Teacher Research Informing Policy: An Analysis of Research on Highly Qualified Teaching and NCLB

One stipulation of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is that every classroom in America will be instructed by a highly qualified teacher. To date, however, no one has satisfactorily captured what it means to be highly qualified. Common sense tells us that America’s best teachers are smart about the content areas they teach and how they teach students, but what other factors have helped to define highly qualified teachers within NCLB? The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate how the definition of a highly qualified teacher written into NCLB captures what researchers know about effective or highly qualified teachers

The Unintended, Pernicious Consequences of "Staying the Course" on the United States' No Child Left Behind Policy

The phrase “no child left behind” has become a familiar expression in American education circles and in popular culture. The sentiment implied by these four words is noble. However, the effects of the top-down implementation of the high-stakes testing provisions of the law have been anything but salutary for public school children, teachers, and administrators. This claim is supported by data describing many of the ways in which well-intentioned but desperate educators, from the statehouse to the schoolhouse, have been driven to game the system in ironic defense of the children, teachers, and administrators least equipped to defend themselves. It is argued herein that, instead of reauthorizing the stronger accountability tenet of NCLB, it might do very well to let it fade away

Tinkering With The Traditional To Assess And Promote Quality Instruction: Learning From A New And Unimproved Instructor Evaluation Instrument

For over 30 years survey instruments have been used in colleges of higher education to measure instructional effectiveness. Extensive research has been conducted to determine which items best capture this construct. This research study was triggered by a college of education’s enthusiastic but failed attempt to create a new and improved instructor survey based on this research. Researchers found that the new instrument was no better than its predecessor. Student halo ratings contaminated results, reliability was lower than expected, and the survey results indicated one single dimension – general teaching effectiveness.  Two associated variables of considerable interest, course relevance and rigor/demand, were also contaminated by student halo rating. Based on these findings and the extensive literature on student surveys of teaching effectiveness, we argue that traditional surveys based on conventional items may be valid for evaluating global teaching effectiveness and other summative purposes but not for the formative, self-diagnostic, and reflective purposes anticipated. New ways of evaluating teaching in higher education are presented and discussed.  The article shares insights into theory-based survey development and a plan for validation

O SAS Sistema de Avaliação do Valor Agregado Educativo (SAS® EVAAS®): Alguns efeitos intencionais e não intencionais em um sistema escolar urbano de grande tamanho.

The SAS Educational Value-Added Assessment System (SAS® EVAAS®) is the most widely used value-added system in the country. It is also self-proclaimed as “the most robust and reliable” system available, with its greatest benefit to help educators improve their teaching practices. This study critically examined the effects of SAS® EVAAS® as experienced by teachers, in one of the largest, high-needs urban school districts in the nation – the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Using a multiple methods approach, this study critically analyzed retrospective quantitative and qualitative data to better comprehend and understand the evidence collected from four teachers whose contracts were not renewed in the summer of 2011, in part given their low SAS® EVAAS® scores. This study also suggests some intended and unintended effects that seem to be occurring as a result of SAS® EVAAS® implementation in HISD. In addition to issues with reliability, bias, teacher attribution, and validity, high-stakes use of SAS® EVAAS® in this district seems to be exacerbating unintended effects.El SAS Sistema de Evaluación de la Educación  de Valor Agregado (SAS® EVAAS®) es el sistema de valor agregado  más ampliamente utilizado  en el país. También se auto-proclama como el sistema disponible “más robusto y fiable",  siendo su mayor beneficio poder ayudar a los educadores a mejorar sus prácticas de enseñanza. Las investigadoras de este estudio examinaron los efectos de SAS® EVAAS®, experimentado por docentes, en uno de los distritos escolares urbanos más grandes y con mayores necesidades educativas  de la nación: el Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston (HISD). A través de  evidencias obtenidas con cuatro docentes cuyos contratos no fueron renovados en el verano de 2011, en parte debido a sus bajas puntuaciones en SAS® EVAAS®, se detallan algunos de los efectos deseados y no deseados que parecen estar ocurriendo como resultado de la aplicación SAS® EVAAS® en HISD. Además de los problemas con la fiabilidad, el sesgo, la atribución docente, la validez, el uso de SAS® EVAAS® con consecuencias severas en este distrito parece exacerbar los efectos no intencionales.O SAS Sistema de Avaliação do Valor Agregado Educativo (SAS® EVAAS®) é o sistema mais utilizado de valor agregado no país. Também é auto-proclamado como o sistema disponível "mais robusto e confiável", sendo seu maior benefício  ajudar  a os educadores a melhorar suas práticas de ensino. As pesquisadoras deste estudo examinaram os efeitos da SAS® EVAAS®, com professores que tiveram essa experiência em um dos maiores distritos escolares urbanos e com maiores necessidades educacionais da nação: o Houston Independent School District (HISD). Através de evidencias  obtidas com quatro professores cujos contratos não foram renovados no verão de 2011, em parte devido à suas baixas  pontuações em SAS® EVAAS®, se analisam os efeitos desejados e indesejados que parecem estar a ocorrer como  resultado da aplicação SAS® EVAAS® em HISD. Além dos problemas com a fiabilidade, a polarização, a atribuição de ensino, a validade, a utilização de SAS® EVAAS® em avaliações com conseqüências severas neste distrito parece exacerbar os efeitos indesejados

Using the TxVAAS to Improve Teacher Effectiveness: Investigating the Research-Situated “Truths” Behind TxVAAS Claims

