CRESST continues its comprehensive study assessing the efficacy of Teach For Armenia’s signature Teacher Leadership Program in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MoESCS). The study examines the key research question, “What impact does Teach For Armenia’s approach to teaching have on students, teachers, the school, and the community at large?” More specifically, the CRESST team is investigating the influence of Teach For Armenia’s Teacher-Leaders on student outcomes; the effect of Teach For Armenia’s teaching practices and engagement; and the impact of Teach For Armenia’s Change-Based Learning approach on student leadership development.

In the initial phase of the study, baseline data was collected from a total of 78 schools, with 39 schools meticulously chosen in partnership with MoESCS to serve as a control group. The careful selection ensured an equal number of schools in both the control and intervention groups, a crucial element in the study’s design to evaluate the added value of Teach For Armenia’s program. In October 2023, a team of data collectors gathered the baseline data from both the control and intervention groups. CRESST guided the local data collectors to ensure careful attention was given to the precision and accuracy of the gathered information. The data have been transferred to CRESST researchers for analysis.

The second phase of the study is a second round of data collection at the control and intervention schools, which includes extensive interviews with various stakeholders. The interviews will provide qualitative data regarding Teach For Armenia’s impact on the communities it operates in. Mirroring the data collection methods of the baselining process, the culminating results will compare progress made by both the control and intervention groups over the course of the school year.

Heartfelt appreciation is extended to Dr. Eric Esrailian and UCLA’s School of Education and Information Studies (SEIS) for their generous financial backing of this pivotal study. Their invaluable contribution stands as a beacon of support, enabling CRESST and Teach For Armenia to catalyze meaningful change in the realm of education, fostering transformative prospects for students and educators not only within Armenia, but also reaching beyond its borders.

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