EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Educational value added and programme evaluation

Educational value added and programme evaluation

Introduction

An examination of the main approaches, conclusions and issues surrounding the current literature on the concept and measurement of value added in secondary education.

Description

The review considers the appropriate tools to be adopted in the evaluation of educational initiatives such as the Academies programme.

It focuses on two main literatures:

the assessment of value added in the education sector
the developing literature on programme evaluation in contexts where the conditions for carrying out randomised control trials are not fulfilled.

The research examines the opportunities and problems presented by these approaches, and seeks to bring them productively together in providing appropriate analytical tools for the evaluation of educational initiatives in a variety of contexts.

Background information

The analysis of value added provides an important methodology for assessing the contribution which schools make to the educational attainment of their pupils. In considering the impact of such major policy initiatives as the Academies programme, value added analysis is an important tool.

Methodology

The literature on two approaches relevant to the analysis of value added has been reviewed.

The two approaches are:

the assessment of value added in the education sector;
programme evaluation in contexts where the conditions for carrying out randomised control trials are not fulfilled.

In addition, these two approaches are brought together in the provision of analytical tools for evaluating educational initiatives.

Conclusions

Value added analysis can be used productively to assess the contribution which individual schools make to their pupils’ educational progress. By combining value added analysis with relevant difference-in-differences estimators, the impact of the Academies programme can be explored. Further research is needed into the impact of particular factors such as:

endogeneity bias,
measurement error,
choice of mathematical model used.

Contact info

Department for Education and Skills
Phone: +44 870 000 2288
info@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Publication date

Project finished

28/12/2006

Researcher

David Mayston (University of York)

Links

Visit the Department for Education and Skills website

Download the "Educational value added and programme evaluation" report (PDf, Eng, 488 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Education

Keywords

Secondary education