Milwaukee Classroom Value-Added Initiative

Over the past decade WCER (supported by the Joyce Foundation) has forged a strong partnership with Milwaukee Public School (MPS) that has led to the creation of a sophisticated system for measuring, tracking, and reporting the value-added productivity of MPS classrooms and schools. This system is now the core of the district’s school report card and accountability system and continues the success of the relationship by undertaking these three focused tasks:

- Developing and utilizing value-added models for quarterly benchmark assessments.

- Building and implementing a value-added professional development system for all teachers and principals and;

- Evaluating the effects of the MPS classroom value-added initiative using a randomized experiment.

These tasks are part of a concerted strategy to provide teachers and principals the information and decision tools needed to improve teaching and learning within the classroom.