Glossary
Teach For America’s Semi-Annual Reports to the MDE
Within this report, we share recommendations with the MDE surrounding designing a strong program, including the importance of understanding why people stay in or leave their schools, ensure a program is designed to meet the needs of those they seek to serve, and the importance of intentionally targeting those with the highest potential for impact. We also share criteria for how to choose partners effectively.
Within this report, we share key findings from our first year executing a statewide program, including: 1) programs must intentionally recruit and select high impact and high potential educators; 2) programs must be designed around essential core components, and 3) the finding that fellows are using TeachMichigan stipends to better meet their basic needs.
A research brief on low income schools/districts’ access to highly effective teachers (and how important those teachers are!)
Fall 2024 Learnings
This report focuses on the learning experiences of TeachMichigan’s 2023 fellows in the Early Career Educators and National Board Certification cohorts. The report explores fellows’ perceptions of their learning experiences and the factors that shaped what they learned and how they applied that learning in their schools and classrooms.
This report examines the implementation of TeachMichigan from the perspective of non-fellow educators who work alongside fellows in their schools. These educators provide a unique “insider-outsider” perspective on the program’s recruitment, implementation and potential impact.
This report examines teacher compensation in Michigan and how TeachMichigan could provide insight into addressing Michigan’s educator workforce challenges.
Spring 2024 Learnings
This brief summarizes the theory of change that guided TeachMichigan through the 2023-2024 academic year, the research activities to date related to EPIC’s evaluation of TeachMichigan, a summary of data collection, and an overview of the findings from each of the most recent reports.
A review of how teachers are compensated across the districts that have partnered with TeachMichigan, an analysis of how fellows view their compensation, and an evaluation of how the stipends provided by TeachMichigan impact fellows’ lives.
A recounting of the process – from the inception of TeachMichigan through the invitation for 175 educators to become TeachMichigan fellows in fall 2023. A closely detailed account of the processes for recruiting fellows, the application and evaluation processes for selecting fellowship candidates, and the reflections of TeachMichigan staff on that first year of recruitment.
Profiles of each TeachMichigan district partner, including community characteristics, teacher characteristics, student characteristics, and district finance information.
This report answers the questions: 1. What are fellows’ perceptions of the professional development (PD) and coaching they receive from TeachMichigan? 2. How do these perceptions differ across the Early Career, National Board Certification, and Aspiring Leader fellowship cohorts?
This is an examination of fellow perceptions of the educational environment in their schools and how these perspectives differ between educators with different levels of experience and authority. EPIC looks specifically at three elements of the educational environment in schools where TeachMichigan fellows work: working conditions, school culture, and school and district leadership.
This report provides an overview of recent trends in teacher compensation and the current state of teacher compensation in Michigan.
Fall 2023 Learnings
In this literature synthesis, EPIC considers how teacher impact is defined in the research literature and evidence surrounding links between teacher inputs and meaningful educational outcomes. The review explores the background and history on how teacher quality and teacher effectiveness have been gauged followed by how teacher qualifications and practices connect to meaningful student and organizational outcomes. The following questions guide the review: 1. What outcomes are central for today’s students and schools? 2. What teacher qualifications and teaching practices are linked to these outcomes? 3. How might one observe these qualifications and practices in fellowship applicants?
This review is guided by the following questions: 1. How large is the teacher shortage in the United States and in Michigan? 2. How does teacher recruitment and retention vary across school and district contexts, and across teacher characteristics? 3. What factors shape teachers’ decisions to enter and leave schools? Throughout the review, the EPIC team presents key takeaways for practitioners and policymakers.
In the fall 2023 EPIC survey of TeachMichigan fellows, researchers asked fellow questions associated with fellows’ career intentions before joining TeachMichigan, reasons why fellows applied to TeachMichigan, fellows’ perceptions of their school and district, professional learning opportunities, and roles within their schools. The survey had a 95% response rate. The subsequent report examines why fellows applied to TeachMichigan and fellows career plans prior to joining TeachMichigan. The report indicates trends in all fellows and by individual cohort.
Research Briefs (EPIC)
A research brief on low income schools/districts’ access to highly effective teachers (and how important those teachers are!)
A research brief on how to effect organizational change and what critical mass may be needed to do so.
A research brief sharing the variation in high-speed internet access for students.
A research brief comparing facility costs in high- and low-income districts.
A research brief comparing school transportation costs across districts.
Research on components of teacher working conditions in schools and how these differ between high- and low-income districts.