STOP THE PRESSES! A powerful study from Tennessee about the impact of TFA teachers:

The most effective new teachers in Tennessee are being trained by Teach for America, not colleges of education, with the exception of math teachers from Vanderbilt University.

The University of Memphis, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, UT-Martin and several smaller colleges score in the bottom 20 percent for the quality of reading teachers they produce, according to the 2010 state report card on teacher training, released Wednesday.

The ratings are based on the teachers' student test scores, not their own academic performance.

Teach for America, which recruits high-performing college graduates to the classroom from all disciplines, racked up the highest student scores among new teachers in reading, science and social studies.

Even compared to students of veteran teachers, students of TFA teachers had the highest test scores in reading. Vanderbilt teachers' students took top honors in math.

"What I found really exciting is these results reflect the national studies," said Brad Leon, TFA vice president in Tennessee and Texas.

"Our corps members are making an impact where they are needed the most."

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