Studied the performance of rank (percentile) estimators in a basic two-stage hierarchical model capturing essential features of more complicated models commonly used to estimate effects. Simulation results highlight the need to assess whether even optimal percentile estimators perform sufficiently well to be used to evaluate teachers or schools.…

There has been substantial interest in recent years in the performance and accountability of teachers and schools, partially due to the No Child Left Behind legislation, which requires states to develop a system of sanctions and rewards to hold districts and schools accountable for academic achievement. This focus has lead to an increase in…

The use of complex value-added models that attempt to isolate the contributions of teachers or schools to student development is increasing. Several variations on these models are being applied in the research literature, and policy makers have expressed interest in using these models for evaluating teachers and schools. In this article, we…