District Package

APPENDIX A
PACKAGE SENT TO DISTRICT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance

Month XX, 2008
Firstname Lastname
Superintendent [or other title]
District
Street Address
City, ST ZZZIP
Dear Dr./Mr./Ms. Lastname:
I am writing to tell you about an important opportunity that concerns your district’s partnership with
[Teach For America (TFA) /and/ the ____ program, which is associated with The New Teacher Project
(TNTP)]. As you know, programs like [TFA / the ____ program] are a valuable source of new teachers to
many districts across the country. They provide an alternate route to certification for people who did not
complete a traditional teacher training program. What’s more, [TFA / the ____ program differ/s] from the
large majority of alternative certification programs in that [it is/they are] highly selective in considering
applicants. [TFA recruits recent graduates of some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges. /The ____
program focuses on highly accomplished individuals who work in other fields, but want to become
teachers.]
Although increasing numbers of new teachers have entered the profession from alternative
certification programs in recent years, relatively little is known about how effective they are in the
classroom, compared with teachers from traditional certification programs. The few high-quality studies
that have been conducted have concerned elementary teachers, focused on non-highly selective programs,
or were conducted in just one district.
I would like to invite your district to participate in a U.S. Department of Education-sponsored study
that will produce much-needed information about highly selective alternative certification programs. The
study will focus on teachers from TFA and TNTP-affiliated programs across the country. In addition, it
will focus on secondary math teachers, because (1) many secondary schools nationwide have difficulty
finding highly qualified math teachers, and (2) America lags behind many other industrialized countries
in secondary math achievement, suggesting a need for evidence on ways to enhance learning at this level.
We have contracted with Mathematica Policy Research, along with their partners Chesapeake Research
Associates and Branch Associates, to conduct the study during the 2009-2010 school year. [TFA /and/
TNTP has/have] endorsed the study, as reflected in the accompanying support letter/s. Additional details
about the project are provided in the enclosed information sheet.
A member of the research team will call you in the next few days to tell you more about the study
and to discuss your district’s potential participation. We may also contact your director of human
resources, to whom we are sending a copy of this letter, because the HR office likely has key information
on eligible teachers in your district. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the study, please
feel free to contact me at 202-219-2129 or at Stefanie.Schmidt@ed.gov.

Sincerely,

Stefanie R. Schmidt, Ph.D.
Federal Project Officer
555 NEW JERSEY AVE., NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20208

Assessing the Effectiveness of Secondary Math Teachers from
Highly Selective Routes to Alternative Certification
The Issue:
How Teachers’
Background and
Training Affects
Student Math
Achievement

In recent years, many districts around the country have come to rely on teachers from
Teach For America (TFA) or the Teaching Fellows programs (and similar programs by
other names) fostered by The New Teacher Project (TNTP) to meet important school
staffing needs. In particular, these programs often help address shortages of secondary
math teachers. Among the many programs nationwide offering people an alternative route
to certification, TFA and TNTP-affiliated programs are known to be particularly selective
in recruiting and admitting applicants. TFA recruits recent graduates of some of the
nation’s most prestigious colleges. TNTP-affiliated programs focus on highly
accomplished people who started careers in other fields, but want to become teachers.
However, we don’t know if teachers from these highly selective programs are as effective
in the classroom as other teachers. One rigorous study showed that TFA elementary
teachers produced greater achievement gains in math than other teachers in the same
grades and schools, but there were no differences in reading. No similar studies have been
conducted at middle or high schools. A rigorous study of the effectiveness of secondary
math teachers from TFA and TNTP-affiliated programs would provide important
information to educators and policy makers alike regarding school staffing and different
routes to teacher certification.

Research
Question and
Objectives

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has selected Mathematica Policy Research and
its partners, Chesapeake Research Associates and Branch Associates, to conduct such a
study.
The primary research question is:
ƒ What are the math achievement gains of secondary students taught by teachers from
TFA and TNTP-affiliated programs, compared with the gains of similar students
taught by other teachers?
The study also will examine:
ƒ the achievement gains associated with different groups of teachers in the study (for
example, TFA teachers, TNTP-affiliated teachers, middle school teachers, high
school teachers)
ƒ the strategies these programs use to recruit and support teachers
ƒ how teachers from these programs differ—on background characteristics,
experiences, and math content knowledge—from their peers (those teaching the same
courses in the same grades and schools) who took other routes to certification

Study
Requirements
and Activities

A secondary school may be eligible for the study if it has at least one TFA or TNTPaffiliated teacher and one teacher from another route to certification who will teach the
same math course during the same class period. Some schools that do not meet this
criterion may also be eligible—in particular, those that divide all students into different
administrative units or groups, such as academies, families, clusters, or schools within a
school. Only matching pairs of classrooms—one taught by a TFA/TNTP-affiliated teacher
and one taught by a non-TFA/non-TNTP affiliated teacher—will be included in the study.
In spring and summer 2009, the study team will work closely with interested schools to
ensure they are eligible and ready to participate when the school year begins in fall 2009.

Study
Requirements
and Activities
(continued)

Student test scores. Math test scores from spring 2009 (and earlier years, if necessary)
will be collected to serve as measures of prior math achievement. For middle school
students, spring 2010 scores from a district- or state-administered math test will be
collected to measure math achievement growth. High school students’ achievement
growth will be measured with a computer-based math test in spring 2010.
Student records. Student administrative records will be collected in summer 2010 to
provide data on student characteristics.
Teacher survey. Participating teachers will be asked to complete a short survey in spring
2010, and will receive financial compensation for doing so.
Teacher math assessment. If ED requests that the study examine participating teachers’
math content knowledge, an appropriate math assessment will be administered in fall
2010, and teachers will be financially compensated for participating.
The study involves no curriculum changes or classroom observations.
Appropriate parental permission will be obtained prior to any student data collection.
Confidentiality of all data will be protected.
All data collection activities will be carefully coordinated with school officials to avoid
conflicts with important school activities.
Participation requires no district or school expenditures and entails very little burden.

The Study Team

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR), a nonpartisan policy research firm, conducts
research and surveys for federal and state governments, foundations, and private sector
clients. The employee-owned company has conducted some of the most important
evaluations of education, nutrition, welfare, employment, and early childhood policies and
programs in the United States. MPR strives to improve public well-being by bringing the
highest standards of quality, objectivity, and excellence to bear on the provision of
information collection and analysis to its clients. MPR has offices in New Jersey,
Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington, DC. See www.mathematica-mpr.com.
Chesapeake Research Associates, LLC (CRA), provides research and evaluation
services to federal and state governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses. Areas
of focus include education and youth policy (early childhood education, compensatory
education for low-income children, school reform, educational technology, special
education, and community and youth development), welfare and public assistance policy
(welfare-to-work, nutrition assistance programs, and program accountability), and
international educational reform and development. CRA’s offices are located in
Annapolis, MD. See www.chesapeake-research.com.
Branch Associates, Inc., is a Philadelphia-based company that provides research,
evaluation and technical assistance to government agencies, foundations, intermediaries,
and nonprofit organizations. Combining the rigor of social science research with the savvy
of experienced program evaluators and technical assistance providers, Branch Associates
conducts work in the areas of education, public health, faith- and community-based
initiatives, youth development, workforce development, juvenile justice, and mentoring,
with an emphasis on understanding programs and outcomes for individuals in low-income
communities. See www.branchassoc.com.

To Find Out
More

Contact Mathematica’s project director, Sheena McConnell, by phone at (202) 484-4518
or by email at smcconnell@mathematica-mpr.com.