time that teachers get each Friday has been powerful. Working in cohorts, teachers spend 2陆 hours on Fridays reviewing student data, revising curriculum, sharing successful teaching strategies, and setting goals for the school on a range of issues such as school climate or support for special education students.

Defying Negative Views

Ms. Bhasin鈥檚 school, a high-energy, structured environment, emphasizes a college-going culture: Every classroom bears the name of a university as an overt reminder of what the students are working toward. Teachers must call parents multiple times a week to discuss their children鈥檚 progress.

鈥淭hey really push you,鈥� 13-year-old Nalleli Nu帽ez, a 7th grader at UP Academy Leonard, said recently as students queued up at the beginning of the school day to be greeted by Ms. Bashin. 鈥淎nd they would do anything鈥攍iterally anything鈥攖o get you higher [scores] on the MCAS.鈥�

Nalleli, who called her school 鈥渁wesome,鈥� described her teachers鈥� spending extra time with newly arrived immigrant students who may be struggling with English, and pulling aside lower-performing students at the end of the day to focus on remedying their weaknesses. And students who are doing well are asked to help others, she said.

鈥淚 like that because it gives everybody an opportunity to get good scores on the MCAS, ... not just a group of people because they are more advanced than others,鈥� she said.

Thirteen-year-old Kiaya Fernandez said she has noticed how much her teachers care about how she鈥檚 doing inside, and outside, the classroom.

鈥淓verything is so organized here, and the passion for teaching is phenomenal,鈥� Kiaya said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 just care about being teachers, but also about getting to know us and how we feel about school. 鈥�

Kiaya said it took her some time to get used to the school鈥檚 system of merits and demerits, but she appreciates the emphasis on discipline.

All of these changes bode well for the future of the school system and the city, said Mayor Daniel Rivera, who was elected last year and also serves as the chairman of the school board.

Mr. Rivera sees what鈥檚 happening in the schools as part of a citywide transformation. In 2012, Boston magazine called Lawrence 鈥渢he most godforsaken place in Massachusetts.鈥�

These days, the mayor said the city is defying such negative viewpoints.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not supposed to have a functioning government. We are not supposed to attract businesses or fight crime or fight poverty, and kids aren鈥檛 supposed to be doing well in school. And what we are finding is that we can.鈥