Academic Impact of Teach For America and Implications in the Professionalization of Teaching

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Division L Section 9 Poster Session

Abstract

A systematic review of 20 studies involving comparisons of Teach for America Teachers and other teachers showed that although the program has some significant impact in middle school mathematics and high school science student’s test scores, the effect sizes associated to differences in performance between compared teachers are modest (mostly below 0.2). There is no difference in the student’s performance of TFA and non-TFA teachers in Language or Social Studies. The implications of these findings on key questions about the professionalization of teaching are discussed.

Author

• Jorge Alberto Mahecha-Rodríguez, Boston College