TFA teachers have positive effects on mathematics achievement for students in grades pre-K-12, based on six studies¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? The WWC review found that in four of the six studies the estimated impact of TFA teachers on mathematics achievement was positive and statistically significant, yielding a rating of positive effects. → Teach For America 2016

Evidence¶

Teach For America 2016¶

Teach For America. (2016). WWC Intervention Report: Teach For America. What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. https://www.teachforamerica.org

q3 · i? · quant-synthesis · r2

This is a systematic review synthesis (WWC Intervention Report, mathematics achievement domain) of six studies meeting WWC group design standards. The report states: "In four of the six studies, the estimated impact of TFA teachers on mathematics achievement was positive and statistically significant", with an average improvement index of +4 percentile points and a medium to large extent of evidence.

"In four of the six studies, the estimated impact of TFA teachers on mathematics achievement was positive and statistically significant; two of these studies meet WWC group design standards without reservations."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• TFA teachers show no discernible effects on English language arts achievement for students in grades pre-K-12 — related
• TFA teachers show potentially positive effects on science achievement, based on one study — related
• An elementary-school RCT found no statistically significant difference between TFA and non-TFA teachers in mathematics or reading achievement — related
• A randomized controlled trial found TFA secondary math teachers outperformed non-TFA comparison teachers in mathematics achievement — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• TFA teachers in their first two years of teaching are more effective than more experienced non-TFA teachers in the same schools — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• TFA secondary math teachers increase student math achievement by 0.07 standard deviations over one school year relative to other math teachers in the same schools — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Secondary math teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows programs are as effective as teachers receiving traditional certification — related
• In some cases, Teach For America and Teaching Fellows secondary math teachers are more effective than traditionally certified math teachers — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Students with alternatively certified teachers did no worse on achievement tests than students with traditionally certified teachers — related
• Teaching by first- or second-year TFA corps members shows no significant effect on elementary-grade students' reading compared with non-TFA novice teachers — related
• The evidence base for estimating TFA's effects on student academic outcomes reduces to just four studies — related
• Prior experimental studies of TFA consistently showed a positive, statistically significant effect on student math achievement but no discernable effect on reading — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• TFA shows a small positive effect on reading for early elementary students (PreK to grade 2) but not in math — reports the opposite
• Teach For America teachers had no impact on student reading achievement — related
• Teach For America teachers had a positive impact on student math achievement of about 15 percent of a standard deviation, equivalent to about one month of instruction — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• TFA corps members hired in the first two years of the i3 scale-up were as effective as other teachers in the same high-poverty schools in teaching reading and math — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• TFA teachers in lower elementary grades (prekindergarten through grade 2) had a positive, statistically significant effect on reading achievement of 0.12 standard deviations — related
• Under the i3 scale-up grant, TFA planned to grow its corps by 80 percent and aimed for a majority of its teachers to be rated highly effective by the 2014-2015 school year — related
• Secondary math students taught by Teach For America teachers outperformed peers taught by traditional-route teachers by 0.06 standard deviations — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• The authors propose creating America's Teacher Corps through federal legislation to recognize highly effective K-12 public school teachers — related
• Students of certified teachers outperformed students of under-certified teachers, including TFA teachers, on all three SAT-9 subtests in low-income districts — reports the opposite
• Students of TFA teachers did not perform significantly differently from students of other under-certified teachers — reports the opposite
• TFA teachers in grades 1 and 2 had a positive effect on math achievement of 0.16 standard deviations that was almost statistically significant (p-value = 0.054) — a narrower finding that bears on this claim