Impact of TNTP's Teaching Fellows in Urban School Districts
Gerdeman, R. Dean; Wan, Yinmei; Molefe, Ayrin; Bos, Johannes M.; Zhu, Bo; Dhillon, Sonica (2017). American Institutes for Research. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED617138
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examining23,573Students, gradesPK-12
Grant Competition
Review Details
Reviewed: February 2024
- Grant Competition (findings for TNTP Teaching Fellows)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a cluster quasi-experimental design that provides evidence of effects on individuals by satisfying the baseline equivalence requirement for the individuals in the analytic intervention and comparison groups.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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Academic achievement composite |
TNTP Teaching Fellows vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Second-Year Teachers;
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-0.61 |
-0.63 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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Academic achievement composite |
TNTP Teaching Fellows vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
First year teachers;
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-0.37 |
-0.33 |
No |
-- | ||
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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21% English language learners -
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Urban
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District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
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Race Other or unknown 100% -
Ethnicity Other or unknown 100% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) 72% No FRPL 28%
Study Details
Setting
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is an alternative certification program implemented in seven urban school district sites: Chicago, District of Columbia, Nashville, Fort Worth, Baltimore, Charlotte and New Orleans. For the student achievement analysis, teachers taught in grades 3-12.
Study sample
The majority of the students identified as a minority (86%) and were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (72%). Just under half (49%) were female, and 21 percent were English language learners, while 17 percent had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Intervention Group
TNTP's Teaching Fellows program is a teacher preparation program designed to fill vacancies in urban school districts with qualified new teachers and improve persistently low student achievement. The program encompasses the following core components: (1) recruitment and selection of Fellows from a pool of professionals and recent college graduates; (2) a 6- to 8-week preservice training for Fellows during a summer institute, summer teaching experience, and screening to identify those who show potential to become effective teachers; (3) in-service training, including seminars and coaching during the first year of teaching; and (4) an assessment to identify potentially effective teachers to recommend for certification at the end of the in-service training.
Comparison Group
Comparison teachers were other new teachers in the participating districts certified through other programs. Teach For America teachers were excluded from the comparison groups since, in some districts, they participated in the TNTP program.
Support for implementation
The program is delivered through a distributed organizational structure, with district-based teams of two to four TNTP staff (including a manager) who works with staff in their partnering district. Although all district sites used TNTP’s overall program model, each site had its own implementation team, which enabled TNTP staff to identify recruitment needs, set recruitment targets, and make ongoing adjustments to accommodate the specific needs and circumstances of each district.
Department-funded evaluation
Review Details
Reviewed: December 2021
- Department-funded evaluation (findings for TNTP Teaching Fellows)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a cluster quasi-experimental design that provides evidence of effects on individuals by satisfying the baseline equivalence requirement for the individuals in the analytic intervention and comparison groups.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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State standardized test score (z-score) |
TNTP Teaching Fellows vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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0.61 |
0.63 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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21% English language learners -
Female: 49%
Male: 51% -
Urban
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District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
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Race Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) recruits, trains, and hires individuals interested in teaching through the Teaching Fellows program and the Practitioner Teacher program. The program was implemented in seven urban school districts that serve large proportions of high-need students: Baltimore City Public Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Chicago Public Schools, DC Public Schools, Fort Worth Independent School District, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and New Orleans public and charter schools.
Study sample
The student sample for the achievement outcome was 21% English Learners, 86% racial/ethnic minority, 72% eligible for free or reduced price lunch, 17% on an Individualized Education Plan, and 49% female.
Intervention Group
The Teacher Effectiveness and Certification (TEACh) Initiative includes a rigorous process of selecting high-quality trainees (referred to as Fellows), a six- to eight-week preservice training program, an inservice series of seminars during participants’ first year of teaching, and an assessment that uses multiple measures to selectively identify effective teachers to recommend for certification at the end of inservice training. Local sites recruit and select prospective teachers in high-need subjects/grades and provide a 6- 8 week training course during the summer. At the end of the summer training, Fellows who have the potential to be highly effective teachers are identified and earn teaching eligibility for the fall. During their first year working as a full-time teacher, participants take part in professional development seminars and receive coaching. An assessment of classroom effectiveness (ACE) tool is used to determine whether TEACh participants can be recommended for licensure in their respective states. Receiving the preservice and inservice training and completing the ACE should provide TEACh participants with a better understanding of their content area and improve their instructional practices. By improving these teacher outcomes, TNTP intends to have a positive impact on student achievement.
