The second of two items from the folks at the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice.  This one a “Think Twice” review of a think tank report from the folks at the National Education Policy Center.

Inside Look Great Lakes Center’s exclusive subscriber email featuring key points, information and social media content about reviews and research June 8, 2023READ IN BROWSER Hello, Great Lakes Center subscriber: We continue to see shortages in the teaching profession, especially in urban and rural schools. To fill vacancies, school districts have increasingly partnered with fast-track teacher certification programs like Teach for America. While most Teach for America educators leave their positions after two years, some continue teaching in their original schools and districts. A recent report published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University presents findings from a study examining Teach for America educator turnover, as well as the teachers’ contributions to fourth- through eighth-grade student achievement. A review finds the report has a narrow focus and uses selective interpretation of research, leading to a misrepresentation of Teach for America’s outcomes. Read on to learn more. Maddie Fennell Executive Director Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice REPORT REVIEWED Emily Mitescu Reagan of Claremont Graduate University reviewed “The Effects of High-Performing, High-Turnover Teachers on Long-Run Student Achievement: Evidence from Teach for America.” WHAT THE REVIEWER FOUND Mitescu Reagan found the report’s data does not support its conclusion that the benefits of hiring Teach for America educators outweigh the costs. The report focuses on teachers in New York City Public Schools from 2012 through 2019 and compares Teach for America teachers with non-Teach for America teachers. It looks at the relationship between teacher retention and improved teacher performance in the early years of an educator’s career. After six years of teaching, the study found, Teach for America teachers continue to improve their contributions to student standardized test scores at higher rates than their non-Teach for America colleagues. This is well-supported by data, but only a small number of Teach for America teachers remain in classrooms. However, Reagan’s review found the report’s broader conclusions are overreaching. She examines the conclusions that “the performance of the Teach for America workforce is strong enough to offset turnover,” and the “Teach for America performance advantage is large enough to offset turnover costs,” and finds they are not proven by the data. The report fails to define the “costs” of turnover or to account for broader impact of the instability of the labor market on schools and districts This includes negative effects on school climate, financial costs to districts, and the disproportionate placement of inexperienced Teach for America Teachers in schools with less resources. The report’s study could contribute to a large amount of research related to the importance of supporting and retaining early career teachers, but Reagan adds that policymakers should take caution when interpreting the report’s broader conclusions about the effects of Teach for America teachers and alumni. Read the full review on the Great Lakes Center website or on the National Education Policy Center website. WHY YOU SHOULD CARE The report should not be used to inform policy decisions about whether to hire Teach for America teachers. We already know, based on a large amount of research, that there’s a link between improvement in teacher performance with years of teaching experience. Like other research of this kind, the report fails to acknowledge the problems created by the distribution and placement of inexperienced Teach for America teachers in under-resourced, low-performing schools. TALKING POINTS TO REMEMBER A report published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University presents findings from a study examining Teach for America educator turnover and contributions of those teachers to student achievement. A review of the report found it has a narrow focus and uses selective interpretation of research. Policymakers should take caution when interpreting the broader conclusions from the report about the effectiveness of Teach for America teachers. SOCIAL SHARES Want to share this Think Twice Review with your social networks? We drafted some sample social media posts for your use. As the #EducatorShortage continues, some school districts have partnered with fast-track teacher certification programs. How do these teachers impact student achievement? A recent report presents findings from a study examining @teachforameria turnover, but its conclusions misrepresent the outcomes of the program. Learn more: A @nepctweet review finds a report about the effectiveness of fast-track teacher certification programs on student achievement overreaches in its conclusions. Read the review: Follow Us

Think Twice, a project of the National Education Policy Center, provides the public, policymakers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible by funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice. Copyright © 2019 Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice PO Box 1263 East Lansing, MI 48826-1263