Date of Award

Spring 2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership

First Advisor

Dawn Besinger

Abstract

This study addressed the impact of VAM, concerns with VAM data, uses and interventions educational leaders provided teachers, and components perceived as necessary for VAM effectiveness as an evaluation tool. The demographics used for this study were position, school size, and experience. Due to the documented need for educational accountability from the 1960s to present, the knowledge gained in this study was valuable. While the initiative was implemented as a response to increased accountability, the perceptions and understanding of such new initiatives can impact their effectiveness; in turn, impacting educational leadership. This study focused on the effectiveness of VAM.

In this quantitative study, data were gathered through a survey. The study participants were educational leaders, including principals, assistant principals, coordinators, and district-level personnel. The data collection and analysis were guided by the following research questions:

1) Did the impact of VAM on leadership practices differ based on position, school size, and years of experience in northwest Louisiana? 2) Did concerns of educational leaders about VAM effectiveness differ based on position, school size, and years of experience in northwest Louisiana? 3) Did the uses and interventions (student placement, teacher placement, professional development, giving teachers feedback, more observations, and termination) educational leaders provided to teachers differ based on position, school size, and years of experience? 4) Did educational leaders' perceptions of components necessary for VAM effectiveness differ based on position, school size, years of experience in northwest Louisiana?

This study revealed that educational leaders experienced problems with the impact of VAM, the components of VAM effectiveness, and how they used the information generated by VAM in their leadership practices based on position, school size and years of experience.

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