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Value-Added Assessment in Minnesota Minnesota 's 2004 statute 120B.35 titled, “Student academic achievement and progress”, includes the following: (a) The educational assessment system component measuring individual students' educational progress must be, to the extent annual tests are administered, based on indicators of achievement growth that show an individual student's prior achievement. Indicators of achievement and prior achievement must be based on highly reliable statewide or district-wide assessments. (b) The commissioner must identify effective models for measuring individual student progress that enable a school district or school site to perform gains-based analysis, including evaluating the effects of the teacher, school, and school district on student achievement over time. At least one model must be a "value-added" assessment model that reliably estimates those effects for classroom settings where a single teacher teaches multiple subjects to the same group of students, for team teaching arrangements, and for other teaching circumstances. (c) If a district has an accountability plan that includes gains-based analysis or "value-added" assessment, the commissioner shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate those measures in determining whether the district or school site meets expectations. The department must coordinate with the district in evaluating school sites and continuous improvement plans, consistent with best practices.”iMinneapolisMinneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has an elaborate system to measure the performance of schools and students in which both performance level and growth indicators are used. The “growth” indicators report achievement information on students who were continuously enrolled in the Minneapolis Public Schools across specified periods of time, usually across two testing periods. The district uses the Northwest Achievement Levels Tests (NALT) to measure student growth. The test is given to students in grades 2 through 7 and 9 in reading and math. Students are also tested annually with the Minnesota Basic Skills Test in reading, math, and writing. This test is used to determine value-added scores at the school level. With this data, schools are compared with the district average to determine which schools “beat the odds.” Student characteristics that have been found to influence student achievement such as race, family composition, poverty status, and English proficiency are factored into the calculations. Value-added scores are a component of the Quality Performance Indicators (QPI) Report for each school. Quality Performance Awards (QPA) are cash awards given to schools that exhibit significant growth and performance.iiLinks to important websites Minnesota Department of Education, http://education.state.mn.us/ Minnesota Statutes 2003, http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/120B/35.html John Welsh, “Analysis helps identify ‘added value',” Pioneer Press, April 17, 2003, http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/living/education/5650433.htm?1c Minneapolis Public Schools, http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/ Minneapolis Public Schools District Assessment Results, 2004-2005, http://rea.mpls.k12.mn.us/sites/770fc804-a9f8-4beb-8663-61ad5e99b91e/uploads/DAR_2005_FINAL_2.pdf i Minnesota Statures 2003, http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/120B/35.html back to map | ||||||||
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