Stephanie R. Shoulders

A 4th grade teacher at Virginia Road 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, Shoulders 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.

Shoulders' LAUSD teaching history

2002-03 through 2008-09 academic years

Virginia Road Elementary, 2009 - 2003

Stephanie Shoulders's Response:

Well this is definitely an eye-opener. I have come to learn when you have students with very low skills when they come to me any improvement individually is what I am looking at. I can make the student read the material and the difference between the test from third to fourth is the biggest jump I have ever seen. So the fact I am less effective is something because after reading your article I got the impression I was at the bottom of the barrel.

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.