Teacher Assistants Improve Student Outcomes

 Motivating the present study is the significant reduction in state-funded staffing levels for TAs in North Carolina that took place during the Great Recession and that have continued to the end of our study period. The authors exploit variation in staffing levels over the period 2001–2012 to estimate causal effects on student outcomes at the elementary level. Their main finding is that TAs enhance student performance in reading and math, with the clearest and most widespread effects on reading. They also find that TAs boost achievement outcomes more for traditionally underserved groups of students than for other students.