NEW YORK CITY September 26, 2023—Nine out of 10 principals who employ Teach For America corps members agree that they have a positive impact on students, according to a report published today by Westat. 

The report is the culmination of Teach For America’s biennial National Principal Survey, in which independent research firm Westat administered a survey to more than 1,100 principals who employed Teach For America teachers, known as corps members, during the 2022-2023 school year. The survey had a 74% response rate, with more than 800 principals sharing their feedback. 

Results from prior years of the National Principal Survey have consistently shown that principals have favorable perceptions of corps members and alumni. The 2023 survey findings are largely consistent with prior years and provide continued evidence that principals have very positive views of corps members and alumni. In addition to agreeing that Teach For America corps members are effective in the classroom, principals also agreed that corps members are positive contributors to their school communities. Principals are also highly satisfied with the Teach For America alumni teachers working in their schools. 

“Our principal survey regularly provides Teach For America with important feedback on our educators and their contributions to our partner schools,” said Teach For America CEO Elisa Villanueva Beard. “We are grateful for the time and insight from these school leaders and use it to continuously improve our training and support model to maximize our impact with and for students.”

The key findings from the survey include: 

• Principal satisfaction with corps members is high.
  • 87% of principals indicated that they were satisfied with corps members at their schools.
  • 9 out 10 principals agreed that corps members have a positive impact on students’ academic growth; students’ personal growth; and students’ development of positive social identities.
• Principals view corps members as positive contributors to their school community.
  • 90% agreed that corps members maintain a positive learning environment in their classrooms.
  • 93% agreed that they contribute to a positive, collaborative professional culture at their school.
• Principals see value in hiring corps members. 
  • 91% of principals would hire another corps member in the future to fill a vacancy. 
  • 91% would also recommend hiring a TFA corps member to a fellow school leader.
• Principal satisfaction with TFA alumni also remains high.
  • 97% of principals were satisfied with the Teach For America alumni in their schools. 
  • Additionally, 9 out of 10 principals reported that alumni had positive impacts on students in each of the areas they were asked to address, which included academic growth, personal growth, development of positive social identities, recognition of injustice in the world, and ability to seek out relationships and resources needed to overcome barriers in pursuit of personal goals.

Download a PDF of the press release.

About Teach For America

Teach For America works in partnership with communities across the country to expand educational opportunities for children. Founded in 1990, Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a diverse network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that shapes the broader systems in which schools operate. Today, Teach For America is a force of nearly 70,000 alumni, corps members, Ignite fellows, and staff working in pursuit of profound systemic change so that one day every child has an equal opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit www.teachforamerica.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact

Rachel Tennenbaum | 408.250.2877 | rachel.tennenbaum@teachforamerica.org