School Ranking Charts

Tennessee was the first state to systematically gather and disseminate district and school-level value-added data in 1995.  It was and is the most statistically sophisticated methodology in use.  The Education Consumers Foundation was the first to compile Tennessee’s TVAAS scores into online, interactive and printable graphics that allow users to see schools statewide ranked on the basis of their effectiveness in lifting student achievement.  Since that time, numerous states and school districts have adopted what is essentially the same … Read More

Achievement vs. Growth “Birdshot” Chart

posted in: Data Scoreboards, Graphic Tools Used in Tennessee, Tools for Rating Schools |

Tennessee Growth vs. Achievement “Birdshot” Chart   Tennessee school performance is measured on two factors: achievement, assessed with the TCAP and ACT tests; and growth, seen in TVAAS (i.e., value-added) results. Parents can compare the performance of their child’s school with others across the district or the state by viewing ECF’s interactive Growth vs. Achievement Charts. Links to charts of recent years are listed below.  Note that the 2011 charts for elementary and middle grades rely on a “Growth … Read More

Are Tennessee’s Children Learning to Read?

posted in: Data Scoreboards, Graphic Tools Used in Tennessee, Tools for Rating Schools |

Reading is the most essential skill that children learn in school. It is taught over a 4-5 year period that begins in preschool or kindergarten and extends to 3rd grade. Beyond 3rd grade, schooling turns from learning to read, to reading to learn. Promoting children to the 4th and subsequent grades without sound reading skills not only reduces their chances of success, it misleads their parents about the child’s progress, it unloads poorly equipped and discouraged learners on … Read More

School Districts Ranked by Teacher Effectiveness

posted in: Data Scoreboards |

In Tennessee and a few other states, teacher effectiveness can be assessed on the basis of the student achievement gains of their students.  ECF has a chart that ranks school districts by the effectiveness of their teaching staff.  Selective teacher hiring and retention policies can produce a profile with a high proportion of exceptionally effective teachers. Although there are exceptions like the reports that were undertaken by the Los Angeles Times, value added performance data for individual teachers is rarely available to … Read More