Elevating Student Outcomes: NIET Studies Featured in AASA Journal and at National Conferences this Spring

This spring, the impact of NIET's work with partners was spotlighted in AASA's Journal of Scholarship and Practice and featured at national conferences where the sustained impact on teacher and leader effectiveness, and student achievement was presented. This new research builds on the powerful findings of a study released by the National Bureau of Economic Research in 2023 illustrating the multiyear impact of NIET’s TAP System across the state of South Carolina.

The study in the Spring 2024 issue of the AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice titled “Staying Power: English Language Arts Achievement after Installation of an Educator Effectiveness System,” highlights the effectiveness of the TAP System beyond its initial implementation phase, showing significant and sustained improvements in student achievement.

The study followed 13 Indiana schools using the TAP System for seven years total - four years through a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant and three additional years as the schools continued implementation after the grant concluded. The authors compared ELA performances in these TAP System schools to those of comparison schools that were carefully selected to be similar in terms of student demographics and performance. Results showed that in each of the three years following the initial grant implementation, the TAP System schools consistently outperformed the comparison schools. 

“The TAP System offers sustainable benefits for schools, with evidence showing significant and lasting improvements in student achievement even after grant funding ends,” the authors concluded, “making it a valuable investment for policymakers and educators alike.” 

Improvements in Educator Retention and Effectiveness Presented to AERA Global Gathering

In April, NIET presented three studies at the world’s largest gathering of education researchers, the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The studies, selected for their rigor and impact, show the effect of NIET’s work on teacher retention, teacher effectiveness, and student achievement.

Investing in Stability: Enhancing Equity Through Teacher Retention in High-Need Districts examined teacher retention in six high-need districts across Arkansas and Louisiana that implemented strategies to develop and retain effective teachers by enhancing the working environment. These strategies included offering opportunities to serve in formal teacher-leader roles; supporting teachers to improve instructional skills through observations, feedback, and collaborative professional learning; and aligning compensation with teachers’ roles, responsibilities, and performance. The findings contribute to the growing evidence highlighting the importance of supportive working environments in high-need districts for retaining effective teachers.

Building Excellence: Developing Effective Teachers and Advancing Student Achievement in Indiana examined the impact of NIET’s TAP System implementation on teachers’ instructional skills and student performance in high-need schools. Findings revealed improved instructional skills for teachers and increased student achievement. Learn more about the findings here.

NIET also shared a study that shows promising impacts on school culture and environment. Building Character: Accelerating Character Education and Development examined the impact of an NIET initiative in over 80 schools across nine states. The study found that the partnership increased school personnel’s knowledge of character education and facilitated the development of school-specific character education plans – further supporting a strong school environment.  Learn more about the study here.

Strong Results in Three States Presented at AEFP National Conference

In March, NIET presented at the Association for Education Finance & Policy to share findings on successful projects in Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas that support schools in building teacher capacity and efficacy through professional development, networking, and school-wide support systems.

Raising Rural: Building Educator Capacity to Improve Student Outcomes examined the impact of the Arkansas Rural Educator Network (AREN), a partnership between NIET, rural districts across the state, and the Walton Family Foundation to improve teaching and learning through professional development and networking opportunities. The study showed that 96% of districts saw improvement in teacher instructional skills, and 90% of districts outperformed their matched comparison districts in at least one state assessment subject. Learn more about the Arkansas Rural Educator Network here. 

Enhancing School Leaders’ Self-Efficacy for Instructional Leadership in South Carolina examined the impact of NIET’s work with school leaders in the South Carolina Principal Leadership Network (SCPLN). SCPLN was a two-year cohort-based program to build and accelerate the leadership capacity of school leaders in five high-poverty districts. Learn more about the South Carolina Principal Leadership Network here. 

Building Success: Two-Year Findings After Adoption of an Educator Effectiveness Model examined the impact of NIET’s partnership with three districts in Texas to develop and sustain a support system across schools that targets instructional improvement and leads to student achievement. The partnership's results showed improvements in student performance on state assessments. Learn more about Texas IMPACT here. 

These studies provide practitioners and researchers with evidence-based information about strategies that are leading to positive outcomes for educators and students.