VA LU E- A D D ED M EA SU RES
FO R T EA CH ER A CCO U N TA B I LI T Y
Term: Summer | EL Hot Topics | Date: July 23, 2020
W HAT IS VAM ?
Value-added measures or VAMs is
an accountability model based on
student's growth. Simply put, they
statistically measure student
growth during a given year. Students
are tested on core subjects at the
beginning of the year and then again
at the end. The difference in scores
is equivalent to the valued added to
the student's education. VAMS are
used across the country for teacher
evaluations and to aide in the
decision making process for
retention, dismissal, and
compensation. In some instances
VAMs have been added to current
accountability models where in
others they have completely
replaced an outdated system.
By: Sierra Paasch & Maria Hamilton
ACCURACY SINGLE TEACHER
- Based solely on
- Assumes t hat all st udent s
standardized test scores
learn from a single
- Grades teachers on a
t eacher
bell-curve
- Ignores collaborat ive
- Typically measures
nat ure of educat ion
correlation, not causation
- Omit s learning
- Scores can change
opport unit ies out side of
substantially based on the
school
model or test given
ELs Implicat ions
ELs Implications
- Does not account for
- Assumes tests are valid for
learning from bot h
ELs
classroom t eachers and
- According to the DOE
ESL inst ruct ors
large-scale high-stakes tests
for ELS may still not be valid
or reliable.
RANDOM ASSIGNM ENT
- Falsely assumes st udent s are ELs Implicat ions
assigned t o random - Cannot account for EL
classrooms st udent s oft en in specialized
- No basis for accurat e language programs
judgment of t eachers in - bilingual educat ion
comparison t o each ot her - shelt ered educat ion
- immersion
classrooms
- How can we compare in
different programs?
CURRICULUM
CONTROL
- Assumes that teachers have
full control over the
curriculum
- Teachers are typically given
instructional curricular
programs to use
ELs Implications
- Political will has taken
precedence over sound
educational research placing
restrictions from the state
- English-only instruction often
occurs for ELs because of
state restrictions on bilingual
education
SIM ILAR TEST
- Assumes that previous and
current tests are equal in
content and difficulty
- Does not account for the fact
that different topics are
covered on different tests
OUR STANCE
There are many unfair practices in current school accountability
programs that require ELs to meet the same criteria as English
proficient students. The current programs do not take into
consideration English proficiency levels, time in the country, or
opportunities to learn material. While including an accountability
system with focus on growth over time can be beneficial for ELs, it is
important to consider the assumptions and limitations.
How can we use VAMs responsibly to meet the needs of ELs?
- To help teachers understand how to use the data provided to
reflect on effective practices.
- To design professional development opportunities, to target
the needs of EL students.
- To be used as one data point, not the whole picture of
students when considering educational needs.
- To be used as one data point for teacher evaluations, not the
whole picture of teachers abilities.
- To help principals, district leaders, and teachers evaluate
curriculum choices.
"It is important that educatorswork with their local district
leaders, union leaders, and policy makersto ensure that VAM

ELs implications resultsare not used in waysthat are misleading and harmful to ELL

- EL students may be tested in

students, their teachers, and their schools." (Wright)
one language one year and in
a different language the next
- False picture of regression
due to struggles with the test
in English but success in
REFERENCES
native lanaguge
Wright, W. (n.d.) Beware of the VAM: Valued-Added Measures for Teacher
Accountability. Retrieved from https://colorincolorado.org/article/beware
-vam-valued-added-measures-teacher-accountability

Value-Added Measures in Teacher Evaluation. (2019). Retrieved from

https://nassp.org/policy-advocacy-center/nassp-position-statements/
value-added-measures-in-teacher-evaluation/