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A recent\u00a0analysis has found that Teach For Australia (TFA) partner schools are outperforming comparable schools in Year 9 National Assessment Program \u2013 Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) growth.<\/p>\n
The analysis, commissioned by Teach For Australia and conducted by education policy expert Dr Peter Goss,\u00a0found that\u00a0gains were recorded in both reading and numeracy, suggesting that\u00a0dedicated, well-supported teachers can genuinely shift student outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr Goss drew on longitudinal NAPLAN data across 131 TFA partner schools and 522 schools of comparable demographic profiles, tracking results over six years.\u00a0In schools where TFA involvement was deepest, students gained up to 3.7 months of learning beyond what their demographics and national trends alone would forecast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where sustained engagement makes the difference\u00a0<\/p>\n
The strongest gains appeared in schools with sustained TFA involvement \u2014 schools where teachers participated in the program and where TFA alumni remained teaching. The findings add to growing evidence that quality classroom teachers are hungry for professional development opportunities.<\/a> Schools which invest in providing them see stronger outcomes in high-need communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n TFA chief executive officer, Edwina Dohle, said the findings validate the organisation\u2019s core approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time, we now have evidence at scale showing that schools partnering with TFA are seeing measurable improvements in student learning, and that these gains are stronger where schools have deeper, sustained engagement with Teach For Australia,\u201d she\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n What does investing in teacher quality mean for student outcomes?\u00a0<\/p>\n Professor Ken Purnell of CQUniversity has argued that Australia needs bold, sustained action that puts genuine trust in teachers and delivers targeted support where it is needed most.<\/p>\n The new TFA data supports that\u00a0case.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Goss said the scale and consistency of results across such a diverse set of partner schools was what stood out.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSchools with TFA teachers improved more than average in both reading and numeracy, with greater gains among schools with more TFA teachers,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Research on professional learning models that improve teacher quality and student outcomes<\/a> consistently points to the same conclusion: recruiting talented educators is not enough \u2014 schools must invest in keeping them. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Dohle said the results strengthen Teach For Australia\u2019s confidence in the role it can play in closing Australia\u2019s education equity gap.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt a time when Australia is struggling to shift student outcomes and close persistent learning gaps, this research shows what is possible when we invest in great teachers and support them to build their careers in the schools and communities where they can have the greatest impact.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n