Value-added assessment of teacher preparation programs in the United States: a critical evaluation.

The purpose of this study is to critically evaluate value-added accountability measures currently enacted in the United States at the federal and state levels to assess teacher preparation programme (TPP) effectiveness. We draw on Newton and Shaw’s framework for the evaluation of testing policy to evaluate the technical quality and social acceptability of using K-12 student test scores to assess TPP effectiveness. Through six guiding questions, we examine the assumptions and arguments that support value-added assessment, culminating in overall judgments about the acceptability of implementing (or continuing to implement) the testing policy. Findings suggest policy-makers may have more pragmatic concerns about the efficiency of value-added assessment, while TPPs may have more theoretical concerns about the validity of value-added assessment. The relevance of this evaluation approach to improving policy-related decision-making will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]