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Research & Insights

Research drives our practice at Teach For America. As a data-driven organization, we use internal and external reviews to learn, evolve, and strengthen our work and impact.

Learn about how we we use research and insights to help measure our positive impact on students, corps members, alumni, and communities.
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About Our Research and Insights

At Teach For America, we operate with curiosity and embrace new ideas in order to learn and improve continuously. We work with corps members, alumni, and staff to gather data across all levels of our organization. We conduct internal research and evaluation with these data, as well as partner with highly regarded external researchers to lead rigorous, high-quality research. Our research interests include our organization’s impact, innovation in the broader education field, and interventions that contribute to the pursuit of educational equity and antiracism. 

We take pride in being one of the most researched nonprofits in the country, and we continue to support independent research and reviews that help us gain a better understanding of our impact on students and strengthen our work and results. Learn more about research on our impact and how we are turning insights into action.

Our Impact on Students

Our Impact on Students

Teach For America corps members’ students perform as well as other teachers’ students on standardized tests of math and reading. This is true when compared to both novice and experienced non-Teach For America teachers. Students of TFA alumni teachers generally perform as well as or better than students of non-TFA alumni teachers with similar experience across multiple subject areas. Research findings on TFA teachers’ instructional impact—which span multiple regions, subject areas, and grade levels—have remained consistent throughout the organization’s history, suggesting that the results are not due to chance, error, or the particular statistical method used.

Fugees Academy students playing

Recent Studies

Our Impact on Corps Members and Alumni

Our Impact on Corps Members and Alumni

Being a corps member changes you. Through their service, corps members experience an increased understanding of systemic injustice and a decrease in prejudice. Teach For America participants are more likely to be involved in social change, policy, and advocacy as alumni. Teach For America participants are more likely to pursue careers in education or careers impacting the field of education. As of 2023, approximately 58 percent of our TFA alumni base is working in the education field.

Corps members attending institute

Recent Studies

Our Impact on Communities

Our Impact on Communities

Communities across the country are making meaningful progress in educational outcomes, and Teach for America alumni and corps members are playing an essential role, working alongside many others. TFA alumni are more likely to vote than their non-participant counterparts, and they also continue to be active in the community around educational issues long after their initial two-year commitment. Research on TFA’s alumni networks shows that key roles associated with ecosystem change in communities were elected officials, advocacy/nonprofit leaders, state and local education executives, and principals.

 

Recent Studies

Our Impact on Diversifying the Field of Teacher Education

Our Impact on Diversifying the Field of Teacher Education

Research shows that when students of color have teachers of color their attendance improves, disciplinary infractions decline, and academic achievement and college enrollment rise. A diverse teaching force also strengthens a sense of self-efficacy and improves racial attitudes among all students (Olson 2023). We are committed to growing the number of our corps members who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, and developing leaders who share the background of the students that we serve.

Chief of Diversity Announcement

Recent Data

Partner With Us

Partner With Us

If you would like to partner with us to conduct research, please fill out our preliminary research inquiry form. If you have questions about research on Teach For America, please contact us.

Teacher walking in the hallway with two students.