Video: Six Reasons Value-Added "Growth Model" Teacher Evaluations are Unfair

categories: Education Politics, Standardized Tests, Student Rights, Teacher Unions

Published May 28, 2009 @ 06:29AM PT

University of Virginia cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham tipped me off to his latest video, on one of EdSec Arne Duncan's pet subjects: "Merit Pay, Teacher Pay, and Value Added Measures." Willingham gives "six reasons in three minutes" that the idea of evaluating teachers by the value-added "growth model," as reasonable as it sounds, is still unfair. Worth a watch, and good for a couple of chuckles to boot. (I wonder if Perez Hilton plans to sue.)

Besides Dan's six, what other flaws in this idea can you add?
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Comments (3)

Thanks for sharing that find... Oh, how evaluation can be seemingly so straightforward yet below the surface be much more complex. An easy fix, this is not!

Posted by Steve Ransom on 05/29/2009 @ 07:48AM PT
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Oh, how assessment can be so simple and sensible on the surface, yet so much more complex and problematic when analyzed more deeply. I fear this phenomenon is much more present than we would all like to admit at all levels.

Posted by Steve Ransom on 05/29/2009 @ 07:50AM PT
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Bingo on the point about teaching, or in some cases influencing, factors that are not represented or measured in the short term. I've had former students, two of them my own children, who related that while in school with teachers who inspired them they a) chose not to do the work, but realized later (in life/college) the profound effect that teacher had or b) while underperforming (they had the potential but again chose to do other things) having a particular teacher ensured that they stayed in school and engaged and in some cases even influenced the students' future career choice and,for one student in particular, success in that career. When you can measure that essence, that art in the science of teaching, then talk to me about fair merit pay.

Posted by km fullerton on 06/02/2009 @ 09:48AM PT
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Clay is an American high school Humanities teacher, technology coach, and Apple Distinguished Educator who has taught for the last eight years in Asian international schools. According to law, he's married to his wife. According to his wife, he's married to his Mac.