The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is an American nonprofit organization focused on K–12 education. It aims to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement across the United States.Sawchuk, S. (2011, March 29). "Lowell Milken’s Teacher Advancement Program Gains Traction". Education Week. Founded in 2005, NIET's main initiative is the TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP System), a multi-measure school reform model.
History The concept for NIET began in the late 1990s when Lowell Milken, Chairman of the Milken Family Foundation, began exploring strategies to improve teacher quality,Staff Writer. (2000, September 10). "Milken Foundation Launches Teacher Advancement Pilot". Los Angeles Times. leading to the creation of the TAP System in 1999.Sawchuk, S. (2011, March 29). "Lowell Milken’s Teacher Advancement Program Gains Traction". Education Week. As the system was implemented in various schools, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching was established in 2005 as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to oversee its expansion and research.Hershberg, T. (2005). "Value-Added Assessment and Systemic Reform". Phi Delta Kappan, 87(4), 276–283.
TAP System The TAP System incorporates four main components: Multiple Career Paths: Provides opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles, such as mentor or master teacher, while continuing to teach.Glazerman, S. & Seifullah, A. (2012). "An Evaluation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago: Year Two Impact Report". Mathematica Policy Research. Ongoing Applied Professional Growth: Involves weekly, job-embedded professional development and coaching aligned with student needs.Glazerman, S. & Seifullah, A. (2012). "An Evaluation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago: Year Two Impact Report". Mathematica Policy Research. Instructionally Focused Accountability: Utilizes multiple evaluations per year by certified evaluators, focusing on feedback using research-based, well-defined instructional standards.Glazerman, S. & Seifullah, A. (2012). "An Evaluation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago: Year Two Impact Report". Mathematica Policy Research. Performance-Based Compensation: Allows teachers to earn additional pay based on multiple measures, including classroom observations and student achievement growth.Glazerman, S. & Seifullah, A. (2012). "An Evaluation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago: Year Two Impact Report". Mathematica Policy Research.
NIET supports the implementation of the TAP system, sometimes adapting its elements to fit specific state and local contexts.Solmon, L. & Podgursky, M. (2009). "Evaluating the Teacher Advancement Program". Journal of Education Finance and Policy, 4(2), 123–139.The 74. (2019). "District Innovations: How TAP Transforms Professional Development". The 74.
Development and expansion In the late 2000s, NIET was awarded federal grants through the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) to help high-need schools implement performance-based teacher support systems.American Institutes for Research (AIR). (2013). "Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impact on Student Achievement and Teacher Practices". By 2020, NIET had worked with schools in several states, including Louisiana, Texas, Indiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee.U.S. Department of Education. (2016). "Teacher Incentive Programs in Action: Spotlight on NIET Partnerships". NIET also collaborates with universities to incorporate its principles into teacher preparation programs.Barnett, J. & Hudgens, T. (2014). "Embedding TAP in Teacher Preparation Programs: A Collaborative Approach". Teacher Education Quarterly, 41(3), 45–67. TAP’s implementation models vary to meet state and local contexts. Some districts fully adopt TAP’s four elements, while others customize implementation to meet their specific needs.RAND Corporation. (2012). "Building Effective School Leadership: Lessons from Educator Evaluation Reforms".
In 2024, ASCD published Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom authored by Dr. Joshua Barnett.[Barnett, J. H. (2024). Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. ISBN 978-1-4166-3276-4.] The book outlines strategies based on NIET's work with teacher leaders.ASCD. (2024). Unleashing Teacher Leadership: Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom. ASCD. (Note: This reference originally pointed to a conference session; it's often better to cite the primary work, the book itself, or find a secondary source discussing its adoption.)
Research and impact Several independent studies have evaluated NIET's models: A 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) working paper found positive long-term effects of TAP in South Carolina on student test scores, graduation rates, and reduced felony arrest rates and social welfare reliance, suggesting a cost-effective return on investment.Cohodes, Sarah, Ozkan Eren, and Orgul Ozturk. (2023). "The Long Run Effects of a Comprehensive Teacher Performance Pay Program on Student Outcomes". NBER Working Paper No. 31056, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA. Retrieved from https://www.nber.org/papers/w31056. Mathematica Policy Research found modest but statistically significant improvements in teacher retention and test scores in TAP schools.Glazerman, S., et al. (2013). "Impacts of Performance Pay Under the Teacher Advancement Program". Mathematica Policy Research. The American Institutes for Research (AIR) found that districts working with NIET through the Teacher Incentive Fund reported stronger teacher collaboration and improved instructional quality.American Institutes for Research (AIR). (2013). "Teacher Incentive Fund: Implementation and Impact on Student Achievement and Teacher Practices".
Some critics question the use of standardized test scores in performance-based pay systems. NIET states that TAP uses multiple measures, including both student growth and teacher evaluations based on instructional standards.Glazerman, S. & Seifullah, A. (2012). "An Evaluation of the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in Chicago: Year Two Impact Report". Mathematica Policy Research.Thomas B. Fordham Institute. (2015). "Pay for Performance: Evaluating Outcomes in TAP Schools" Research on the program's long-term effectiveness continues.Thomas B. Fordham Institute. (2015). "Pay for Performance: Evaluating Outcomes in TAP Schools"
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