Every child sits in a classroomshaped by someone's guess.
We replace the guess.
Catalyst converts documented classroom pain — attrition, achievement gaps, untested curricula — into peer-reviewed evidence, then puts that evidence directly into the hands of the teachers, administrators, and researchers who need it most.
The research has always existed.
The problem is that no one translated it for the classroom.
We do.
of new teachers leave within five years
Not because they stop caring. Because no one handed them the research.
The 2024 State of the American Teacher Survey found that teachers' perceptions of job satisfaction are at their lowest in 50 years. Beginning teachers — those in their first three years — carry a 15.1% annual attrition rate. Of those, 17.8% reported receiving no additional support. They arrived with passion. They left without evidence.
"The data is not the problem. The problem is that data about teachers never reaches teachers."
Dr. Priya Nair
Lead Researcher, Catalyst
What Makes a Teacher Stay
Retention, Support Structures & Beginning-Teacher Outcomes
higher retention when evidence-based mentorship is provided in year one
Across 214 Title I schools in six states, our study found that beginning teachers who received structured, research-backed mentorship in their first year were 68% more likely to remain in the profession through year five — and 3.2× more likely to report high instructional confidence.
of fourth graders score below basic reading levels
The Nation's Report Card, 2024. The highest percentage in decades.
A February 2025 study found that even districts using high-quality reading curricula frequently supplement with unvetted materials — suggesting that strong research evidence alone doesn't change what happens in the classroom. Teachers need more than a citation. They need translation: what this study means for the 28 children sitting in front of them on Tuesday morning.
"The data is not the problem. The problem is that data about teachers never reaches teachers."
Dr. Priya Nair
Lead Researcher, Catalyst
Systematic Phonics at Scale
Implementation Fidelity Across 17 Schools, Grades K–3
improvement in word-recognition scores when phonics instruction is implemented with consistency
Our multi-site study examined the transformative effects of explicit structured phonics instruction across 17 schools. Schools with consistent implementation — supported by teacher training and progress monitoring — showed 31% higher word-recognition scores compared to schools using the same curriculum with inconsistent delivery. Consistency, not curriculum, is the active ingredient.
The numbers that shape our work
Every statistic below is the seed of a Catalyst research initiative.
more teacher turnover
in Title I schools vs. non-Title I schools
"High teacher turnover undermines student achievement, and replacing teachers consumes valuable staff time and resources — at a cost of nearly $25,000 per teacher in large districts."
— Learning Policy Institute
higher instructional confidence
among teachers who received evidence-based support in year one
"Teachers with comprehensive preparation stay in teaching longer. Teachers who feel supported by their leaders are more likely to successfully adopt innovations that positively impact their students."
— Catalyst Research, 2024
of public schools
needed to fill at least two teacher vacancies before the 2024–25 school year
"The research exists. The translation doesn't. Catalyst closes the distance between a published study and a classroom decision."
— National Center for Education Statistics
The research is free.
The barrier is finding it.
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