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In Pursuit Of Equity And Excellence: Using Value-Added Measures To Guide Educational Policy, Practice, And Parental High School Decision-Making
Henry, Lavare
Henry, Lavare
Abstract
The quality and effectiveness of schools in Jamaica are a matter of national interest due to the significant investment made by the country in the public education system. While there have been limited studies assessing the performance of high schools, one noteworthy study (The Patterson Report) used value-added measures to evaluate school quality (Patterson, 2021). The Patterson report was significant as it attempted to separate the school's contribution from external factors when evaluating the performance of Jamaican high schools. The student's performance on the Caribbean Examination Council's exams was compared against their intake performance on Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). Since the entry into high schools in Jamaica is based on merit, determined by the student's performance on GSAT, their performance should be based on the quality of their Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) results, the accepted standard for excellence in the country. The study evaluated students' performance in Jamaica, considering their expected outcomes based on their prior GSAT scores. The study used three value-added models to analyze the problem and ranked schools based on the value added to student outcomes and the quality of their CSEC results. The study found that students from nontraditional high schools generally perform better than those from traditional high schools. Also, students from primary schools perform at a relatively similar standard to preparatory school students. However, the opposite is true for students at nontraditional high schools. Finally, the performance of schools in science suggests a need for improvement in this subject area. The study also suggests a different lens through which school leaders and parents should consider excellence.
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2023-01-01
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Education
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https://dx.doi.org/10.25774/w4-j2md-5895