ADDING VALUE - The Purpose

The Audience
There are over 2.6 million public school teachers (grades K-8) in the United States. Many of them are experiencing job related stress, and much of that stress may be directly attributed to new accountability (value-added) standards. No longer can a teacher rest, knowing that, on average, her students are able meet some standard of proficiency for their grade level. In the past if a teacher had the standardized test scores of a few high ability students to balance those of a couple of low achievers, all was well. On average, the class was proficient.

The paradigm has changed.

Value-added assessment dictates that a teacher must add a year’s worth of academic growth, over the course of a school year, to each student. If Johnny enters 4th grade with the skills of a beginning 3rd grader, then he must leave that school year with (at least) the skills of a beginning 4th grader. On the other hand, if Maria, enters the same teacher’s 4th grade classroom with the skills of a beginning 5th grader, then she must leave that school year with (at least) the skills of a beginning 6th grader. Compounding that teacher’s task is the fact that Jasmine is “above grade level” in one subject, “at grade level” in another subject, and “below grade level” in two others. The teacher must add a year’s worth of academic growth, over the course of a school year to each student, in each subject area.

A Need
For many teachers, this is a recipe for stress, frustration, and an early exit from the teaching profession.

The Purpose
Adding Value offers simple, practical, proved strategies, and action steps that teachers can easily use to meet the varying needs of multiple groups of students, at the same time, in an efficient manner, and do so with less personal stress.