Value-addedness (Part 2)

I received a telephone call from a friend who has a child in P1. She asked me how she could gauge the effectiveness of enrichment classes. I shared with her my opinions.

Some schools have made teachers track their class results in terms of value-addedness. I think this is a very effective way of assessing a teacher's effectiveness.

Teacher A may be teaching an average ability P6 class whereby all the pupils failed Math (40+ marks) when they were in their respective P5 classes. In P6, most of these kids started to pass and gain confidence in Math. By the end of the year, two to three of these kids attained A* in PSLE while the majority attained As and a few attained Bs.

Teacher B is teaching a class with pupils of above average abilities. In the PSLE, half of the class gets A* while the other half gets A. Does that mean that Teacher A is less effective than Teacher B? Of course not! We must always remember that the kids' starting points in these two classes are different. As an ex-Science Subject Head, I see the reliability of using value-addedness to assess a teacher's effectiveness.

Hence, my advice to my friend and all parents is that assess in terms of value addedness. Do not just gauge by the end results. We must be aware of the different entry points of the kids. At which spectrum or mark range were the kids before the enrichment lessons? After a year, at which mark range are the kids?

Moreover, one size does not fit all. What works for one child may not work for another. Personally, if the child is very weak in the fundamentals, I think the child will benefit more if he or she can get individualised coaching. Of course, my friend did have a valid point. She mentioned that individualised coaching will only work if she gets a good tutor.