What’s next for the much-discussed teacher evaluation deal that was ratified by classroom teachers earlier this month? The agreement is being complimented by some groups and criticized by others. The issue of how much weight LAUSD will propose giving student test scores — left unspecified in the agreement — is emerging as a major concern...

A study released Tuesday by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation showed that the controversial method of measuring teachers’ effectiveness with students’ test scores can be useful, but only when balanced with other factors, such as student feedback and classroom observation. Teachers unions, including UTLA, have long insisted that grading teachers based on their student...

Los Angeles Teachers’ Evaluation Victory Bucks a Trend Los Angeles teacher appraisals won’t be based on ‘value added,’ increasingly being used across the country. Now a key question is how test scores will figure in. LA Times L.A. mayoral candidates discuss housing, education, city services The four candidates competing to replace outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa...

Mediator Don Raska has been appointed to try to help resolve the teacher evaluation negotiations between LAUSD and the teachers union (UTLA), according to a UTLA newsletter. The October 19th issue of the United Teacher states that, “the union continues to push back against LAUSD’s proposal to link a percentage of a teacher’s evaluation to...

Yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a measure (SB 1458) which curtails the role of test scores in calculating a school’s Academic Performance Index (or API). Right now, API scores are based solely on student test scores, and can have enormous consequences for a school. A low API score can eventually lead to its...