Use selective alternative certification routes as one lever for staffing disadvantaged schools, with expectations calibrated to route selectivity¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The brief addresses teacher shortages in disadvantaged schools by presenting evidence on alternative certification routes as a staffing strategy. It distinguishes highly selective routes (Teach For America, Teaching Fellows) from "less selective alternative routes that accept nearly all applicants," and reports that only the most selective route showed a measurable test-score advantage, in secondary math. Staffing decisions can therefore weigh selectivity against expected achievement effects.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Districts facing teacher shortages in disadvantaged schools considering alternative certification routes as a staffing channel

Constraints¶

• The measured advantage applies to secondary math with Teach For America; elementary and Teaching Fellows secondary math comparisons showed similar scores to traditional routes

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students in disadvantaged schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• Student achievement through teacher staffing and recruitment decisions

Claims¶

• Teach For America teachers had no impact on student reading achievement [-W]
• 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 [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Melissa Clark, Sheena McConnell, Jill Constantine, Hanley Chiang. (2013). Addressing Teacher Shortages in Disadvantaged Schools: Lessons from Two Institute of Education Sciences Studies. NCEE Evaluation Brief, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/