Two bills now before the Tennessee General Assembly question the reliability and worth of the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS), which was implemented 14 years ago in a trailblazing effort to track student progress, measure whether students were making suitable yearly academic gains, and estimate the effectiveness of their teachers. Critics maintain that the complicated assessment system, which was designed by and is still run by William Sanders, is difficult to understand and punishes high-achieving schools by focusing on annual gains instead of absolute scores, and also that TVAAS results "don't jibe with other student test information coming from the state." However, many educators - especially those serving low-income and minority students who typically score lower than their peers on standardized tests - have praised the program. Johnny Crow, principal of East Hickman Middle School in Lyles, Tennessee argues that the system "gives you a way to show some progress. It gives teachers an opportunity to show that they are doing their job." State Education Commissioner Lana Seivers indicated that the state department of education had not yet chosen sides in the debate, but she expects to be asked to provide information over the course of the next few weeks.
"Bills would kill value-added test scores," by Claudette Riley, Tennessean, February 13, 2004