Anne Marie Lund Nielsen

A 5th grade teacher at Stoner 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, Nielsen ranked:

Average overall.
Average in math. Students of teachers in this category, on average, did not gain or lose significantly on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.
Average in English. Students of teachers in this category, on average, did not gain or lose significantly on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.

Nielsen's LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Stoner Avenue Elementary, 2009 - 2003

Anne Nielsen's Response:

1. I am unclear whether this rating only looks at moving levels of proficiency or whether it actually looks at numbers. For example, is moving a child from basic (345) to proficient (351), by answering one additional question correct on the test, of greater value or less value than moving a child from the beginning of basic(301) to high basic(345)?
2. This evaluation fails to evaluate whether a teacher is developing higher level thinking skills or "teaching to the test".
3. On a personal note, the best class I had several students from a "poor" teacher based on the low test scores. However, they knew how to process information and I was able to create connections to pre-existing knowlege to reach mastery.
4. In my experience, the most importance predictors of success are the seriousness with which a student and/or the family places on the completion of (home)work, whether they read, and how much background knowlege needs to be provided to access the standards.
5. I do not feel that this information should be necessarily be made public, based on #3. However, I do personally feel that it is appropriate as part of the review process by the principal and/or district, where the teacher has the opportunity to explain any mitigating circumstances or reference subsequent growth by the students.

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.