Abstract
Teach For America is a non-profit organisation that aims to eliminate disparities in educational outcome and to address teacher shortages by sending graduates from elite colleges, most of whom do not have a background in education, to teach in low-income rural and urban schools. Teach for America is a highly selective teacher certification programme, and describes itself as a national corps of top recent college graduates (85 per cent with bachelor degrees) of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. In the 2010/11 school year, 8,200 Teach for America corps members taught 500,000 students in 2,500 schools in 100 of the lowest performing public school districts nationwide. Corps members receive seven weeks of training before they begin teaching, one week of study and observation, five weeks of summer institute, and another week of orientation to the schools and communities in which they will be teaching. In addition to their salary, Teach For America teachers receive an AmeriCorps grant from the US federal government, which helps with student loans and funding for future education expenses. Since 1990 Teach for America has included 28,000 corps members; it is now the largest provider of teachers for low-income communities and has affected the lives of more than three million students. Because Teach For America engages future leaders in education in low-income communities, the organisation works on expanding the force of leaders who work from inside and outside the education system to improve academic outcomes for children in those communities.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Americorps (2011): History, Legislation, and Budget. [Online] Available at: http://www.americorps.gov/about/ac/history.asp, last retrieved 4 August 2011.
Antonucci, M. (2012): No evidence Teach For America busts unions. [Online] Available at: http://www.eiaonline.com/intercepts/2012/07/01/nea-no-evidence-teach-for-america-busts-unions, last retrieved 1 November 2012.
Appleman, D. (2009): Counterpoint: Why I oppose Teach For America. StarTribune, 29 June 2009. [Online] Available At: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/49234672. html, last retrieved 4 August 2011.
Boyd, D., Grossman, P., Lankford, H., Loeb, S. and Wyckoff, J. (2006): How changes in entry requirements alter the teacher workforce and affect student achievement. In: Education Finance and Policy 1(2), 176–216.
Boyd, D., Grossman, P., Hammerness, K., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., Ronfeldt, M. and Wyckoff, J. (2009): Recruiting Effective Math Teachers. How Do Math Immersion Teachers Compare? Evidence from New York City. University at Albany, Stanford University, University of Virginia.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009): Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010–11 Ed. Teachers — Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary. [Online] Available at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos318.htm, last retrieved 1 August 2011.
Darling-Hammond, L., Holtzman, D. J., Gatlin, S. J. and Heilig, J. V. (2005): Does teacher preparation matter? Evidence about teacher certification, Teach For America, and teacher effectiveness. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 13(42).
Decker, P.T., Mayer, D.P. and Glazerman, S. (2004): The Effects of Teach For America on Students. Princeton, New Jersey: Mathematica Policy Research.
Dees,. G. (1998): The meaning of “social entrepreneurship”. Comments and suggestions contributed from the Social Entrepreneurship Funders Working Group.
Dilion, S. (2008): The New Team: Linda Darling-Hammond. THE NEW YORK TIMES, 12 February 2008.
Dobbie, W. (2011): Teacher Characteristics and Student Achievement. Evidence from Teach For America. [Online] Available at: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek /teacher-beat/teachercharacteristicsjuly2011.pdf, last retrieved 1 November 2012.
Donaldson, M.L. and Johnson, S.M. (2010): The price of misassignment: The role of teaching assignments in Teach For America teacher’s exit from low-income schools and the teaching profession. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 32(2), 299–323.
Eaton, K. (2010): Teach For America Dropouts. Campus Progress. [Online] Available at: http://campusprogress.org/articles/teach_for_america_dropouts, last retrieved 3 August 2011.
Farr, S. (2010): Teaching as Leadership. The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Glass, G. (2008): Alternative Certification of Teachers. Boulder & Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center, University of Colorado; Education Policy Research Unit, Arizona State University.
Hanushek, E.A., Kain, J.F. and Rivkin, S. (2004): Why public schools lose teachers. Journal of Human Resources, 39(2) Spring 2004, pp. 326–354.
Heilig, J.V. and Jez, S.J. (2010): Teach For America: A Review of Evidence. The Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice, California State University, Sacramento.
Henry, G. and Thompson, C. (2010): Impacts of Teacher Preparation on Student Test Scores in North Carolina: Teacher Portals. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Institute for Public Policy.
Higgins, M., Hess, R., Wiener, J. and Robison, W. (2011): Teach For America Alumni Project. Education Next. Summer 2011.
Huffington Post (2011): Walton Family Foundation gifts Teach For America $49.5 Million, 27 July 2011.
Hussar, W.J. and Bailey, T.M. (2009): Projections of Education Statistics to 2018 (NCES 2009-062). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Ingersoll, R. M. (2001): Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American educational research journal, 38(3), pp. 499–534.
Ingersoll, R. M. (2002): The teacher shortage: A case of wrong diagnosis and wrong prescription. NASSP bulletin, 86(631), pp. 16–31.
Kane, T.J., Rockoff, J.E. and Staiger, D.O. (2006): What Does Certification Tell Us About Teacher Effectiveness? Evidence from New York City. National Bureau of Economic Research, 12155.
Kirby, S.N., Berends, M. and Naftel, S. (1999): Supply and demand of minority teachers in Texas: Problems and prospects. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 21(1), pp. 47–66.
Kopp, W. (2003): The Unlikely Triumph of Teach For America and What I Learned Along The Way. New York: Public Affairs.
