Lilia Ana Alzate

A 3rd grade teacher at Winnetka 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, Alzate 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.
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.

Alzate's LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Winnetka Avenue Elementary, 2009 - 2006, 2003

Lilia Alzate's Response:

Students enter their new classrooms each school year with the previous grade's knowledge. A few are near grade level, but many are far below whether it's due to language or diagnosed/undiagnosed learning issues. Test scores are affected by student readiness and level of difficulty. It is a teacher's job, my job to motivate and prepare everyone by teaching from the California standards in every subject, not to teach to the test. I also want to get to know my students. Some teachers prepare for the tests at each grade, and some teachers teach in hopes of preparing lifelong learners. Almost daily after school homework (except for a once a week meeting day) help is offered by me at no extra pay for those who need the academic support. However only a few students accept it. No matter what the statements of one newspaper may be (by quoting questionable research) please know that education is a process which takes a great deal of my time, community support, and student input. The results of a good foundation may not be measured by impersonal assessments only. Actually, I've seen good results in my students in letters or visits from them years later.

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.