Randall James Canham

A 3/5 teacher at Independence 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, Canham 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.

Canham's LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Independence Elementary, 2009, 2007 - 2003

Randall Canham's Response:

Although I do strongly feel that parents need to have access to student testing data, I believe it needs to come from the school site in order for it to be as accurate as possible. For example, the LA Times is analyzing testing data for students enrolled in my class, but for the past two years the teachers in my grade level and I have collaboratively developed an instructional program based on student needs and not on our individual class rosters. This means that I have not provided instruction for students on my class roster in the areas tested by the CST so the data for my students does not effectively measure my performance as a teacher. Two years ago I only taught mathematics to 70 third grade students which means the students on my class roster received language arts instruction from another teacher and yet their CST test scores in Language Arts are being applied to me by the LA Times. I do understand that it would be impossible for the LA Times to know this information, but I also know that this happens frequently at schools which makes their evaluation system faulty in my case and in the case of many other teachers.

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.