As pressure for more teacher accountability builds, states (and school districts) have been searching for the best evaluation methods. Many say classroom observation won’t suffice for measuring teacher quality. Many educational leaders fear using student test scores doesn’t work either.
As noted in a recent Detroit News article, Robert Floden says research on using value-added methods (VAMs) — which attempt to tie student achievement to teacher performance — has yet to show whether the practice will actually help increase student learning.
Floden, who co-directs the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University, also explores the options and rationale of paying teachers for performance in the Spring 2011 New Educator. Read his article.