Research
Teach For America is among the most-studied teacher-preparation programs in the nation. We welcome and pursue rigorous independent evaluations in order to measure our impact and improve our results. A large and growing body of independent research shows that Teach For America corps members make as much of an impact on student achievement as veteran teachers. Studies also show that our alumni are making significant contributions after their two year commitment.
In 2009 and 2010, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee studied the effectiveness of teachers from different teacher-preparation programs. Each state's research found that Teach For America corps members have a greater impact on student achievement than other new teachers. Additionally, Teach For America won the largest grant out of nearly 1,700 applications to the U.S. Department of Education’s prestigious Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition in 2010. The i3 grants required applicants to provide demonstrated evidence of success through objective methodologically sound studies of student achievement.
Teach For America works to ensure that corps members become lifelong leaders for education reform, whether or not they pursue careers in education. In addition to assessing our corps members’ teaching effectiveness, research on their impact beyond the classroom is starting to appear. A 2011 study conducted by a Harvard University research team concluded that more founders of prominent entrepreneurial education organizations had participated in Teach For America than in any other organization or program.
For more information on the research record on Teach For America, please read What the Research Says (PDF).
We also invite you to read through the following studies to learn more about the latest research on Teach For America and corps member effectiveness.
Teach For America Alumni Project »
Monica Higgins, Rick Hess, Jennie Wiener, and Wendy Robison (2011)
Key finding: More founders and leaders of education organizations participate in Teach For America than in any other organization or program.
Teacher Preparation Programs and Teach For America Research Study »
The University of Texas at Dallas, Education Research Center (2011)
Key finding: Teach For America corps members in Texas are more likely to teach in high-needs schools than the average new teacher in Texas and corps members return for a second year at higher rates than non-Teach For America teachers.
Portal Report: Teacher Preparation and Student Test Scores in North Carolina »
Gary Henry, Charles Thompson, Kevin C. Bastian, C. Kevin Fortner, David C. Kershaw, Kelly M. Purtell, and Rebecca A. Zulli (2010)
Key finding: Teach For America corps members have a greater impact on student achievement in middle school math and high school math, science, and English than do traditionally prepared teachers from UNC’s teacher-preparation program.
2010 Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Programs »
Tennessee State Board of Education and Tennessee Higher Education Commission (2010)
Key finding: The average Teach For America-Tennessee teacher outperforms the average new fourth- to eighth-grade teacher in the state across all subject areas and grade levels, does just as well as the average veteran teacher in mathematics, and outperforms the average veteran teacher in reading/language arts, science, and social studies.
Teacher Characteristics and Student Achievement: Evidence from Teach For America »
Will Dobbie (2011)
Key finding: Dobbie found that, overall, the Teach For America selection model successfully identifies teachers who will have a positive impact on student achievement. This is one of the first studies to detect a relationship between student success and observable teacher characteristics that can be measured prior to service.
Recruiting Effective Math Teachers, How Do Math Immersion Teachers Compare?: Evidence From New York City »
Donald Boyd, Pamela Grossman, Karen Hammerness, Hamilton Lankford, Susanna Loeb, Matt Ronfeldt, and James Wyckoff (2010)
Key finding: Teach For America middle-school math teachers are more effective than other beginning middle-school math teachers.
The Price of Misassignment: The Role of Teaching Assignments in Teach For America Teachers’ Exit From Low-Income Schools and the Teaching Profession »
Morgaen Donaldson and Susan Moore Johnson (2010)
Key finding: 61 percent of Teach For America corps members remain in the teaching profession for more than two years, with 44 percent remaining in their placement schools beyond their two-year commitment.
Assessing the Effects of Voluntary Youth Service: The Case of Teach For America »
Doug McAdam and Cynthia Brandt (2009)
Key finding: In the area of civic engagement Teach For America focuses on – education – Teach For America alumni are more involved than non-matriculants.
Making a Difference? The Effects of Teach For America in High School »
Zeyu Xu, Jane Hannaway, and Colin Taylor, The Urban Institute/CALDER (2009)
Key finding: Teach For America corps members are, on average, more effective than non-Teach For America teachers in all subject areas, and especially in math and science.
Teach For America Evaluation Report »
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Center for Research & Evaluation Office of Accountability (2009)
Key finding: Corps members, on average, are about as effective as other teachers in their schools.
Teach For America National Principal Survey »
Policy Studies Associates, Inc. (2009)
Key finding: 95 percent of the principals surveyed rated corps members as effective as other beginning teachers in terms of overall performance and impact on student achievement.
Teach for America Teachers’ Contribution to Student Achievement in Louisiana in Grades 4-9: 2004-2005 to 2006-2007 »
George H. Noell and Kristin A. Gansle (2009)
Key finding: Teach For America corps members in Louisiana are outperforming other new teachers and are as effective as veteran teachers across the state in math, science, reading, and language arts.
Teach For America welcomes questions, comments, and concerns about our research, and invites both student and non-student researchers to lead studies. If you’d like information about how to conduct a study or if you have any questions, please email research@teachforamerica.org.
Teach For America was named one of Fortune magazine's top 100 employers to work for.
Teach For America was named one of America's top 100 Ideal Employers in Universum's 2011 American Student Survey.