In a new report, New Teacher Center (NTC), a national nonprofit focused on improving student learning by accelerating educator effectiveness, finds that investing in evidence-based professional learning and coaching for teachers pays off fast – not just in improved lifelong student outcomes, but also cost-savings for districts.

Past research confirmed that by strategically redirecting existing spending on teacher development, districts can contribute to disrupting the predictable student outcomes of educational inequities. Counting the Cost quantifies the monetary implications of that disruption for students and school districts.

“The tangible impacts of evidence-based professional learning that are outlined in our ‘Counting the Cost’ report are an inspiring and hopeful testament of the critical need to accelerate educator effectiveness,” said Desmond Blackburn, Ph.D, CEO of New Teacher Center. “Our hope is that this report helps district leaders actualize the powerful changes they have the ability to initiate for their students, communities and economies by simply altering how they direct their budgets.”

Based on an evaluation of a New Teacher Center district partner, the report finds:

• Districts can save millions while supporting diverse student populations – NTC’s professional learning program for new teachers yields a 22 percent return to the district, equivalent to a district savings of nearly $1 million over a 5-year investment with one hundred new teachers per year. These results were found in a district where 90 percent of students were not white and 85 percent of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
• Educators increase learning and stay longer – Year-over-year teacher retention was 11 percentage points higher in the NTC-supported group than in the group receiving traditional support (78 percent compared to 67 percent). Students of NTC-supported teachers in grades 4 through 8 demonstrated up to five months of additional learning in math and English language arts.
• Students earn more to give back sooner – On average, students of NTC-supported teachers have the potential to earn $38,000 more in career lifetime earnings. This increased earning equates to higher taxable income, in turn perpetuating support for public education.
• Communities benefit from a cycle of economic impact– Successful students generate greater long-term economic impact in their communities, equal to a $2.43 return for every $1 invested in NTC.

“We believe that mentoring and job-embedded coaching are critical components of ensuring new teachers are Day 1 ready and continue to grow their practice throughout their careers,” said Christine Murphy Judson, Director of Talent Acquisition, Chicago Public Schools. “By partnering with NTC to train cooperating teachers and mentor teachers, we are investing in supporting educators throughout their career – pre-service to veteran. Coaching and mentoring are consistently a key component of teachers choosing to return to our schools and classrooms year after year, creating stability for school communities and students.”

→ Learn more and download Counting the Cost