Measurement for Fair Comparisons Across Districts

March 17, 2014

Value-added measures provide a way to measure the contributions that districts, schools, classrooms, and teachers make to gains in student achievement. Value Added analyses of achievement data control statistically for factors that are generally beyond the ability of educators to influence, such as students' prior knowledge, disability status, and family income. The goal is to facilitate fair comparisons across schools and teachers which often serve very different student populations. The Value Added Research Center (VARC) at WCER collaborates in Wisconsin with the Madison and Milwaukee school districts, and nationally, with 4 of the nation’s 10 largest districts: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Tampa/Hillsborough County, Fla. Since 2007 VARC has helped districts and states design and implement federally funded human capital management systems and to implement complex policy initiatives directed at improving educator practices and ultimately student achievement. More: http://varc.wceruw.org/