Setting
The study was conducted in Louisiana.
Study sample
Twenty-eight (28) Louisiana schools participated in the study, 14 each in the intervention and comparison groups. Elementary, middle, and high schools were included. The intervention and comparison schools were all previously low-achieving, hard-to-staff, under-resourced schools in need of improvement. No specific information about the teachers and students was provided.
Intervention Group
The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement includes four components, each connected to school improvement and student achievement. The four components are: (1) Multiple Career Paths, whereby selected teachers have opportunities for additional roles and responsibility in their schools, e.g., master and mentor teachers; (2) Ongoing Applied Professional Growth that is embedded, student-centered, collaborative and delivered by peers; (3) Instructionally Focused Accountability which evaluates teachers based on a comprehensive evaluation of teaching skills, knowledge, and responsibilities as well as teacher value-added; and (4) Performance-Based Compensation, which rewards teachers for their instructional accomplishments and performance of students.
Comparison Group
Comparison schools were selected from among similar schools in the state using a propensity score matching process. The authors note that "TAP-like" services have been widely adopted around the U.S. and indicate that some of the comparison schools had teacher coaches, teacher leaders, and professional learning communities that resemble TAP implementation. No additional information was provided about these schools, but it is likely that they delivered the usual services for schools in Louisiana.
Support for implementation
The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement includes four components, each connected to school improvement and student achievement. The four components are: (1) Multiple Career Paths, whereby selected teachers have opportunities for additional roles and responsibility in their schools, e.g., master and mentor teachers; (2) Ongoing Applied Professional Growth that is embedded, student-centered, collaborative and delivered by peers; (3) Instructionally Focused Accountability which evaluates teachers based on a comprehensive evaluation of teaching skills, knowledge, and responsibilities as well as teacher value-added; and (4) Performance-Based Compensation, which rewards teachers for their instructional accomplishments and performance of students.