Arne Duncan’s position on the use of value-added test scores seems to have changed in the last two years. In August, 2010, he seems to be saying that test score gains are a measure of teacher effectiveness. In May, 2011, he seems to want to use value-added measures as part of teacher evaluation, and in February, 2012 he seems to be against the whole idea.
August, 2010: Effectiveness = gains on tests (value-added)?
“U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Monday that parents have a right to know if their children's teachers are effective, endorsing the public release of information about how well individual teachers fare at raising their students' test scores.”
May, 2011: Use both observations and value-added measures.
“Together with you (teachers), I want to develop a system of evaluation that draws on meaningful observations and input from your peers, as well as a sophisticated assessment that measures individual student growth, creativity, and critical thinking. States, with the help of teachers, are now developing better assessments so you will have useful information to guide instruction and show the positive impact you are having on our children.”
Feb, 2012: Don’t use value-added measures?
“Teacher evaluation should never, ever be based on test scores.”
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Is Duncan Moving the Target
This from Schools Matter:
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2 comments:
Sounds more like a politician than an educator. Not sure he would get a very good score as Education Secretary with this sort of inconsistency.
This my friends is why Kentucky education policy makers need to stop being so quick to be first on the band wagon for every latest initiative or idea that comes down the pipe. So now we have spend how much time creating a teacher evaluation instrument which we are suppose to start using next year which incorporates a portion of the meassurement on something (test scores) which our learned Secretary of Education is now tellling us should never ever be used.
So is the larger problem with the teachers or with those who keep wasting our time with hope jumping policies and ever changing parameters for operation?
Do away with tenure and allow principals to be managers just like their counterparts in the business sector. Stop forcing kids to forfeit a year of education because of an ineffective teacher. That will have a much more significant impact on teacher performance than any sort of standardized test.
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