"The Boston Globe seems to be the Rip van Winkle of the mainstream media -- its editorial insists that teachers should be evaluated by the test scores of their students. "Really? " Scholars at the American Educational Research Assoc.i and the American Statistical Association warned against using test scores to rate teachers; "too many uncontrolled variables, as well as individual differences among students. Teachers affect only 1-14% of test score variation, said this impeccable nonpartisan authoritative source." "Surely the Globe editors must know that teachers in affluent districts are likely to produce high test scores, while teachers of children with disabilities, ESL students, impoverished and homeless children often do not.. Even teachers of the gifted will receive low ratings because their students get small test score gains since they are already at the top of the scale".
At dianeravitch.net
