MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A report says most new teachers in Tennessee trained by Teach for America are producing higher test scores and getting better results than those trained through traditional means.
The exception was math teachers that graduate from Vanderbilt University, The Commercial Appeal reported.
A state report card on teacher training released last week says the University of Memphis, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, UT-Martin and several smaller colleges score in the bottom 20 percent for the quality of reading teachers they produce.
That’s according to the test scores of the teachers’ students, not their own academic performance.
Teach for America, which recruits high-performing college graduates to the classroom, had the highest student scores among new teachers in reading, science and social studies.
“What I found really exciting is these results reflect the national studies,” said Brad Leon, Teach for America vice president in Tennessee and Texas. “Our corps members are making an impact where they are needed the most.”
The report card is prepared each year by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and includes student test score data for public school teachers on the job up to three years.
