Research Library
Teach For America’s Semi-Annual Reports to the MDE
Within this report, we share key findings from our continued execution and evaluation, including: 1) strategic investments in educator compensation increase satisfaction and strengthen retention in high-poverty schools, 2) high-quality, contextually relevant professional learning builds educator skill, leadership, and instructional impact, 3) school and district conditions significantly shape the extent to which educator learning translates into practice, and 4) intentional clustering of high-impact educators within schools strengthens collaboration, trust, and the spread of effective practices across school communities. This report also reflects an updated TeachMichigan Theory of Change, incorporating emerging evidence on selection, clustering, and aligned supports to strengthen system-level impact.
Within this report, we share key findings from our second year executing a statewide program, including: 1) TeachMichigan increases fellows’ satisfaction, 2) TeachMichigan develops fellows’ skills and leadership, 3) TeachMichigan reduces turnover risk, and 4) by recruiting and selecting many fellows in one school building, there is strengthened trust, collaboration, and shared learnings. To scale impact, we recommend sustained, multi-year investments in proven educators in high-poverty schools, with targeted supports and clustered investments to drive broader school-level change.
Within this report, we share key findings 18 months into executing our statewide program, including: 1) findings about the effect of improved compensation on retention in hard to staff schools, 2) what it takes to bring game changing professional development to educators, and 3) the importance of district and school level support to make real change with talent initiatives.
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.
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.
A research brief on low income schools/districts’ access to highly effective teachers (and how important those teachers are!)
TeachMichigan: District Partner Community Profiles
These profiles provide snapshots of the communities and school systems participating in TeachMichigan. They bring together information on students, educators, community demographics, student outcomes, teacher compensation, and school finance to provide context for understanding TeachMichigan’s implementation across diverse Michigan communities.
EPIC: Annual Summaries of Learning
This brief provides an overview of findings from the third year of EPIC’s evaluation of TeachMichigan. It summarizes TeachMichigan’s 2025–26 Theory of Change, the research and data collection conducted during the year, and key findings across recent studies examining educator retention, professional growth, teacher compensation, and the experiences of fellows, schools, and districts.
This brief provides an overview of findings from the second year of EPIC’s evaluation of TeachMichigan. It summarizes TeachMichigan’s Theory of Change, research activities conducted during the 2024–25 school year, and key findings across studies examining fellow outcomes, clustering, teacher compensation, and public opinion.
This brief summarizes the Theory of Change that guided TeachMichigan through the 2023–24 academic year, the research activities conducted during the first year of implementation, and findings across EPIC’s initial evaluation reports.
Spring 2026 Learnings
This report examines the state of teacher compensation in Michigan and its implications for recruiting and retaining a strong educator workforce. The report explores how teacher pay has changed over time, how Michigan compares with other states and professions, and public opinion about increasing teacher salaries and the policy approaches available to fund those increases.
This report focuses on the experiences of TeachMichigan fellows completing their third year of the fellowship and district leaders from participating communities. The report explores participants’ perceptions of TeachMichigan’s value and impact, including its influence on educator retention, professional growth, school culture and working conditions, and progress toward the outcomes outlined in TeachMichigan’s Theory of Change.
This research brief examines the consequences of teacher turnover for students, schools, and districts. It synthesizes research on the academic, organizational, and financial costs of turnover, the factors that contribute to educators leaving the profession, and strategies—including competitive compensation, professional support, and strong school leadership—that can help improve teacher retention.
Fall 2025 Learnings
This brief provides a high-level overview of the latest findings from EPIC’s ongoing evaluation of TeachMichigan. It summarizes the updated 2025–26 Theory of Change and recent research examining TeachMichigan’s recruitment and selection process and how the concentration of fellows within schools may contribute to broader school-level change.
This report builds on earlier research on clustering to examine when the concentration of TeachMichigan fellows within a school may begin to create conditions for broader school improvement. It compares different definitions of clustering and explores how fellow concentration relates to leadership opportunities, school culture, innovation, and teacher wellness.
This report examines how TeachMichigan recruits partner districts and educators and identifies high-impact educators for its fellowship programs. It documents the program’s multi-stage selection process, how that process has evolved over three years, and considerations for maintaining rigor, consistency, and equity as TeachMichigan grows.
Spring 2025 Learnings
This report examines how the number and mix of TeachMichigan fellows within a school shape fellows’ experiences and TeachMichigan’s potential to drive broader organizational change. The study explores how fellow concentration, cohort composition, leadership, and school context influence collaboration, professional learning, and the spread of practices throughout a school.
This report examines TeachMichigan’s progress toward its intended outcomes using four waves of fellow survey data collected over the first two years of implementation. It explores changes in educator retention, professional networks, leadership, compensation satisfaction, and fellows’ perceptions of their school environments.
This report examines how states across the country use policy to shape teacher compensation and considers lessons for Michigan. It compares approaches including minimum salaries, salary schedules, performance-based compensation, and incentives for hard-to-staff schools and subjects while highlighting policy models that may inform future action in Michigan.
This report provides an updated look at teacher compensation in Michigan, including how salaries compare with other states and other college-educated professions. It also examines statewide public opinion about teacher pay, including how much teachers should earn and how salary increases could be structured and funded.
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.
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?
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 public perception 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.
A research brief on components of teacher working conditions in schools and how these differ between high- and low-income districts.