Frequently Asked Questions: TNTP Academy and Teach For America Why did Teach For America choose to work with TNTP Academy? Can't I get the same training through a university? Once I earn my teaching certification, will I be able to teach outside of Arizona? Once I earn my teaching certification, will I be able to teach in districts outside of the one I'm teaching in? Who are the Seminar Leaders? What type of support do they provide? What is required of me to start earning my certification? How much does it cost? Q: Why did Teach For America choose to work with TNTP Academy? A: Both Teach For America and TNTP Academy share the common mission of closing the achievement gap and eliminating educational inequity. TNTP Academy-­Arizona is designed explicitly to provide corps members with the training they need to be successful in high-­poverty and high-­minority Arizona schools. TNTP Academy is fully accredited by the Arizona Department of Education and has a strong track record of effective teacher preparation. As TNTP Academy is the national certification program of TNTP (founded by Teach For America alumna Michelle Rhee) and draws upon more than a decade of teacher preparation experience and proven models for rigorous teacher training. Research shows that TNTP Academy’s model of preparation – pairing relevant coursework and classroom practice –produces effective teachers. In a 2009 state-­wide study by the Louisiana Department of Education, teachers certified by TNTP were compared to graduates of 16 university certification programs across the state. Using value-­added measures, the study confirmed that graduates of our program in Louisiana outperformed graduates of every other program in the study and outperformed even experienced teachers in raising student achievement in the core content areas of math and reading. Q: Can’t I get the same training through a university? A: The TNTP Academy curriculum, like that of TFA, is designed explicitly to ensure your success as a new teacher in a high-­need school. Our year-­long curriculum and support, together with your preparation through TFA, is a powerful combination. In a national survey of education school alumni, 6 in 10 said education schools fail to prepare graduates to cope with classroom reality. Nearly 7 in 10 said they wanted a better balance between subject matter preparation and field experience.

Our curriculum addresses the shortcomings of many traditional teacher training programs by providing rigorous and relevant preparation that is tightly connected with actual classroom practice. Your TNTP Academy instructors will work in collaboration with your TFA MTLDs to streamline the support that you receive. Q: Once I earn my teaching certification, will I be able to teach outside of Arizona? A: Yes, although different states have different reciprocity agreements with the state of Arizona. All teachers, regardless of which certification program they attended, are subject to the same rules of reciprocity from one state to another. Once you successfully complete the TNTP Academy certification process, you will receive an institutional recommendation to be issued an Arizona Provisional Teaching Certificate. The Provisional Teaching Certificate will enable you to teach throughout the state of Arizona. Certification reciprocity from one state to another is determined by individual departments of education. You may find additional information on the Arizona Department of Education website: http://www.azed.gov/educator-­certification/ Q: Once I earn my teaching certification, will I be able to teach in districts outside of the one I am currently teaching in? A: Yes – Though our hope is you will continue to serve the students of our partner districts, your Provisional Teaching Certificate enables you to teach in any district in Arizona. Q: Who are the Seminar Leaders? What type of support do they provide? A: Seminar Leaders are experienced, fully certified teachers who have taught in our partner districts and have a record of success in the classroom – and many are also TFA alumni. Our process for hiring Seminar Leaders is highly selective, including multiple interviews, an involved project and a teaching sample. Seminar Leaders are then given full training in the Teaching for Results™ curriculum and ongoing support to ensure that they are prepared to guide new corps members successfully through their first year of teaching – and beyond. Seminar Leaders will be your instructors throughout the first year of teaching. They lead the Teaching for Results™ content seminars, provide feedback to corps members on assignments and assessments, and answer questions about the curriculum and best practices for ensuring student success in the classroom. In 2011 91% of TFA participants indicated that their Seminar Leader was a significant factor in making them a more effective teacher. Q: What is required of me to start earning my certification? A: When you enroll with Teach For America, you will receive information about next steps for enrollment through TNTP Academy. After enrolling with TNTP Academy, corps members will attend summer training through Teach For America. Q: How much does it cost? TNTP Academy-­Arizona tuition is $6,500 and payment plans are available.