Independent schools have long been searching for better ways to prove their value, and in a data-centric world, there is enormous pressure to measure, measure, measure, and abide by partially obsolete college entrance requirements. Yet there is a strong consensus that the majority of currently used large-scale assessments are not comprehensive…

This report presents the value-added models that will be used to measure school and teacher effectiveness in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) in the 2010-2011 school year. It updates the earlier technical report, "Measuring Value Added for IMPACT and TEAM in DC Public Schools." The earlier report described the methods used…

This paper was prepared for school officials and researchers who plan to conduct an assessment of student writing but have limited field experience with this activity. The paper identifies twelve critical questions assessors should consider, and it explores issues involved in reaching a decision about each from the perspectives of measurement…