Harvard Study Links TFA Selection Criteria to Student Gains

posted by: Alix | August 05, 2011, 04:01 PM

According to scholars, while there is considerable variance in the productivity of teachers, educators have been unable to identify observable characteristics related to teacher effectiveness. A new study from Harvard University uses Teach for America's selection criteria to link student gains to these top-tier recruited teachers, suggesting that it's possible to recruit candidates who are more likely to become effective educators.

Will Dobbie of Harvard University uses data from admissions records from Teach for America to explore whether information collected at the time of hire can predict student outcomes as a measure of teachers effectiveness overall. While it is no secret that Teach for America is considered a highly prestigious and competitive program, the many diverse admission requirements are telling in terms of the teachers they produce.

TFA selects its recruits through a detailed selection process that uses a mix of standardized tests, essays, group projects, recommendations, and a sample teaching lesson. Using these mediums, TFA selects candidates based on qualities including: achievement (academic GPA or work performance), leadership (performance in leadership role), perseverance (ability to work through obstacles), critical thinking (outlining solutions to problems methodically), organization (attention to deadlines and clarity of instruction), motivational ability (ability to keep students on task), respect (attitudes toward low-income individuals), and fit (whether the candidate believes TFA's goals are attainable).

Overall, Dobbie's findings pointed toward students gains in relation to the teacher's quality strength. In math for example, students who had TFA members with higher measures of achievement, leadership, and perseverance performed better than similar students. In English, while the data is not as concrete, leadership and fit were related to gains in student achievement.

Interestingly, the study also found that students in elementary school experienced fewer behavioral problems if their TFA teachers scored higher on the respect quality. The data suggests a positive attitude toward low-income students can lead to improved classroom behavior overall, particularly with impressionable younger students.

While it might seem intuitive that teachers who exhibit distinct qualities can "rub-off" on students, the data confirms the notion that a teacher's success can be predicted at the time of hire to a certain degree.

This study is just the latest in the trend toward scholarly support for Teach for America and its methods. While obviously not every teacher can go through the TFA program, the idea that teachers should come from the top-tier of college graduates is a theme in many of our international competitors' teacher workforces.

What do you think about the study findings?
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