Lauderdale County Schools is pleased to announce that Halls Elementary has been identified as a Level 5 value-added school for academic progress in 2017-2018. This is the highest value-added ranking that a school can receive for student progress. Schools in Tennessee receive a 1-5 score designation for overall value-added growth with 5 being the highest score. The results from all tested subjects for all grade levels within a school are combined into a composite score. Any school receiving a 3 is considered as having made a year’s worth of progress. The score of 4 is considered above expectations and a score of 5 is designated as significantly above expectations.
As data from the 2017-2018 TNReady state assessments is released, schools and districts across Tennessee are busy reviewing data and making preparations for this year’s state assessments. Schools and districts receive an overwhelming amount of data to sort through to make meaning of student learning. There are two main metrics that are used to evaluate student learning in Tennessee; value-added growth and achievement.
Achievement
- Measures a student's performance at one single point in time
- Is highly correlated with a student's age or development (demographics)
- Compares student performance to a set of standards
- Is critical to a student's post-secondary opportunities
Value – Added Growth (TVAAS)
- Measures a student's growth across time; i.e., across years
- Is not related to a student's age or development (demographics)
- Compares student performance to his/her own prior performance
- Is critical to ensuring a student's future academic success
Value-added (TVAAS) is a statistical analysis used to measure the impact of districts, schools and teachers on the academic growth rates of groups of students from year-to-year. The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System measures student academic growth year over year, regardless of whether students are proficient on the state assessment. In calculating a TVAAS score, a student’s performance is compared relative to the performance of his or her peers who have performed similarly on past assessments. By measuring students' academic achievement AND growth, schools and districts have a more comprehensive picture of their own effectiveness in raising student achievement.
Because students’ performance is compared to that of their peers, and because their peers are moving through the same standards and assessment transitions at the same time, any drops in proficiency during these transitions have no impact on the ability of teachers, schools, and districts to earn strong TVAAS scores. Transitions to higher standards and expectations do not change the fact that we still want students to make a full year’s worth of growth, relative to their peers who are all experiencing the same transition.
These results underscore the urgent and important work we have in front of us as we transition to more rigorous standards that ultimately ensure postsecondary and workforce readiness. While we see some bright spots in growth and achievement, the entire school district is committed to continuing the work of improving academic outcomes in all grades and across all subjects for our students each and every year.