Each day we see the realities of educational inequity juxtaposed against the concrete evidencethat when students in low-income communitiesare given opportunities they deserve, they excel.

Study on student outcomes

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., 2004

Mathematica Policy Research released an independent study in 2004 that compared the academic gains of students taught by Teach For America corps members with the gains of similar students taught by other teachers, both new and veteran, in the same schools and grades. The study, which used a random assignment design, is widely regarded as the most methodologically rigorous research to date on Teach For America's impact.

The study found that Teach For America corps members

  • Make more progress in both reading and math than would typically be expected in a year.
  • Attain greater gains in math than the other teachers in the study, even when compared only to certified teachers and veteran teachers.
  • Are working in the highest-need classrooms in the country, where students begin the year on average at the 14th percentile against the national norm.

"Even though Teach For America teachers generally lack any formal teacher training beyond that provided by Teach For America, they produce higher test scores than the other teachers in their schools—not just other novice teachers or uncertified teachers, but also veterans and certified teachers."

-- Mathematica Policy Research