Go back

+AFFECT Study: Supporting and Retaining Early Career Teachers

Teachers often experience a gap in supports after completing their first year of teaching. Positive Acceleration for Early Career Teachers (+AFFECT) is a one-year professional learning initiative designed to address this gap.

The program uses a strengths-based approach to help teachers build on what they are doing well and supports them in areas where they want to improve. It includes the following supports:

MTP graphic MyTeachingPartner coaching: Teachers are supported through five one-on-one web-based coaching cycles with a trained coach. Each session focuses on a teacher-selected video of classroom instruction, with the coach focusing on clips that show effective interaction between the teacher and students. The process helps the teacher focus on what is going well and build on that success.

Community of practice: Three school-based community of practice meetings provide opportunities for teachers to learn from each other’s successes, enjoy positive collaboration, and connect +AFFECT with other aspects of teaching and with other school initiatives. These meetings are led by a principal-designated school-based champion and strengthen teacher engagement in the program.

School leadership engagement: Principals and school-based champions participate in four meetings that support the implementation and sustainability of the program. These meetings consist of an initial needs assessment to ensure the program aligns with school priorities, early and mid-year progress reviews, and an end-of-year debrief to celebrate progress and plan for scaling +AFFECT supports in the future.

AIR is conducting a study to understand whether the +AFFECT program improves teacher and student outcomes and is looking for districts to partner with.

As part of the grant-funded study, participating schools within districts will be assigned by lottery to either receive the program during the 2027–28 school year (implementation schools) or continue with their business-as-usual practices (BAU schools).

All schools will be asked to participate in the following data collection activities during the 2027–28 school year to support the study.

Teacher survey: Online questionnaire covering teacher background, professional development, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction.
Classroom observations: Four recorded instructional lessons per teacher capturing quality of classroom interactions.
District records: Teacher data on experience, role; student data on demographics and achievement.

Participatory Timeline

Cohort 2: August 2027 - June 2028

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible schools are schools with:

At least two eligible school grades (4-8); and
At least one early career English language arts teacher and at least one early career math teacher.

The +AFFECT project defines an early career teacher as a teacher who is beginning their second through fifth year of teaching the fall the program begins. We may also consider first-year teachers who do not receive additional induction supports from the district or school.

Participation Expectations

Implementation schools: Eligible teachers will participate in the +AFFECT activities, including the MTP coaching cycles and the community of practice meetings. School leaders will participate in the school leader engagement meetings. Eligible teachers in implementation schools will also participate in the data collection activities, including the teacher survey and video classroom observation. The study team will collect district records from these schools as well.
BAU schools: Teachers in the BAU schools only participate in the data collection activities, including the teacher survey and video classroom observation. The study team will collect district records from these schools as well.

Participation Benefits

Districts that participate in the program will receive:

+AFFECT program supports described above for implementation schools at no cost during a one-year period.
District funds for implementation schools to support the school champion and program activities.
+AFFECT materials for teachers in implementation schools, including iPad cameras and accounts for teachers to use to record their instruction.
Funds to support data collection activities for teachers in all participating schools, including for all data collections.
Trainings to school- or district-based coaches in both implementation and BAU schools to support sustainability of the program after the study ends.

What are the benefits of +AFFECT?

Early career teachers benefit from rapid skill growth in using classroom interactions and organization to increase student engagement and achievement.
Districts and schools benefit from increased teacher retention by building early career teachers’ confidence, self-efficacy, and enthusiasm for teaching.
Districts and schools benefit from supports to scale and sustain the program for future years at low cost.