Clear Away the Smoke and Mirrors of Value-Added

• Published in: Phi Delta Kappan Vol. 91; no. 8; pp. 66 - 69
• Main Author: HARRIS, DOUGLAS N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Phi Delta Kappa International, Inc 01.05.2010; SAGE Publications; Phi Delta Kappa International; Phi Delta Kappa, Inc; Sage Publications, Inc; Phi Delta Kappa
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Accountability; Achievement Gains; Barriers; Educational research; Educators; Elementary schools; Error of Measurement; Federal Programs; Item Analysis; Kindergarten; Measurement Techniques; Methods; Outcomes of Education; Performance Factors; Performance metrics; Preschool education; Professional development; R&D; Random errors; Robustness (Statistics); School Effectiveness; Systematic errors; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher evaluation; Teachers; Teachers, Rating of; Teaching satisfaction; Test scores; Universities; University administration; Urban schools; Value Added Models; United States; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 0031-7217; 1940-6487
• DOI: 10.1177/003172171009100813

Current value-added models for teacher accountability are better than models based only on student achievement, but they have their weakness. They are subject to systematic and random error, as are all measures, and there are concerns about the tests used for the measurements. However, value-added models are better than the alternatives at the school level and perhaps for individual teachers and teacher teams. (Contains 1 figure.)