Knowledge From the Field

High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality: Focus on High-Need Secondary Students

Published: February 2011

Publisher(s): Center for High Impact Philanthropy at University of Pennsylvania

Author(s): Barrett, Katherine; Zehua Li Hahn; Katherine Hovde; Katherina Rosqueta

Funder(s): Ford Foundation

View Report (104 pages; 1.14MB; HTML)

High Impact Philanthropy to Improve Teaching Quality: Focus on High-Need Secondary Students

Area of focus: Elementary and Secondary Education; School Reform

Abstract

The report discusses strategies for donors interested in improving teachers' skills and creating an environment for great teaching, including better leadership and whole-school reform, apprenticeships, and in-school mentoring.

Key Findings and/or Recommendations

=Studies show that teachers are the primary factor affecting student achievement, impacting student performance more than class size, school culture, or parental involvement, particularly in low-income districts.

=Donors should identify and fund nonprofit organizations using models focused on three high impact areas: improving pre-service teacher preparation, providing support to new teachers, and investing in teachers’ ongoing development.

=Environments for quality teacher and student performance are most successfully created through improving training and support for principals and encouraging effective models for overall school reform.

=Donors looking to support reform initiatives should understand the underlying federal, state, and district policy context when making judgments regarding the impact of philanthropic investments.

Geographic Focus: National

Subjects/Keywords: Elementary and Secondary Education; Elementary and Secondary Education, School Reform

+ Successful strategy
= Observation
– Challenge