Comparison Group
The comparison group consisted of students of teachers who were not participating in TNTP or Teach for America and who were in their first or second year of teaching. These teachers received business as usual professional development and support.
Grant Competition
Review Details
Reviewed: October 2017
- Grant Competition (findings for TNTP Teaching Fellows)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a quasi-experimental design in which the analytic intervention and comparison groups satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Student achievement test (z-score) |
TNTP Teaching Fellows vs. Business as usual |
9 Months |
Students of second year teachers;
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-0.61 |
-0.63 |
No |
-- | |
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Student achievement test (z-score) |
TNTP Teaching Fellows vs. Business as usual |
9 Months |
Students of first-year teachers;
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-0.37 |
-0.33 |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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18% English language learners -
Female: 50%
Male: 50% -
Urban
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District of Columbia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
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Race White 13%
Study Details
Setting
The TNTP Teaching Fellows program involves a partnership with seven school districts that have large percentages of high-needs students, i.e., Baltimore City Public Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Chicago Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools, Fort Worth Independent School District, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and New Orleans public and charter schools. The study sample included 3,251 fellows who enrolled in the program across these 7 districts (p. A-5). Matched comparison teachers derived from these districts as well.
Study sample
In both the first-year and second-year teachers sample, about half the students in their classrooms were female. Among the students in the first-year teachers sample,18% were English Language learners, 87% were of minority race/ethnicity, 74% were eligible for free- and reduced price lunch, and 11% had Individualized Education Plans. Among the students in the second-year teachers sample,21% were English Language learners, 86% were of minority race/ethnicity, 72% were eligible for free- and reduced price lunch, and 17% had Individualized Education Plans. In the first-year teacher sample, the average age of the teachers was about 23 years old; in the second year sample, the average age was about 27 years old.
Intervention Group
The TNTP Teaching Fellows program has four components: 1) recruitment and selection of fellows, 2) summer preservice training, 3) inservice training, and 4) the Assessment of Classroom Effectiveness (ACE). Preservice training occurs for 5 to 8 weeks in the summer (about 75 hours), after fellows complete four self-guided online modules with curricula on foundational principles of teaching. This study included TNTP cohorts from 2010 to 2013, and beginning with the 2012 cohort, the training included "Fast Start" curricula. The Fast Start training focused upon delivering lessons clearly, maintaining high academic expectations, maintaining high behavioral expectations, and maximizing instructional time. Fast Start also required 26 hours of intensive, hands-on practice. TNTP Teaching Fellows completed inservice training and licensure during their first year of teaching, which involved biweekly professional development seminars in their grade and content area. The seminar series included 16 sessions, about 3 hours each, and was called Teaching for Results. At the end of the inservice training, TNTP Teaching Fellows were assessed through teachers' completion of inservice training, principal's evaluation, classroom observations, student learning outcomes, and completion of state regulatory and licensing requirements.
Comparison Group
Matched comparison teachers were not trained by TNTP or Teach for America, and had the same years of experience as the TNTP intervention group. Matching characteristics were teacher's age, race or ethnicity, and gender. The authors also matched teachers on their classroom characteristics, i.e., average of students' prior-year test scores (z-scores), grade level, subject, percentage of English Language learners (ELLs), percentage of minority students, percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch (FRPL), percentage of students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and percentage of female students. The authors also matched students on the following characteristics: age, ELL status, IEP status, FRPL status, gender, and race/ethnicity. If one matching variable was not provided by the district, that variable could not be used for the purposes of matching. Impact models only used variables that were available from all 7 districts. Students were matched with replacement, and could be matched with up to 2 comparison students with the nearest propensity scores, even if the comparison students were matched with a different intervention student.
Support for implementation
The TNTP Teaching Fellows program received an Investing in Innovation (i3) grant to support the program implementation. The program received support from the seven participating districts in supporting data collection and support for implementation fidelity. Program supports include the 6-8 week preservice training in the summer and subsequent inservice training in the teachers' first year of teaching.
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