At the time of this study, the Texas Value-Added Assessment System (TxVAAS) was being piloted throughout Texas to hold teachers more accountable for their effects on students\u27 achievement (i.e., teachers’ value added). It is still being used by districts throughout Texas today. Using a framework informed by the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, researchers conducted a content analysis of the marketing and research-based claims asserted about the TxVAAS, to (a) examine the “truth” of each claim to (b) help others critically consume the marketing claims using (c) nonproprietary, peer-reviewed literature. Given that the more popular, and also proprietary version of the TxVAAS—the Education Value-Added Assessment System—continues to be sold and marketed to other states and districts in similar ways, researchers deemed it critical to intervene before other states and districts might blindly trust the marketing and research-based claims presented

NEPC Review: Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-Term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools (Summit Public Schools, September 2021)

Summit Public Schools reports that its alumni graduated from college at nearly double the national average and self-reported high levels of well-being, fulfillment, and workplace satisfaction. It also reports that alumni from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds now make more than $60,000 per year on average working full time. Although the study may provide some information useful to Summit&rsquo;s internal decision-making, its serious methodological issues prevent it from having any implications for practice or policymaking in general.</p

Tennessee\u27s National Impact on Teacher Evaluation Law & Policy: An Assessment of Value-Added Model Litigation

Over the last decade or so, federal and state education policymakers embraced the use of value added models (VAMs) to evaluate teachers’ performance and make high-stakes employment decisions (e.g., tenure, merit pay, termination of employment). VAMs are complicated statistical models that attempt to estimate a teacher’s contribution to student test scores, particularly those in mathematics and reading. Educational researchers, as well as many teachers and unions, however, have objected to the use of VAMs noting that these models fail to adequately account for variables outside of teachers’ control that contribute to a student’s education performance. Subsequently, many teachers challenged the use of VAMs through the courts. This article assesses those challenges

Engano no primeiro, segundo e terceiro grau: as respostas dos professores às avaliações com conseqüências graves

Educators are under tremendous pressure to ensure that their students perform well on tests. Unfortunately, this pressure has caused some educators to cheat. The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of, and degrees to which, a sample of teachers in Arizona were aware of, or had themselves engaged in test-related cheating practices as a function of the high-stakes testing policies of No Child Left Behind. A near census sample of teachers was surveyed, with valid responses obtained from about 5 percent, totaling just over 3,000 teachers. In addition, one small convenience sample of teachers was interviewed, and another participated in a focus group. Data revealed that cheating occurs and that educators can be quite clever when doing so. But how one defines cheating makes it difficult to quantify the frequency with which educators engage in such practices. Our analysis thus required us to think about a taxonomy of cheating based on the definitions of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree offenses in the field of law. These categories were analyzed to help educators better define, and be more aware of others' and their own cheating practices, in an attempt to inform local testing policies and procedures.Los educadores estn siendo fuertemente presionados para asegurar que sus estudiantes obtengan buenos resultados en las pruebas de rendimiento. Desafortunadamente, esas presiones hacen que algunos educadores hagan trampas. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar los tipos y grados de conocimiento que educadores en el estado de Arizona tenan sobre o que haban participado directamente en prcticas fraudulentas en relacin a las polticas de evaluacin de desempeo relacionadas con la ley No Child Left Behind. Una muestra cuasi-censal de profesores con un total de 5% de respuestas vlidas y poco ms de 3.000 profesores fue investigada. Adems, un grupo pequeo (muestra de conveniencia) de los profesores fue entrevistado, mientras que otro grupo participo en un grupo focal. Los datos revelan que existe el fraude y los educadores actan de manera muy inteligente cuando los resultados. Sin embargo como uno define el fraude dificulta medir cuantitativamente la frecuencia con la cual los profesores tienen este comportamiento. Por esa razn, nuestro anlisis requiere pensar en una taxonoma de falsificacin basada en las definiciones de 1, 2 e 3 niveles de infracciones legales. Estas categoras se analizaron para ayudar a los educadores a definir con ms precisin y ser ms conscientes de los casos de fraude cometidos por otros maestros y por s mismos, en un intento de reflexionar sobre las polticas y procesos de evaluacin.Educadores esto sob presso para garantir que seus alunos obtenham timos resultados nos testes de desempenho. Infelizmente, tal presso abre precedentes para que educadores falsifiquem os resultados. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os tipos, alm das variaes, de uma amostra de professores do estado do Arizona que percebiam ou que estiveram envolvidos em prticas fraudulentas em funo das polticas de avaliao de desempenho do programa No Child Left Behind. Uma amostra dos professores foi investigada, com as respostas vlidas obtidas a partir de cerca de 5%, totalizando pouco mais de 3.000 professores. Alm disso, uma pequena amostra de convenincia de professores foi entrevistada, enquanto outra amostra participou de um grupo focal. Os dados revelaram que as fraudes ocorrem e que os educadores agem de forma inteligente quando falsificam os resultados. Porm, a maneira como cada um define fraude dificulta a possibilidade de mensurar a freqncia com que educadores se envolvem em tais prticas. Nossa anlise, portanto, exige pensar sobre uma classificao de falsificao baseada nas definies de 1, 2 e 3 graus de infraes nos domnios da lei. Tais categorias foram analisadas para ajudar os educadores a definir de forma mais precisa e estar mais conscientes das prticas de fraude realizadas por outros professores e por eles mesmos, em uma tentativa de informar as polticas e procedimentos de avaliao local

The Impact of High-Stakes Tests on Student Academic Performance

This study looked at data from 28 states where high-stakes testing programs are already in place and found no systemic evidence of improved achievement after states implemented high-stakes testing programs. Report and Appendix total 236 pages in two sections. The report is available here at epicpolicy.org

An Analysis of Some Unintended and Negative Consequences of High-Stakes Testing

This study examined the unintended consequences of high-stakes tests in 16 states that have implemented high-stakes graduation exams. In those states the authors found increased dropout rates, decreased graduation rates, and higher rates of younger people taking the GED equivalency exams. Report and appendix total 138 pages in two sections