Brian K. Little
A 3rd grade teacher at Seventy-Fifth Street Elementary in 2008
These graphs show a teacher's "value-added" rating based on his or her students' progress on the California Standards Tests in math and English. The Times’ analysis used all valid student scores available for this teacher from the 2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years. The value-added scores reflect a teacher's effectiveness at raising standardized test scores and, as such, capture only one aspect of a teacher's work.
Compared with other Los Angeles Unified teachers on the value-added measure of test score improvement, Little ranked:
- Least effective overall.
- Least effective in math. Students of teachers in this category, on average, lost about 10 percentile points on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.
- Least effective in English. Students of teachers in this category, on average, lost about 7 percentile points on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.
Little's LAUSD teaching history
2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years
- Seventy-Fifth Street Elementary, 2008 - 2003
Brian Little's Response:
To whom it may concern:
This correspondence is in reference to some results teachers including myself received regarding an 'effectiveness' outcome teacher scores the L.A. Times may or may not publish. I received this 'effectiveness' score Thursday August 19, 2010 and I have been asked to respond before August 20, 2010 in order to be published in the Times.
I ask the Source: The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Unified School District, Richard Buddin Credits: Jason Felch, Stephanie Ferrell, Megan Garvey, Thomas Suh Lauder, David Lauter, Julie Marquis, Sandra Poindexter, Ken Schwencke, Beth Shuster, Jason Song, Doug Smith Copy editing: Laura Dominick:
Does the source’s instrumentation take factors into consideration like, say for example, a principal who may intentionally weight certain teachers with 'tier 3' (or known behavior issues) students? Does the source’s instrumentation take factors into consideration like the families' educational attitudes toward education being served compared to more privileged communities? Does the source’s instrumentation take factors into consideration like home stability? Does the source’s instrumentation take factors into consideration like student transiency? Does the source consider a teacher cannot leave a school due to ethnic balance?
Though I appreciate the source’s attempt to marginalize some with these 'effectiveness' results, I believe your measures are invalid in this case at least.
I take pride that I may have even made the source’s 'graphic effectiveness' budge, given the challenges that were put my way in the past 5 years. This type of thing may serve its purpose and it is a sad time in American history that the finger points to the educator and not the parental responsibilities. Responsibility needs to be addressed, but I hope the folks reading this understand just how skewed it potentially is.
Next time you do this be certain to include interviews, and reaction of students, parents, and stakeholders involved before this is done.
This misrepresentation is a disgrace.
When you're done with this study, which may be well intended, please have the decency to have a discussion with me to perhaps find ways to improve your measures for accuracy.
Sincerely,
Brian Little
P.S. – Let me know what I can do to meet the standards for publication.
The Times gave LAUSD elementary school teachers rated in this database the opportunity to preview their value-added evaluations and publicly respond. Some issues raised by teachers may be addressed in the FAQ. Teachers who have not commented may do so by contacting The Times.
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