By Matt Barnum | The 74
“A pair of recently released reports that each find serious flaws in the two most common methods used to evaluate teachers — observing them in the classroom and trying to pinpoint how much they affect individual student achievement — could leave policymakers wondering where to turn next.
A Nov. 10 statement released by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and picked up by national news outlets calls into question the use of what are known as value-added models. The group cites studies that show flaws in value-added — statistical measures that attempt to isolate a teacher’s impact on student growth — including inconsistency from year to year and the shortcomings of standardized tests in gauging student learning.”