In some cases, Teach For America and Teaching Fellows secondary math teachers are more effective than traditionally certified math teachers¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r? · q3
Currency · newest study 2013 · checked against its sources 2026-10-08 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In some cases, secondary math teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows programs were more effective than teachers receiving traditional certification. → Melissa A. Clark 2013

Evidence¶

Melissa A. Clark 2013¶

Melissa A. Clark, Hanley S. Chiang, Tim Silva, Sheena McConnell, Kathy Sonnenfeld, Anastasia Erbe, Michael Puma. (2013). The Effectiveness of Secondary Math Teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows Programs. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/the-effectiveness-of-secondary-math-teachers-from-teach-for-america-and-the-teaching-fellows-programs

q3 · i? · causal · r?

The random assignment study reports that the alternative-certification teachers were in some cases more effective than traditionally certified teachers; the page does not print which cases, effect sizes, or test statistics.

"The first large-scale, random assignment study of the effects of secondary school math teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows programs found they were as effective as, and in some cases more effective than, teachers receiving traditional certification."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• 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 — related
• Secondary math teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows programs are as effective as teachers receiving traditional certification — related
• This is the first large-scale experimental study of secondary math teachers from Teach For America — 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
• An elementary-school RCT found no statistically significant difference between TFA and non-TFA teachers in mathematics or reading achievement — related
• TFA teachers have positive effects on mathematics achievement for students in grades pre-K-12, based on six studies — a broader claim this one bears on
• Students with alternatively certified teachers did no worse on achievement tests than students with traditionally certified teachers — related
• The findings contradict claims that alternative teacher preparation programs such as Teach For America harm students — a broader claim this one bears on
• Teach For America teachers had no impact on student reading achievement — related
• Secondary math students taught by Teaching Fellows teachers had test scores similar to peers taught by traditional-route teachers — related
• Within-school random assignment studies such as the TFA evaluation are challenging but may be feasible and generate useful evidence — related
• Students of TFA teachers did not perform significantly differently from students of other under-certified teachers — reports the opposite
• Study designs that randomly assign students within schools involve trade-offs, illustrated by the Teach For America evaluation experience — related