Hector M. Vazquez

A 3rd grade teacher at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary in 2007

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, Vazquez ranked:

Less effective than average 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.
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.

Vazquez's LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Wadsworth Avenue Elementary, 2007 - 2003

Hector Vazquez's Response:

I work with students that have the following special education eligibilities:
1. mild-moderate specific learning disabilities
2. mild-moderate mental retardation
3. mild to moderate autism
All of my students have made great academic progress as measured by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals and objectives and other intervention benchmarks. My students parents have been extremely satisfied and impressed with the academic growth their children have made. All of the administrators that I have worked with have been very supportive and have given me constructive feedback and positive evaluations. Because the science of value-added modeling has not included and specifically addressed special educators, a research-derived model for these teachers does not exist. Thus far, the research literature on challenges in using standardized test scores of students with disabilities for the purposes of measuring growth is limited. Small student samples commonly associated with special education produce results that are statistically less reliable(Amrein-Beardsley,2008)

Reference:
Amrein-Beardsley,A.(2008).Methodological concerns about the education value-added assessment system.
Educational Researcher,37(2), 65-75

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.