NAATE Program Efficacy
Having recruited six cohorts of high performing teachers from 2011-2014 and having graduated three cohorts by summer 2014, NAATE has made the following observations.
- The NAATE Program has measurable impact on teacher retention, classroom practice and expanded capacity of participants to support and lead their peers, and is a cost effective intervention for schools. (NAATE Research Update 2015)
- 90% of NAATE graduates remain in classroom teaching, while only 75% of their peer group, based on national statistics, remain.
- Major gains in classroom practices such as questioning strategies (self rating "very strong" from 49% to 89%), differentiated instruction (47% to 69%), student feedback (35% to 73%).
- Major gains in support of peers such as coaching (self rating "very active" from 16% to 54%), classroom visits (31% to 46%), peer information exchange (53% to 81%); and leadership of peers and school such as forming and leading teams (28% and 54%), school level problem solving (24% to 62%), and school level decision making (37% to 65%).
- Major gains in principals rating NAATE graduates "excellent" in classroom practices, including addressing the needs of students with special needs in mainstream classrooms (23% to 52%), designing lessons that make students responsible for their own learning and critical thinking (36% to 71%), holding high expectations for all students (61% to 86%).
- Major gains in principals rating NAATE graduates "excellent" in peer support, including foming, leading or supporting teams (43% to 71%), ability to steer other adults towards decisions that help improve the school (20% to 48%), and analytical skills (46% to 67%).
- In pilot payback analysis of investment in NAATE at three schools, schools saved 1.1, 2.6 and .3 times their investments within one year in hard cost savings.