Research, Policy, and Advocacy

With our bird’s-eye view of education, we conduct research to identify what works and craft data-driven narratives to make the case for change.

We collaborate with state education agencies, school districts, and community-based organizations to build partnerships designed for exponential impact. Whether we’re advising on curriculum adoption, collective bargaining, or policies to promote educator diversity, we offer recommendations rooted in research and experience.

Research, Policy, and Advocacy — A bright mural decorates the exterior of James Russell Lowell School 51.

We work directly with schools, districts, and states to answer questions with data.

Working with our clients and partners, we design and conduct research to answer their most pressing questions. We collect and analyze data, discover insights, and deliver key takeaways in digestible, compelling, and action-oriented formats.

What is the student’s experience, and how can we make it better?
How are the most successful schools changing the academic trajectories of their students, and how can other schools replicate their success?
How can we elevate family and community members’ voices in school systems’ decision making?
How did a district’s new curriculum affect student learning?
How did teacher training in the science of reading impact student performance?
How can school systems successfully recruit and retain more teachers of color?

Four people sit on a stage at South by Southwest EDU. — Leaders representing the One Million Teachers of Color steering committee discuss the initiative at SXSW EDU 2023. From left: Manny Cruz, Sharif El Mekki, Leticia de la Vara, and Antonelli Mejia.

We advocate for increased student access to effective and diverse educators.

Research has shown that a diverse teaching staff benefits all students—and students of color in particular. For the educator workforce to mirror student demographics, we must add 1 million new teachers of color to our nation’s schools. In 2021, TNTP and a cohort of partner organizations launched the One Million Teachers of Color campaign, committed to closing the educator diversity gap by 2030. Together we’re collaborating with policymakers to build stronger pipelines to recruit and retain teachers of color.

Join the Movement

The Opportunity Myth publication cover. — *The Opportunity Myth* Report

Our nationwide research leads to changes that improve children’s chances in life.

In response to The Widget Effect, our influential report on teacher effectiveness, 32 states changed their laws to improve teacher evaluations by identifying and acknowledging differences in teacher performance.

Our national groundbreaking report, The Opportunity Myth, identified the gaps that leave high school graduates unprepared for the lives they hope to lead. As a result, schools are successfully closing these gaps by adopting our four recommended resources.

Our report A Strong Foundation details a concrete plan for states to follow as they adopt the policies that will lead to stronger and more diverse educator pipelines.

And our report So All Students Thrive: Rethinking Layoff Policy to Protect Teacher Diversity explores the potential impact of “last in, first out” staffing policies and offers recommendations so that districts can protect teachers of color.

Explore Publications

TNTP is a great strategic thought partner, and their academic expertise is critical to our work.

Courtney Bell
Vice President of Strategic Practice, Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education

Excellent program management, superb research and field landscape analysis, synthesis of data, and clear communications of any findings.

Priscilla Aquino Garza
Director, Policy, Educate Texas

Every person we have worked with from TNTP has been able to communicate the research base clearly for everything they have asked our principals and teachers to do.

Rebecca Drinnon
Hamblen County Department of Education