Value-added assessment in practice : lessons from the Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System pilot project / Daniel F. McCaffrey, Laura S. Hamilton.

"Supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the National Education Association, and the Pennsylvania State Education Association."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 103-105).

Introduction -- Examining VAA implementation and effects -- Background on Pennsylvania's VAA System -- History of PVAAS -- PVAAS reports -- PVAAS statistical methodoloogy for the pilot program -- Organization of this report -- Methods and data -- Details on matching -- Overview of matching approach -- Matching variables -- Matching methods for cohort 1 -- Matching methods for cohort 2 -- Matching results for cohort 1 -- Matching results for cohort 2 -- The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) -- Methods for estimating the effects of PVAAS on PSSA scores -- Surveys -- Survey methods for educators -- Effects of PVAAS on student achievement -- Summary -- Superintendents' responses to PVAAS -- Actions and opinions in PVAAS and comparison districts -- Use of achievement data -- Support for test-based accountability -- Facilitators and barriers -- Responses to PVAAS among participating districts -- Responses to PVAAS program -- Summary -- Principals' responses to PVAAS -- Actions and opinions in PVAAS and comparison districts -- Use of achievement data -- Support for test-based accountability -- Facilitators and barriers -- Understanding and interpretation of growth data -- Responses to PVAAS among principals from participating districts -- Summary -- Teachers' responses to PVAAS -- Actions and opinions of teachers in PVAAS and comparison districts -- Use of achievement data -- Facilitators and barriers -- Responses to PVAAS among engaged teachers -- Summary -- Summary and implications -- Implications for understanding educators' use of VAA data -- Study limitations -- Conclusion.