Case Studies: Overview | Battelle for Kids | Williamsport
Value-added analysis has gained considerable momentum as a new way to assess the effectiveness of schools and teachers. While achievement measures report the performance of a group of students at a particular moment in time, value-added analysis traces individual student gains over the course of the year, thus controlling for other factors influencing student achievement. For more information on value-added models, see the Choosing A Value-Added Model page.
Value-added assessment by itself does not improve student achievement, but when administrators and teachers are trained to use data to drive decision-making at the district, school, classroom, and individual student level, value-added becomes a powerful diagnostic tool. However, data cannot motivate greater student learning if educators do not understand how to use this new information effectively. Districts interested in maximizing the utility and power of value-added metrics must accompany the implementation of a value-added system with high-quality value-added training. Individual case study pages offer examples of how such training has been implemented.
Critics of value-added assessment argue that the statistical models are far too complex for educators to understand and instead advocate the use of simple and transparent ways of measuring student progress. However, statisticians contend that these simpler models will produce misleading results and maintain that districts cannot trade rigor for simplicity. Because value-added assessment is complicated and unfamiliar to most educators, implementing it will require that all relevant stakeholders are provided with sufficient training.
Offering high-quality value-added training will:
- Build trust. The antidote to complexity is trust, not simplicity. When educators are provided with effective training, they will be more likely to view the value-added assessment results as fair.
- Serve as the basis of individual professional development. Value-added assessment reveals teachers' strengths and weaknesses and can be used to differentiate professional development to meet individual educator's needs.
- Drive continuous improvement. If all stakeholders are invested in the importance of using data to drive decision-making, value-added assessment can help foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Value-added training has enormous potential for driving school improvement efforts. However, there is limited existing research on the characteristics of effective programs. Through the knowledge base is limited, several recommendations can be offered. These recommendations are drawn primarily from the work of Battelle for Kids. For additional resources, see the websites and tools section.
- Create a positive climate focused on continuous improvement. School and district leaders must demonstrate the importance of data-driven decision-making and reward successful use of value-added measures. Leadership should also articulate a clear vision of continuous improvement, so that all staff members recognize the importance of using data to drive the decision-making process. Creating a school climate that supports analysis, reflection and communication is an essential ingredient of successful value-added assessment training.
- Design user-friendly data systems and reports. Districts must develop data systems that provide educators with user-friendly information. These reports should simplify the complexity of the value-added model so that educators can use the data provided to inform their instructional practice. Information should be made accessible to all relevant stakeholders - including parents, teachers, principals, and district leaders. Programs like SAS® EVAAS generate color-coded reports that analyze individual student progress. For more information on these value-added reports, see Value-Added as a Diagnostic page.
- Provide job-embedded ongoing support. Value-added measures have been shown to be most effective when teachers assume ownership of the data and take on leadership in implementing intervention strategies. Providing additional time for collaboration among educators and developing Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) can help encourage the sharing of best practices and promote an open dialogue about value-added data. Initial training should be accompanied by this form of ongoing support throughout the school year.
- Strategically roll out implementation. To maximize the potential of value-added data, extensive training will be necessary at the district, classroom, and school level. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all users of the system need the same level of knowledge and expertise, and that leadership teams should be formed to institute a "train the trainers" model. States or districts seeking to implement value-added analysis should create an implementation timeline to plan for the cost and time of these critical professional development efforts.
See the Battelle for Kids case study page for more information on how to put these recommendations into practice.
