Teach for America Research Brief

Abstract

Nationally, efforts to expand the pool of candidates to fill teaching vacancies in the nation’s most resource poor school systems have increased. Particularly in urban and rural environments where there are disproportionate numbers of low-income and minority students, states are addressing staffing deficits by adopting policies and programs that allow for provisional or alternative credentials (that may later be converted to permanent licensure following a probationary period). Teach for America (TFA) is one such program. While the cost-savings and time to licensure are certainly benefits to TFA , research has also revealed some potentially serious downsides. The purpose of this brief is to outline the pros and cons of TFA as evidenced by independent research.