Karen Winston

A 3rd grade teacher at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary in 2009

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.

Overall value-added effectiveness

Math effectiveness

English effectiveness

This chart shows where teachers in this effectiveness category fall on a distribution of all teachers’ scores.

Compared with other Los Angeles Unified teachers on the value-added measure of test score improvement, Winston 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.

Winston's LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary, 2009 - 2003

Karen Winston's Response:

After 30 years of teaching, it is my opinion that standardized test scores reflect how a student performs on a test, not necessarily what they have learned and will retain. It is very distressing to me that after putting in all the daily effort, teaching the standards that I am expected to teach, following the pacing plan to make sure all the curriculum is covered....I am rated by a standardized test score. Since this will be my last year of teaching as I am planning to retire, I do intend to give forth my best effort as I always have to make sure my students have a positive and meaningful instructional experience. Unfortunately, I will have to leave with a heavy heart as the LA Times has found it necessary to publish information which won't be fully grasped by the public and will only serve to make me and others look bad. They should be ashamed.

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.