Practical Applications of Value-Added Data in Tennessee

Tennessee has the most sophisticated value-added data system in the country; this system, called the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS), shows how effective local schools are in helping their students to reach their academic potential - to "be all that they can be."

In addition to fueling the Education Consumers Foundation's Value-Added Achievement Awards and its School Performance Charts, this data has provided insight into the following:

Poverty versus Performance
The Foundation looked at the value-added performance of schools and compared it to the percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch (a widely used indicator of poverty); the scatterplot chart that resulted showed almost no correlation between the two. Click here to see the analysis from 2008. (Note: PDF File)

In contrast, there is a fairly strong correlation between TCAP proficiency rates and free and reduced lunch rates, as seen in this chart (PDF file).

TCAP Performance versus Value-Added Achievement
This chart plots Tennessee elementary and middle schools against two axes: one of their value-added scores and one of their TCAP performance scores. It shows how poverty rates correlate with TCAP performance but have virtually no relation to value-added gains. Click here to see the analysis. (Note: PDF File)

Performance of High-Poverty Schools
The Foundation looked at high-poverty schools in major districts including Nashville and Memphis to see whether they were more likely to be high or low-achieving, and found a distribution that matched that of the total school population. (Note: PDF Files)

High and Low Performing Schools in Urban Areas
The following maps show the highest and lowest performing schools in 4 urban areas. Red dots are "A" schools; Blue dots are "F" schools. A white dot indicates 90% or greater student participation in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program.

• Chattanooga
• Knoxville
• Memphis

For more on TVAAS, click here.