What are principals’ perceptions of Teach For America corps members and alumni?

Challenge

For 25+ years, Teach For America (TFA) has hired external researchers to conduct its biennial National Principal Survey, which addresses principals’ perceptions of TFA corps members and alumni.

Westat has conducted the survey for TFA since 2019, with the last survey conducted in 2021. In 2023, Westat administered the survey to 1,100+ principals from 300+ school districts and charter management organizations.

Solution

For this year’s survey, Westat developed several new items that addressed principals’ perceptions of corps members’ levels of proficiency along several specific dimensions of teaching. These included developing learning environments; engaging all students in rigorous learning; supporting social-emotional learning; building strong relationships with students, families, and colleagues; utilizing data; and achieving ambitious outcomes with their students.

As in prior years, Westat developed a web-based version of the survey instrument using our SurveyBuilder platform.

Westat administered the survey from April to June 2023 and achieved a 74% response rate.

Results

The results provide continued evidence that principals have positive views of corps members and alumni and the contributions they make both in the classroom and to the school. Nearly all principals agreed that corps members and alumni have a positive impact on students’ academic and personal growth, and a large majority of principals agreed that they contribute to a positive, collaborative culture in the school and demonstrate leadership in the school.

The results from the new survey items show that principals consider corps members to be more proficient than other novice teachers in each of the areas addressed.

The survey results are used by TFA’s national and regional leadership to plan its activities and programming, and to reflect on its approaches with regard to recruiting, training, and supporting corps members and alumni.

Learn more:

Brief: Teach For America: National Survey Provides Continued Evidence That Principals Have Positive Views of Corps Members and Alumni (PDF)

Full report: Findings from the 2023 Teach For America National Principal Survey (PDF)

For information on past reports completed by Westat:

Brief: Teach For America: Principals Report Increasingly Positive Views of Corps Members and Alumni in National Survey (PDF)
Full report: Findings from the 2021 Teach For America National Principal Survey (PDF)

Brief: Teach for America: Corps Members and Alumni Viewed Positively by Principals in National Survey (4MB PDF Format)
Full report: Findings from the 2019 Teach For America National Principal Survey (852KB PDF Format)