Value added : from policy to classroom practice.

Using a case-study methodology, this thesis enquires into the development of
value-added from policy to classroom practice in a comprehensive school in the
North of England. The study is unique in that it examines the work of teachers
in relation to policy with a special focus on the extent to which value-added
measures can be used to inform an understanding of what is going on at
classroom level. It not only links quantitative and qualitative research
paradigms, but does so at a level that has received relatively little attention and
at a dramatic juncture in the history of teachers' professional lives.
A literature survey shows that although originally conceived as a research tool,
value-added was subsequently 'adopted' by secondary schools principally in
response to government-imposed 'league tables'. A national value-added
scheme has yet to be developed but, in a shift of policy, the government now
promotes the use of value-added measures in the new Threshold Assessments
of teachers.
Value-added data for core subjects for seven years have been analysed at class
level. Pupils in 'top' sets on average obtain positive residuals whilst in 'bottom'
sets they are mostly negative. It is shown that this is partly a statistical artefact
and therefore not a true reflection of teacher effectiveness. However, when
teachers are interviewed they frequently reveal positive attitudes towards upper
sets and the opposite with the lower ones.
When value-added scores are considered alongside teacher interview data
there are cases where residuals might be indicative of teacher performance but
there are no universal patterns. Although there are some indications that
pedagogical practice and teachers' backgrounds are linked with the
performance of classes, it is concluded that the use of value-added data in the
Threshold Assessment of teachers is flawed. Suggestions are made for further
research including the use of value-added measures at classroom level.