Overview: The 3 R's
TEP is designed and structured around the belief that teachers are the key personnel in achieving educational success for its students. In singling out teacher quality as the essential lever in educational reform—as opposed to other reforms such as class size reduction or pre-packaged curricular models—TEP builds on an extensive body of research that shows that “teacher quality is the most important educational input predicting student achievement.” [i] The effects of highly-effective teachers are profound for students at all ability levels, but they are particularly striking for low-achieving students. Studies demonstrate that, when learning from the most effective teachers, high achieving students improve by 25 percentile points (as compared to a 2 point gain with the least effective teachers), while low achieving students improve by more than 50 percentile points (as compared to a 14 point gain with the least effective teachers). [ii]
This research is the foundation of TEP’s approach to maximizing the achievement of its prospective students, the vast majority of whom come from low-income families and would be classified as low-achieving. In order to achieve educational equity for these students, TEP’s strategy centers on investing in teacher equity in order to attract, retain, and develop master teachers.
How is this strategy put into practice? Beyond identifying the central importance of teacher quality in student achievement, educational research has demonstrated that certain characteristics define highly effective teachers and that certain structures are essential for schools to attract and retain these individuals. TEP’s strategy is grounded in this research and takes the form of the 3 R’s: Rigorous Qualifications, Redefined Expectations, and Revolutionary Compensation.
[i] Dan Goldhaber and Emily Anthony, “Teacher Quality and Student Achievement,” ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Urban Diversity Series No. 115, May 2003: 1.
[ii] William L. Sanders and June C. Rivers, “Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers on Future Student Academic Achievement,” Research Progress Report, University of Tennessee, Value Added Research and Assessment Center.