- Evaluating Value-Added: Findings and Recommendations from the NASBE Study Group on Value-Added Assessment
(National Association of State Boards of Education, 2006)
The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) formed a Study Group to assess critical factors that need to be in place when implementing value-added assessment. In their report, the authors highlight the importance of a professional development plan for introducing educators to the concept and appropriate use of value-added data. Teacher and principal training should focus on the basic concepts behind value-added assessment and provide opportunities for educators to practice analyzing actual value-added assessment data. Educators must not only understand what the scores mean, but also need to be trained in how to use the scores to make instructional decisions Additionally, staff will need to develop skills regarding how to use the results with faculty and parents. - Getting Ready for Value-Added Assessment: Create a Climate for Success
(Battelle for Kids, 2006)
Getting Ready for Value-Added Assessment is a comprehensive resource from the Battelle for Kids Toolkit that outlines ideas and challenges for school leaders to consider when designing plans to roll-out value-added assessment and provides strategies to organize and implement professional development around value-added data. The authors suggest that district leaders keep in mind the following considerations - (1) if the leader thinks it is important, others will too, (2) expectations need support, (3) acknowledge success, and (4) emphasize student benefits. - Roundtable Discussion on Value-Added Analysis
(Working Group on Teacher Quality, Washington, DC, October 26, 2007)
In this brief, The Working Group on Teacher Quality documents the results from an expert roundtable discussion on the use of value-added assessment. The goal was to create "a broader understanding of how value-added analysis of student achievement can be used as one indicator of teacher effectiveness and the implications this has for policy and practice." Participants discussed the power of value-added assessment to transform classroom instruction but emphasized the importance of high-quality training to build educator trust in the system. - The Value of Value-Added Analysis
(Darrel Drury and Harold Doran, Policy Research Brief 3, no. 1, January 2003)
This National School Boards Association (NSBA) brief explores the role of value-added analysis as the foundation of accountability systems. It discusses critics' concerns around the complexity of many value-added models and emphasizes the importance of valuing rigor and accuracy over simplicity. The authors also provide information on how districts can use value-added assessment to drive continuous improvement through differentiated professional development systems that take into account individual teacher's specific instructional needs. - Value Added Assessment: School Directors' Handbook
(Evergreen Freedom Foundation, 2001)
This report examines how various states and districts have implemented the concept of value-added assessment, identifies potential challenges associated with the metric, and offers several recommendations. Many of the authors' suggestions focus on the importance of instituting value-added training that is accessible to all relevant stakeholders and emphasizes a commitment to using data to improve student learning. This training should be offered on an ongoing basis to accommodate staff turnover.
The following resources contain additional ideas and information about value added training. These tools include ready-to-use training materials and background information on organizations that provide professional development around value added data.
- Value-Added Research Center. This mission of the Value-Added Research Center is to develop, apply, and disseminate value-added and longitudinal research methods to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of schools and teachers, and educational programs and policies. The Value-Added Research Center performs groundbreaking work on value-added systems, program and policy evaluation, and data-driven decision making. The Center has developed and implemented value-added models in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago and provides technical assistance, professional development, and evaluation support.
- Battelle for Kids is a non-profit organization that is recognized nationally as a leader in empowering educators to use value-added information, along with other data sources, to improve teaching and learning. They develop professional development programs, including training, to help education organizations roll out and use value-added information as a school-improvement tool. For more information on the organization, see the Battelle for Kids case study page.
- PVAAS. The Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System site provides a variety of resources and tool for districts in PA implementing value-added assessment. The Resource Guide for Value-Added Web Reports identifies the types of reports that are made available and helps educators navigate the system more efficiently and effectively. This document could be a useful resource for training sessions.
- The Ohio Value-Added Resource Center is a project being led by the Ohio Board of Regents, the Ohio Department of Education, and Ohio higher education deans to coordinate with the introduction of a new accountability measure, "value-added progress," to Ohio's P-12 schools. It is a comprehensive value-added hub that offers three modules of practical value-added implementation content, including case-studies, activities, research, charts, graphs and other interactive tools.
- The Houston Independent School District's Resource Guide for Value Added Reporting demonstrates how value added data can be presented in an accessible manner at the district, school, and classroom level. On page four of this report there is an example of a value added district report, and additional examples are included throughout the document.
Additional information about training teachers to use data to drive instruction can be found on the Integrated Assessment page.