Aura Patricia Lopez

A 3rd grade teacher at Seventy-Fifth 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.

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, Lopez ranked:

More effective than 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.
Most effective in English. Students of teachers in this category, on average, gained about 7 percentile points on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.

Lopez's LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Seventy-Fifth Street Elementary, 2009 - 2006

Aura Lopez's Response:

Although I find this information useful to refine my instruction I have to admit I am really surprised by the ratings. I monitor my student scores very closely and have always noticed a gain in their math scores. I have seen many of my students move up one to two bands a year in math. I would really like to see a breakdown of the data that was used for my ratings.

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.