FIGURE 1. EVAAS (Value-Added) Scores of Four Teachers Terminated from
Houston Independent School District in Summer 2011
Teacher A
Math
Reading
Language
Arts
Science
Social Studies
2006–07
Grade 5
- 2.03
- 1. 15
+ 1. 12
+ 2. 37
+0.91*
2007–08
Grade 4
+0.68*
-0.96*
-0.49*
- 3. 45
- 2. 39
2008–09
Grade 3
+0.16*
+ 2.03
- 1. 77
n/a
n/a
2009–10
Grade 3
+ 3. 46
+ 1. 81
-0.20*
n/a
n/a
Teacher B
2007–2008
2008–09
2009–10
Grade 7
Grade 7
Grade 7
Math
- 1.07
- 2. 36
+ 1. 62
Teacher C
Math
Science
Social Studies
2007–2008
Grade 6
- 1. 67
n/a
- 1. 72
2008–09
Grade 6
- 2. 58
n/a
-0.16*
2009–10
Grade 6
n/a
n/a
- 1. 14
2009–10
Grade 6
n/a
- 1.09
n/a
Teacher D
Reading
Language
Arts
Social Studies
2007–2008
Grade 4
+0.36*
- 1. 60
n/a
2008–09
Grade 3
-0.17*
+ 1. 28
n/a
2009–10
Grade 3
- 2. 28
+0.39*
n/a
2009–10
Grade 4
- 3. 88
- 3. 25
- 2. 36
Scores shaded as green indicate that the teacher added value according to EVAAS data in comparison
with similar teachers across the district. Scores shaded as pale yellow indicate the opposite.
* Indicates that a score was not detectibly different from the reference gain scores of other teachers
across the district within one standard error. These scores, however, are still reported to both the
teachers and their supervisors for decision making.
indicators of teacher quality. Such
inconsistencies should raise a red flag
to those who are a part of the system—
including the SAS EVAAS developers
themselves, Houston Independent
School District administrators and
school board members, and other district leaders who are in the process of
creating or adopting their own value-added models.
Although these models might offer
some “added value” to the ways we
think about measurement of teacher
performance, we must carefully consider their purpose and execution, along
with their unintended effects, to avoid
making more erroneous decisions that
harm teachers and ultimately damage
schools. EL
Authors’ note: For a video describing the
problems with value-added measures, go to
http://education.asu/edu/evaas.
References
Amrein-Beardsley, A., & Collins, C.
(2012). The SAS Education Value-Added
Assessment System (SAS® EVAAS®) in
the Houston Independent School Dis-consequences. Education Policy Analysis
Archives, 20.
SAS. (2012). SAS® EVAAS® for K–12: Assess
and predict student performance with precision
and reliability. Retrieved from www.sas.
com/govedu/edu/k12/evaas/ index.html
U.S. Department of Education. (2009). Race
to the Top program: Executive summary.
Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from
www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/
executive-summary.pdf
Wright, S. P., White, J. T., Sanders, W. L., &
Rivers, J. C. (2010). SAS® EVAAS® statis-
tical models. Retrieved from www.sas.com
/resources/asset/SAS-EVAAS-Statistical-
Models.pdf
yield quantifiable, easy-to-understand
than just numbers. It is affecting real
numbers. But before we come out with
teachers with real lives—including the
guns blazing, ready to clean up the town four earnest, dedicated, and previously
and establish order as we hide behind
respected teachers described here.
the shield of our statistical formulas,
Even a superficial look at these four
we should remember that the use of
cases reveals that the value-added
value-added models is affecting more
numbers are inconsistent with the other
Jessica Holloway-Libell (jessica
. l.holloway@asu.edu) is a doctoral
student, Audrey Amrein-Beardsley
( audrey.beardsley@asu.edu) is associate
professor, and Clarin Collins (clarin.
collins@asu.edu) is a doctoral candidate,
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College,
Arizona State University, Phoenix.
