Final Kate Slide

To address criticism, mathematicians have developed and evolved the VAM statistical formulas to control for issues of reliability and validity. And, as we’ll see in the second half of this presentation, there are various ways to implement VAM that allow districts and schools to choose the student performance measures that make the most sense for them. Meaning, VAM can evolve and adapt to a specific school’s evaluation needs. As instructional leaders, we have a say in how teacher value-added scores are used. While they can be employed for performance-based pay, hiring, and firing, the use of scores in those ways may not be most beneficial. Instead, it is our recommendation that educators use the VAM to inform professional development opportunities. For example: What do the value-added scores reveal about the effectiveness of teachers in your school? And how can that inform opportunities to foster their professional growth?