Dallas ISD’s Value-Added Model

1. Dallas ISD’s Value-Added Model School Effectiveness Index (SEI) Classroom Effectiveness Index (CEI) Data Analysis, Reporting, and Research Services

2. Why Dallas ISD Uses Indices • To gauge students’ progress in relation to their peers • To hold schools and teachers accountable for the improvement of all students, both those who are not passing and those who are • To reward improvement, not just passing rates

3. Objectives of this Segment • Explain the Indices (SEIs and CEIs) without complex formulas and statistics • Basics of value-added models • Computation of the Indices • Address common concerns

4. Passing Rates • Passing rates are important • Demonstrate efforts of schools and teachers • Main components of state (AEIS) and federal (AYP) accountability systems • Reflect a necessary minimum standard of achievement • Passing rates are insufficient • Innate student differences are ignored • Performance alone tells little about growth and effect of instruction • “Setting the bar” fails to challenge proficient and excellent students

5. Value-Added Measures • Measures based on value-added models address these issues • By factoring in characteristics that may impact students’ learning (gender, ethnicity, language proficiency, socio-economic status, etc.) • By measuring a student’s change in performance relative to her peers’ • By creating comparison measures for all students, every year

6. What is “Value-Added”? • A value-added model measures the “academic value” added to students after a year of instruction • Components: • Previous level of achievement (academic value at the end of the prior school year) • Current level of achievement (academic value at the end of this school year) • Difference (change, growth, gain, etc.)

7. Value-added “Growth” A note to which we will return… In the Dallas ISD,“Growth” ≠ Current score – Previous score

8. Are the Indices “Fair”? • “Our (My) students were struggling students to start with. That’s why they didn’t do as well as other students.” • “Most of our (my) students were limited English proficient. We (I) can’t be compared to schools (teachers) that had only non-LEP students!” • “Our (My) students didn’t pass, but they did much better than last year. Shouldn’t that count?”

9. Are the Indices “Fair”? • “Our (My) students had high scores last year. They didn’t have much room to ‘grow,’ not like students with low scores.” • “We (I) had many of our (my) students for only a few months. How can we (I) be held accountable for their progress?”

10. Fairness Variables • These questions are valid • A value-added model for accountability does address these fairness issues • Compare students with the sameprevious level of achievement • Compare students with the same demographic characteristics • Evaluate change in achievement without regard to arbitrary standards • Include only students at the school/in the classroom for most of school year

11. Fairness Variables Student performance controlled for: • Previous level of achievement • Gender • Ethnicity • English-language proficiency • Free or reduced-price lunch status • Neighborhood family income • Neighborhood education level • Neighborhood poverty index

12. Grouping Students on Fairness Variables Identify unique groups of students districtwide StudentVariable StudentVariable StudentVariable StudentVariable StudentVariable StudentVariable StudentVariable StudentVariable

13. Criteria for “Eligibility” • Continuously enrolled: in attendance for a minimum number of instructional days • For measures based on the TAKS, not retained in either of last two years • Appropriate scores from last year and current year • (CEIs) Received instruction in all six-week grading periods

14. Value-added “Growth” • Growth ≠ Current score – Previous score • Computation of “growth” • For each unique group, determine the expected score on the current year test • Evaluate a student’s performance based on howfar from expected it was • Potential consequences: • Student’s score “falls”  above expectation • Student’s score “rises”  below expectation

15. Value-Added GrowthStudents in a Group with 40% of Items Correct Last Year Students scoring above the district average exceed expectation 50% Correct District students that started with 40% of items correct, on average got 50% of items correct this year. Students scoring below the district average did not meet expectation 40% Correct

16. Value-Added GrowthStudents In a Group with 80% of Items Correct Last Year Students scoring above the district average exceed expectation 70% Correct District students that started with 80% of items correct, on average got 70% of items correct this year. Students scoring below the district average did not meet expectation 80% Correct

17. Value-Added GrowthTwo Entities with Passing Rate Increase (20% to 30%) “Fail”“Pass” “Pass”“Pass” School/Teacher A: All but two students exceeded expectation = high Index School/Teacher B:All students failed to meet expectation = low Index Student starting with 20 items correct “Fail”“Fail” “Pass”“Fail”

18. Value-Added GrowthTwo Entities with Passing Rate Decrease (80% to 70%) School/Teacher D: 6/10 students exceeded expectation = high Index Student starting with 40 items correct School/Teacher C: Only 1/10 students exceeded expectation = low Index

19. Indicators • CEIs • TAKS • Norm-referenced • Assessment of Course Performance (ACPs) • SEIs, above plus • graduation rate • SAT/PSAT/ACT participation • PSAT averages • Percentage passing AP exams • Percentage enrolled in AP courses

20. Summary: Indices • Measure amount of academic progress after receiving a year of instruction • High Indices indicate more progress than similar students across the district • Provide an additional tool to determine progress • Cannot be used in isolation from other tools: they don’t tell how to effect the change, just provide evidence

21. Contact Evaluation & Accountability  972-925-3503  http://www.dallasisd.org/eval/ Data Analysis, Reporting, and Research Services  972-925-6446  OIR@dallasisd.org  MyData Portal: https://portal.dallasisd.org/mydata Teaching & Learning ccentral@dallasisd.org  Curriculum Central: https://portal.dallasisd.org/curriculum