Teacher Value-Added Summary
Understanding the Report
Florida's Value-Added Model (VAM) Ratings: VAM scores represent the amount the teacher contributed to student learning growth, on average, among the students they taught by statistically controlling for other factors that impact student learning growth. The department provides ratings for the 3-Year FSA Aggregate VAM score for English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics teachers, as well as ratings for the 1-Year 8th Grade Algebra I and the 1-Year 9th Grade Algebra I VAM scores for Algebra teachers. Only instructors in ELA grades 4-10, mathematics grades 4-8, and Algebra I grades 8-9 receive a VAM score using the state models.
The department uses different processes for determining which score to use for teachers who have more than one of these types of scores, depending on the project. Questions regarding which score was used when a teacher has both an FSA and an Algebra I score, or Algebra I scores for both 8th and 9th grade, should be directed to the department's Bureau of Accountability Reporting.
VAM Score
The average percent that students' scores differed from expectations on these assessments as a result of this teacher's impact.
Florida law requires that at least three years of student performance data be used in educator evaluations when it is available. Because teachers sometimes teach at more than one school or in more than one grade or subject, we combine different scores for the same teacher across grades and subjects for up to three years into an Aggregate VAM Score. Except for Algebra I teachers, the Aggregate VAM Score is used in teacher evaluations. Using the average yearly growth made by students statewide in each grade and subject, the Aggregate VAM Score displays the VAM score as a proportion of that average growth. Displaying a VAM result in this manner can provide context to the number, because it represents a percentage above or below the average student growth for the year.
VAM Score for Grade and Subject
The average number of points on the developmental scale of this assessment that students' scores differed from expectations as a result of this teacher's impact. The VAM score for grade and subject is a reliable measure of whether the teacher's students exceeded, met, or fell short of the standard.
Standard Error
All growth measures on the FL VAM reports are estimates. All estimates have some amount of measurement error, which is known as the standard error. This value is used to create a confidence band around the growth measure, which describes how strong the evidence is that the group of students exceeded, met, or fell short of the standard.
Student Assessments
The number of student assessments included in the VAM score. This number might vary from the number of students the teacher taught.
VAM Rating
A VAM rating is a measure of a teacher's impact on student learning based on the raw VAM score for EOC Algebra I or the VAM score for the three-year FSA aggregate combined and the precision associated with the VAM score estimate.
Highly Effective | There is significant evidence that the teacher's impact on student learning has been greater than expected after controlling for factors that impact student growth. |
Effective | There is evidence that the teacher's impact on student learning meets expectations after controlling for factors that impact student growth. |
Needs Improvement | There is moderate evidence that the teacher's impact on student learning has been less than expected after controlling for factors that impact student growth. |
Unsatisfactory | There is significant evidence that the teacher's impact on student learning has been less than expected after controlling for factors that impact student growth. |