Test score makes the teacher? Maybe, at LAUSD
Los Angeles Unified officials took a big step forward Tuesday toward launching a new controversial method to evaluate teachers based on the performance of their students. | "LAUSD votes to wait on consultants' contracts"
The school board approved two consultant contracts to study and develop the new teacher evaluation method, with a combined cost of up to $4.5 million.
One consultant will develop ways to evaluate teachers based on the test performance of their students over time, called the "value-added" method. The other will help develop new guidelines and "best practices" for teachers.
The value-added method compares student performance from one year to the next to evaluate a teacher's abilities. It has been sharply criticized by some union leaders and experts as flawed and unfair, but applauded by others, including President Barack Obama.
"For me, this is historic. This begins to make it real that we are going to establish a process to have a good, fair and robust evaluation for teachers, principals and other key school personnel," said LAUSD board member Yolie Flores.
"We are putting our stake in the ground that quality teaching matters. ... We are done with mediocrity and we
