Value-added modeling

Value-added modeling (VAM) is a way to assess a teacher’s effectiveness by measuring how much students improve academically from the beginning to the end of the year, compared to expectations based on their prior performance and characteristics. It aims to isolate the contribution of the teacher, controlling for factors like student background. Essentially, it assigns a score to teachers that reflects how well they help students progress academically, providing insight into their impact while accounting for different student starting points.