Christina Grace Riggs

A 4th grade teacher at Napa 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, Riggs 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.
Less effective than average in English. Students of teachers in this category, on average, lost about 3 percentile points on the California Standards Test compared with other students at their grade level.

Riggs' LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Napa Street Elementary, 2009 - 2008, 2006

Christina Riggs's Response:

Looking at data is crucial to effective teaching. After my first year of teaching, I was able to examine the CST data from that first class to see that my teaching was ineffective. I was therefore able to change elements of my practice to become much more effective the following years as a fourth grade teacher. Unfortunately, data from the 09-10 school year is not included in these results. I am interested in seeing a growth model for teachers over their years of teaching. For example, rating teachers on their effectiveness on separate graphs for each of the last five school years to see growth over time.

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.