As teacher shortages persist in many school districts, alternative certification routes like Teach for America (TFA) remain relevant policy considerations. A meta-analysis from AIR (American Institutes for Research), led by Martyna Citkowicz, reviewed data from 23 studies (either RCTs or QEDs) of TFA corps members over the program’s first 24 years (2000-2024).
The authors found that TFA had no impact on students’ achievement in English Language Arts, but a significant positive impact in Math (ES = +0.05) and Science (ES = +0.16). These impacts varied significantly by grade level and differed between corps members during their service and alumni after their service. This brief report noted but did not investigate regional variation in impacts, a growing area of focus for the TFA program.
Source (Open Access): Citkowicz, M., Chen, C., Castro M., Arellano, B. (2024) A Meta-analysis of Teach For America Teacher Impacts. Retrieved from https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/TFA-meta-analysis_memo.pdf.