As evidenced by other blog postings, those of us at Mission Measurement are very interested in education, both in general and from a measurement perspective.  In an effort to stay involved in the latest discussions in the field, a few of us read the recent report “Pathways to Prosperity” and participated in EdWeek’s “Pathways” web-based discussion.The report and discussion bring up a number of very interesting and difficult questions, both directly and indirectly.  Rather than regurgitating everything, here is an overly simplified, brief synopsis. 

A fascinating study and article by the LA Times discusses the role of value-added analysis in teacher evaluation.  This is a controversial subject, at least among teachers unions and politicians.  The role of value-added evaluation is presented most often as an input in to firing decisions, with the question being one of proportion relative to other inputs in to the evaluation.  This does education measurement a disservice.