A study of Davidson County's elementary and middle schools teachers' perceptions of the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System
Abstract
The McWherter administration wanted to show taxpayers how their tax money was spent on education, so a student-progress assessment project for both diagnostic and accountability purposes (Sanders's Model) was adopted by the Tennessee legislature.^ The Tennessee Value Added Assessment System was created by William Sanders, a University statistician, to compare Tennessee students's progress on standardized tests with a national average gain (Klausnitzer 1993, p. 14-A).^ The purpose of the study was to gather teachers' thoughts, concerns, and general opinions about the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS) to provide some "bottom-up" feedback regarding the state-initiated assessment system.^ A questionnaire of 41 items was given to teachers at twenty-five randomly selected elementary and middle schools. A total of 300 questionnaires were sent out and 252 teachers responded. The return rate was 84%.^ The results indicated a high frequency of undecided responses and respondents wanted more information on the teachers' level. Only a minority of respondents (20.9%) agreed with or supported TVAAS. Fifty percent or greater felt that TVAAS was a waste of financial resources.^ It was recommended that more information should be disseminated to teachers at regular intervals. Personnel should be made available to explain ambiguous components. Opportunities should be taken to explain the impact of TVAAS on teachers and how TVAAS will improve educational accountability. ^
Subject Area
Education, Administration|Education, Elementary
Recommended Citation
Marion Cunningham Logan,
"A study of Davidson County's elementary and middle schools teachers' perceptions of the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System"
(1995).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI9806595.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI9806595