Transformation-and-re-estimation method for probing scale sensitivity of teacher value added¶
Research Method · All research methods
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 associational),q2· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study
Description¶
The article introduces an approach for testing whether teacher value added depends on the test scale: estimate value added on the original scale, then "applying extremely mild nonlinear transformations to the original scale and re-estimating the value added." Because "by definition at most one of these scales can be equal-interval, all are treated as if interval-scaled when estimating value added," any divergence across estimates reveals scale sensitivity. The method uses the policy context of teacher evaluation as the practical test bed.
Accounts¶
- Transformation-and-re-estimation method for probing scale sensitivity of teacher value added: The article introduces an approach for testing whether teacher value added depends on the test scale: estimate value added on the original scale, then "applying extremely mild nonlinear transformations to the original scale and re-estimating the value added." Because "by definition at most one of these scales can be equal-interval, all are treated as if interval-scaled when estimating value added," any divergence across estimates reveals scale sensitivity. The method uses the policy context of teacher evaluation as the practical test bed. (Soland (2017))
Claims¶
- Teacher value-added estimates are sensitive to the test scale on which they are computed [+M]
- Mild departures from the original scale can change a teacher's odds of being classified high- or low-performing by a factor of 5 [+W]
- Rank orderings of teachers do not change radically under mild scale transformations [+W]
Related Research Methods¶
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Key Sources¶
- Soland, J. (2017). Is teacher value added a matter of scale? The practical consequences of treating an ordinal scale as interval for estimation of teacher effects. Applied Measurement in Education, 30(1), 52–70. https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/is-teacher-value-added-a-matter-of-scale-the-practical-consequences-of-treating-an-ordinal-scale-as-interval-for-estimation-of-teacher-effects/. doi:10.1080/08957347.2016.1247844
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
research-method |
id |
transformation-and-re-estimation-method-for-probing-scale-sensitivity-of-teacher-value-add |
title |
Transformation-and-re-estimation method for probing scale sensitivity of teacher value added |
description |
The article introduces an approach for testing whether teacher value added depends on the test scale: estimate value added on the original scale, then "applying extremely mild nonlinear transformations to the original scale and re-estimating the value added." Because "by definition at most one of th |
status |
review |
moved_from |
theory/transformation-re-estimation-scale-sensitivity-method |
generated |
by process:sweep-kinds on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — soland-2017 |
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