Michele Joy Hales
A 3rd grade teacher at Cantara Street 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.
Compared with other Los Angeles Unified teachers on the value-added measure of test score improvement, Hales 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.
Hales' LAUSD teaching history
2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years
- Cantara Street Elementary, 2009 - 2003
Michele Hales's Response:
Searching for a standard for parents to rate the effectiveness of their child's teacher is a good idea. However, your analysis and results are questionable at best. Your analysis reflects the lack of standardization in any statistical analysis. In the following paragraphs, I will point out the errors of assumption, you have made and the specific Third Grade environment you do not account for.
1. In any statistical analysis, you must show and detail the mathematical assumptions and differences you find in data. You failed to reflect this point.
2. In all of the school districts in California, there are various calendars such as Year Round and Traditional Schedules.
3. In every school, the administration plays a serious role in how students move from grade to grade. The actual movement of students from one grade level to the next is different from one administrator to the next. A large percentage of administrators tend to micro-manage the placement of each student.
4. In many of the elementary schools in LAUSD, there is actual red-lining of student placement. My peers from my current school and other schools in the district reflect the groupings by student ability. Those students who are identified as gifted are grouped with the same teacher year after year. Therefore, when you compare one teacher's growth with another teacher with the low achievers, there is a major difference in student improvement in state test scores. When comparing a teacher who consistently gets high achieving students with a teacher who consistently gets the lowest achieving students, there is a huge disparity in the comparison of the results. On norm day in October, adjustments are made to insure the highest achieving students are grouped together and the lowest achieving students are assigned to the teacher who can handle them. These lower achieving students are generally children with special needs such as learning disabilities and behavioral issues. The simple balance of classrooms is not adhered to at all. Therefore, any comparison between one teacher to another on the same grade level is not an actual measurement of teacher effectiveness.
5. A new trend in LAUSD is looping. Sometimes a teacher continues on with the same students to the next grade level. These students are in the same classroom environment over a two year period. This concept has been used also in middle schools and in high schools across the district and is credited with the ease of students going through classes with peers and teachers as a team. Comparing results of these teachers provide a massive variance in results.
6. Another area of concern is the special needs children including those with academic as well as behavioral issues. These children are mainstreamed along with the regular students. Mainstreaming frequently causes disruption of the learning environment. These students are usually placed with the teacher that is best able to handle this disruption where the test scores will not make any difference in the overall state test results for the classroom. Usually these students are below grade level achievers and need specialized attention in the classroom environment. Many of these children have been held back one grade level and these children are aware that the district only allows one retention. A two year age span frequently exists between the students. For more than ten years, the majority of the third grade students with special needs have been placed in my classroom. The school records reflect this disparity in the third grade classroom environment. Documentation of this ongoing disparity is on file with the LAUSD and UTLA.
In summary, each of these areas I have discussed in this memo substantiates the claim that your analysis is inaccurate and is not based on a standardized measurement. On National Public Radio, your investigative reporter, Jason Felch, was interviewed and pointed out that his data was received from LAUSD officials. The interview also indicates that the LAUSD wholeheartedly agrees with his analysis.
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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