Teach For America (TFA): Addressing Teacher Shortages in Low-Income Communities
Intervention Details
Subjects
Math, English Language Arts, Science & STEMAcademic Program
General EducationDuration
2 yearsGrades
Preschool, Pre-K, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Personnel
General Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Coach, Principal
Intervention Summary
Teach For America (TFA) is a program that places recent college graduates and professionals in schools in low-income communities and requires its teachers to commit to at least 2 years of teaching. The program targets teacher workforce and student achievement in low-income communities. TFA provides corps members with training and support, including a 5-week summer institute and ongoing coaching and professional development during their 2-year teaching commitment. TFA corps members receive room and board during summer training, and school districts pay a per-corps-member fee each school year. TFA teachers are regular full-time employees of their school districts and receive the starting salary and benefits of similarly qualified teachers in the school district.
Grades
Preschool, Pre-K, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Personnel
General Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Coach, PrincipalStatistical Finding Summary
Positive effect on mathematics achievement
Positive effect on science achievement
No effect on social studies achievement
No effect on English language arts achievement
Source
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse. (2016). Teach for America (TFA). Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/intervention/6.
Data Sample by Population
These charts show the characteristics of the student populations studied. When assessing programs, you may want to prioritize interventions that yielded success in a similar demographic environment as your school or district.