Measuring Student Growth in Tennessee: Understanding TVAAS | Page 10

OCTOBER 2014

TAKING NOTE

calculated. Since the TVAAS measure is an important
component of Tennessee teacher evaluations and
informs important decisions about teachers, it is
crucial for teachers and principals to have the tools
necessary to understand the measure and how it can
inform instructional improvement in their classrooms.
Importantly, these concerns present the opportunity
for the improved accuracy and application of TVAAS
to foster improved outcomes for all Tennessee
students. This section outlines the opportunities these
concerns present for continued improvement in the
accuracy and use of TVAAS data.

New York City
Advance

PAGE 10

A multiple measures approach: As noted earlier,
teacher evaluations employ a multiple measures
approach to improve the accuracy and usefulness
of the teacher evaluation as a whole. The use of
formal and informal observations, student perception
surveys, and personal conferences complement
TVAAS, providing teachers with further insight
into their instructional strengths and opportunities
for growth.58 59 As the Tennessee Department of
Education continues to develop and adapt its teacher
evaluation system, it should take advantage of the
opportunity to evaluate the accuracy of the multiple
measures employed in different districts’ teacher
evaluations and to explore innovative measures used
in other states.

New York City’s teacher evaluation system, Advance, incorporates multiple measures
into their evaluation of teacher practice. One unique component of their model is their
use of teacher portfolios. Teacher portfolios include eight artifacts from a teacher’s
planning and instructional process. These artifacts could include lesson plans, unit
plans, or curricula the teacher developed collaboratively or independently. Teacher
portfolio