Teach For America: A Return to the Evidence

Policy Brief - Jan 07, 2014

Author(s) - Julian Vasquez Heilig, University of Texas – Austin Su Jin Gatlin Jez, Sacramento State University

In a report released today, Julian Vasquez Heilig and Su Jin Gatlin Jez update the research on Teach For America (TFA). The organization has received hundreds of millions of dollars and generated considerable public attention for sending college graduates, who do not typically have an education background, to teach in low-income rural and urban schools for a two-year commitment. Despite glowing accolades, the impact of this alternative teacher-training program is hotly debated. In a follow up to a previously released brief, two noted education professors address public concerns about TFA and offer a template for the general public to conduct citizen research on TFA locally.