Kopp, W. (2011): A Chance to Make History: What Works and What Doesn’t in Providing an Excellent Education for All. New York: Public Affairs.
Labaree, D. (2010): Teach For America and Teacher Ed: Heads They Win, Tails We Lose. Journal of Teacher Education 61(1-2), 48–55.
Laczko-Kerr, I. and Berliner, D. C. (2002): The effectiveness of “Teach For America” and other under-certified teachers on student academic achievement: A case of harmful public policy. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10(37).
Luekens, M. T., Lyter, D. M. and Fox, E. E. (2004): Teacher attrition and mobility: Results from the teacher followup survey, 2000–01 (NCES 2004-301). US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
McAdam, D. and Brandt, C. (2009): Assessing the Long-term Effects of Youth Service: The Puzzling Case of Teach of America. Social Forces 88(2), December 2009, 945–970.
Miner, B. (2010): Looking Past the Spin: Teach For America. Rethinking Schools Online, 24(3). [Online] Available at: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_03/24_03_TEACH FOR AMERICA.shtml, last retrieved 31 July 2011.
Noell, G.H. and Gansle, K.A. (2009): Teach For America Teacher’s Contributions to Student Achievement in Louisiana in Grades 4–9: 2004–05 to 2006–07. Division of Planning, Analysis, and Information Resources of the Louisiana Department of Education. Technical Report.
Policy Studies Associates, Inc. (2009): Teach For America National Principal Survey.
Reich, R. (2010): Teach For America and Civic Engagement. [Online] Available at: http://www.stanford.edu/group/reichresearch/cgi-bin/site/2010/01/03/ teach-for-america-and-civic-engagement, last retrieved 19 July 2011.
Riley, N.S. (2010): What They’re Doing After Harvard. Teach For America now attracts 12 per cent of all Ivy League seniors. The programme’s founder explains why it beats working on Wall Street. Wall Street Journal. [Online] Available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704198004575311052522926796.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop, last retrieved 7 May 7 2012.
Sawchuk, S. (2009): Growth Model. Education Week, 29(3), 1–4.
Schoeneberger, J.A., Dever, K.A. and Tingle, L. (2009): Evaluation of Teach For America in Charlotte-Mecklenbourg Schools. Charlotte-Mecklenbourg Schools: Center for Research & Evaluation.
Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner (2011): Social Entrepreneurship Changing Education. [Online] Available at: http://ecorner.stanford.edu, last retrieved 5 August 2011.
State Board of Education (2010): Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Programmes. Tennessee State Board of Education, Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Strasbourg, N. (2011): The average cost of a Masters Degree in Education. eHow, 23 April 2011.
Teach For America website. [Online] Available at: http://www.teachforamerica.org/, last retrieved 17 May 2013.
Teach For America (2005): 2005 Annual Report. We’re changing things.
Teach For America (2006): 2006 Annual Report. Priorities.
Teach For America (2007): 2007 Annual Report.
Teach For America (2008a): 2008 Annual Report. Priorities and Results.
Teach For America (2008b): Alumni Social Impact Report 2008.
Teach For America (2009a): 2009 Annual Report. Priorities and Results.
Teach For America (2009b): Alumni Social Impact Report — 2009.
Teach For America (2009c): National Principal Survey. Policy Studies Associates (July 2009). [Online] Available at: http://www.teachforamerica.org/assets/documents/2009_Principal_Survey_National_Results_Highlights_08_09.pdf, last retrieved 2 August 2011.
Teach For America (2010a): 2010 Annual Report. Priorities and Results.
Teach For America (2010b): The Role of Teach For America Alumni in Fueling the Movement to Eliminate Educational Inequity. Alumni Impact Report 2010.
Teach For America (2010c): Gains Handbook: Measuring Student Achievement and CM Effectiveness.
Toppo, G. (2005): Study stirs teaching controversy. USA TODAY, 19 April 2005.
US Department of Education (1997): Assessment of Student Performance. Studies of Education Reform. [Online] Available at: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/SER/ASP/index.html, last retrieved 1 August 2011.
US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009): Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010–11 Ed., Teachers — Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary. [Online] Available at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos318.htm, last retrieved 17 May 2013.
Ware, A., LaTurner, R.J., Parsons, J., Okulicz-Kozaryn, A., Garland, M. and Klopfenstein, K. (2011): Teacher Preparation Programmes and Teach For America Research Study. The University of Texas at Dallas. Education Research Center. January 2011.
What Works Clearinghouse (2008): WWC Quick Review of the Report “Making a Difference? The Effects of Teach For America in High School”. Washington, DC: What Works Clearinghouse, US Dept. of Education. [Online] Available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PDF/QuickReviews/Teach For America_071508.pdf, last retrieved 30 July 2011.
Xu, Z., Hannaway, J. and Taylor, C. (2008–09): Making a Difference? The Effects of Teach For America in High School. The Urban Institute/CALDER.
Zill, N. (2008): Achievement Levels and Growth in D.C. Westat, Inc.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2014 Andreas Schröer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Schröer, A. (2014). Teach For America: How a Teacher Corps Changes Schools and Community. In: Thümler, E., Bögelein, N., Beller, A., Anheier, H.K. (eds) Philanthropy and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137326256_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137326256_8
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-45967-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-32625-6
eBook Packages: Palgrave Education CollectionEducation (R0)