Schools Matter: The wrong way to evaluate teachers

Schools Matter: The wrong way to evaluate teachers

The wrong way to evaluate teachers

by skrashen

Sent to the Los Angeles Daily News, April 13

LAUSD stubbornly insists on evaluating teachers on gains students make on standardized tests, called "value-added" scores ("LAUSD unveils plan to evaluate teachers, principals," April 12). This is a bad idea.

Different tests produce different value-added scores, and teachers' value-added ratings can vary from year to year, sometimes quite a bit.

Also, using value-added scores for evaluation encourages gaming the system, trying produce increases in