My First Book “Review”
I just came across the first external review of my new book, Rethinking Value-Added Models in Education on Amazon, and I thought I would share this review with you all in that I am happy to announce that it captures exactly what I meant to do with this book, particularly for those of you out there who are practitioners working within (and under) the realities the come along with the adoption of VAMs for increased accountability.
This reviewer gave the book five out of five stars (Thanks!!), and wrote: “This book provides a logical research based response to assumptions underlying VAM. Every educator should read this book as VAM may control our professional destiny. This book provides the research to challenge our candidates and policy makers as so many states are moving forward in adopting VAM. Statistical methodology is so simply explained that I almost feel like an expert in VAM.”
Mission accomplished, I hope! I hope as well that, as this reviewer wrote, this book will continue to “provide the research” you all might need to continue “to [wisely] challenge your candidates and policy makers” in these regards.
Onward!
Also, if you have read this book so far, please do review it on or Amazon, or elsewhere for that matter. I’d prefer not to recruit folks (e.g., my graduate students) to write reviews of my book, as I truly want people to provide their honest, external reviews and feedback…nothing against my wonderful graduate students, of course 
