VAM+-+Value-Added+Methodologies

===//Editor's note: VAM is the use of students' test scores to assess the effectiveness of teachers. It is a methodology promoted by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who is also a proponent of the Common Core...the standards on which the new Smarter Balanced and PARCC standardized tests will be based...which in turn are the tests that VAM would use for teacher assessment. //===

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/31/a-teacher-asks-arne-duncan-a-gutsy-question-heres-the-answer/
 * Valerie Strauss, "A Teacher Asks ****Arne Duncan a Gutsy Question - Here's the Answer**** ," //Answer Sheet// column in //Washington Post,// Jul. 2014. **

http://vamboozled.com/teachers-actual-impacts-on-tests-a-reality-that-defies-vams/
 * Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, "Teachers' 'Actual' Impact on Tests: A Reality that Defies VAMs," //VAMboozled// blog, Jul. 2014.**

//Originally published: Pp. 229-240 in Jason Millman & Linda Darling-Hammond (Eds.), __The new handbook of teacher evaluation: Assessing elementary and secondary school teachers__. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications, ////1990; u ////pdated Aug, 2011. // http://www.gvglass.info/papers/tcheval.html
 * Gene ****Glass, "Using student test scores to evaluate teachers," GVGlass.info, 2011. //[Link to pdf file]// **

http://excelleducationinnovations.com/value-added-measurement/valued-added-measures-are-they-teaching-tools-or-weapons/
 * Bruce Mims, "Value Added Measures: Are They Teaching Tools or Weapons?" //Excell Education Innovations// blog, Apr. 2014.**

http://k12newsnetwork.com/blog/2014/04/09/american-statistical-association-has-just-released-a-very-important-document-on-value-added-methodologies/
 * Robert Skeels, "American Statistical Association has just released a very important document on Value Added Methodologies," //K-12 News Network,// Apr. 2014.**

http://www.networkforpubliceducation.org/news/vamboozled-everything-you-want-to-know-about-vam-research-diane-ravitchs-blog/
 * Diane Ravitch, "VAMboozled: Everything You Want to Know About VAM Research," //Diane Ravitch's blog,// Apr. 2014.**

http://www.amstat.org/policy/pdfs/ASA_VAM_Statement.pdf
 * American Statistical Association, "ASA Statement on Using Value-Added Models for Educational Assessment," Apr. 2014. //[Link to pdf file]//**

http://neatoday.org/2014/05/30/new-study-strikes-latest-blow-against-value-added-teacher-evaluation/
 * Tim Walker, "New Study Strikes Latest Blow Against ‘Value Added’ Teacher Evaluation," //NEA Today,// May 2014.**

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/05/18/arne-duncans-reaction-to-new-research-slamming-teacher-evaluation-method-he-favors/
 * Valerie Strauss, " ****Arne Duncan’s reaction to new research slamming teacher evaluation method he favors**** ,'" //Answer Sheet// column in //Washington Post,// May 2014. **

Value-added methods (VAM) for teacher evaluation are methods such as the use of student tests to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers; this can be used to fire a teacher whose students do poorly on standardized tests. http://atthechalkface.com/2013/09/11/most-credible-vam-argument-is-0/
 * Paul Thomas, "The Most Credible VAM Argument is 0%", Sept. 2013.**

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/good-teaching-poor-test-scores-doubt-cast-on-grading-teachers-by-student-performance/2014/05/12/96d94812-da07-11e3-bda1-9b46b2066796_story.html
 * Lindsey Layton, " ****Good Teaching, Poor Test Scores: Doubt Cast on Grading Teachers by Student Performance**** ,'" //Washington Post,// May 2014. **

http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/now-i-understand-why-bill-gates-didnt-want-the-value-added-data-made-public/
 * G.F.Brandenburg, "Now I Understand Why Bill Gates Didn’t Want The Value-Added Data Made Public," //GFBrandenburg// blog, Mar. 2012.**