Eric.ed.gov – An Analysis of the Use and Validity of Test-Based Teacher Evaluations Reported by the “Los Angeles Times”: 2011

In May of 2011, the “Los Angeles Times” published, for the second time, results of statistical studies examining the variation in teacher and school performance in the Los Angeles Unified School District, based on the California Standards Tests for math and English Language Arts (ELA). The studies use data from the seven academic years ending in 2009-2010. The “Times” published teachers’ names along with their effect estimates. These estimates were then used to classify teachers into five categories: least effective; less effective; average; more effective; and most effective. The “Los Angeles Times” previously published the results of statistical analyses designed to address the same issues in August, 2010, using data from the period 2003-2009. The earlier analyses were reviewed by Briggs and Domingue, who identified several serious concerns. Yet the more recent analyses differ from the earlier ones in important ways and merit separate review. Accordingly, the focus in this review is on the properties of the teacher effects estimated in the more recent study. Technical Appendix is included. (Contains 9 figures and 39 notes and references.)