Although it is now suspended, the Value Added Model (VAM)
was supposed to make up 50% of a teacher’s evaluation. So, for teachers of state
tested grades and subjects the complex formula that predicted the composite
academic growth of each classroom of students had a huge impact on such
teachers’ annual evaluations. The impact of VAM on about a third of the
teachers statewide was magnified by the override rule, which was a provision in
BESE policy that allowed an ineffective rating on either VAM or the principal’s
evaluation to override the other component and declare a teacher
“ineffective”.
The override rule, which was never part of the original Act 54 law, when combined with VAM could be deadly to many good teachers’
careers. The VAM formula it turns out, was so erratic and capricious in its
rating of some teachers that it became obvious that it should not be used to
override a principal’s evaluation.
Some members of the Act 240 subcommittee including
Representative Hoffman who originally sponsored the Act 54 legislation have
indicated that they would like to do away with the override rule.
In addition to removing the override rule, some members of
the subcommittee have suggested that the VAM component should be reduced in its
impact on the final evaluation from 50% to some lesser percentage. But if
the VAM is so inaccurate, so unstable, and so potentially destructive of a good
teacher’s career, then it should be done away with altogether! Several members of the Act 240 subcommittee
including teacher union leaders Debbie Meaux and Steve Monaghan have suggested
that VAM should be totally removed from the teacher evaluation system.
VAM has been used as part of the evaluation system for
only one year (the 2012-13 school year). According to LDOE policy, 20% of the
teachers evaluated by VAM received a highly effective rating on that part of
their evaluation and some received a highly effective overall because of the
VAM. But if you think VAM was unstable when applied using the old LEAP and
iLEAP tests, wait until you see the results with the new Common Core/PARCC
aligned testing! Just because a teacher got a "highly effective" VAM in the old
system is no guarantee that it will happen again under the new system. In fact it is quite possible for a teacher who received a highly effective on VAM in one year to get an ineffective on VAM the next year. That one ineffective punishes the teacher by canceling his/her tenure and placing him/her on a remediation plan. This is harsh treatment and it may be completely inappropriate.
This is no way to run a railroad and no way to make
decisions relative to teacher’s careers.
I am suggesting that teachers and principals consider
sending an email to Act 240 Committee chair, Mr Bret Duncan at brett.duncan@tangischools.org, and requesting that the subcommittee recommend doing away with the override provision but also with
VAM altogether until a formula or system can be found that is fair and reliable.
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