Louisiana has been quietly doing just that for its graduates of teacher education programs. Starting with mandatory re-designs in 2000-2003, the state now has the capacity to track teacher effectiveness by their educational program. In other words, parents, principals, and policymakers are able to make some informed decisions about which teachers they would want in their classrooms. The most recent review came out this week, and here's the verdict on teachers entering the profession through The New Teacher Project:
The New Teacher Project prepared new teachers whose students, demonstrated achievement in four content areas (i.e., science, mathematics, language arts, and reading) that was comparable or above the growth of achievement demonstrated by children taught by certified professionals who had taught two or more years. Achievement of student learning in one content area (i.e., social studies) was comparable to the growth of achievement of students taught by other new teachers.Compare that to results like this one:
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators each had one content area where student achievement was less than that of new teachers. In the content area of language arts, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette program performed at a level where there was evidence that new teachers were less effective than average new teachers but the difference was not statistically significant. In the content area of reading the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators program performed at a level that was statistically significantly less effective than new teachers.These are very important findings, and they control for student, family, school, and classroom characteristics. The project's next step will be to attempt to answer the why of the results. And, hopefully in the near future, we'll see other states link student growth data with teacher education programs.
Eduwonk's take here. NY Times editorial board here.
5 comments:
I'll wait for people who know better to comment on the methodology of the study, but one thing certainly does make sense here. The discussion of the effectiveness of TFA needs be be in some real world context. TFA is effective compared to what? In many places the alternative is empty classrooms, subs, and "burnouts." But I don't mean that as derogatory. I mean that as a refutation of teachers who always seem to prejudge TFA and find it wanting.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who wants to enlist for the civil rights movement of the 21st century is welcome.
Here's a thought experiment: what would be more effective, 10,000 TFAers working 16 hours a day, or 20,000 new teachers working eight hours a day? Obviously we can't choose, and equally obviously, we need both. We're not in danger of having an over supply of dedicated and effective teachers.
Compare the effect of say 1,000 TFAers (of course I just pulled that number out of my rear end) who "drank the Kool Aid," never questioned the organization's dogma, worked themselves to the bone, found scapegoats to blame, and moved on to administration where their ideology-driven policies burned out other teachers. Now think of the effect of 1,000 TFAers who thought for themselves, listened , learned, came up with their own take and brought new energy into administrations around the country. Frankly, I'm assuming that both scenarios are happening.
As a teacher, I can't understand why a veteran would want to prejudge young teachers and presume that their generation can't come up with a new vision for education. But also as a teacher who is always watching for the risks that young people take, I can't deny that alot of the TFAers are probably burning themselves out and learning the wrong lessons.- John Thompson
John, the study did not include TFA.
The TNTP web site says that the study's "findings suggest that high-quality programs like Teach for America and The New Teacher Project have a big role to play in the effort to improve teacher preparation nationally."
I can break it down for you if you like, but I was trying to make a point that was conciliatory.
Hi Chad -
Actually, while the study doesn't focus specifically on Teach For America, corps members make up the majority members make up the majority of participants in the LPTP (TNTP) program. And, as TNTP is Teach For America’s alternative certification partner in the Greater New Orleans and South Louisiana regions, all corps members in those regions participate in the program.
We think that these results are really exciting, and suggest that corps members and others in the TNTP program are having a positive impact in their classrooms.
- Cynthia Skinner, Research Director, Teach For America
My mistake. Thanks John, thanks Cynthia.
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