Teach for Science: An Impact Evaluation of Science Education Initiative's Fellows Program

Raising teacher effort and capacity remains a frontier challenge in developing countries as few evidence-based and politically-feasible interventions have been shown to achieve this goal. We propose to conduct a randomized evaluation of a teacher fellowship program in Pune, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, in 46 public and charter shcools. Science Education Initiative (SEI) seeks to improve STEM learning in public schools by recruiting highly-motivated college students who are placed in schools to work with regular teachers as teaching assistants. The fellows work alongside teachers using scripted lesson plans to deliver potentially better instruction to students. The proposed RCT will examine the effectiveness of the SEI fellow program on student STEM learning outcomes, as well as gender achievement gaps in STEM. Detailed information on management, classroom practices, teacher surveys, and student surveys will provide insights into any potential mechanisms.