Skip to main content

The Teacher Data Reports on SchoolBook: An Explanation

The Teacher Data Reports on SchoolBook: An Explanation

The Teacher Data Reports on SchoolBook: An Explanation - SchoolBook has published the teacher data reports using a new tool that was created by interactive journalists at The New York Times and WNYC. The goal of the tool: to make the data easier to understand and put the rankings into context.

Teacher Data Reports

Search for your school to view the recently released teacher data reports.


The tool can be found on Web pages created for every school whose teachers’ rankings were released on Friday by the city’s Department of Education. You can find those pages by typing in a school name in the box on the left.

You will find a wealth of data on that page, starting with an overall snapshot of the school, as told by the percentage of teachers at that school whose rankings in English or math were “above average” or high — two of the city’s five ranking categories. You’ll also be able to see how that compares to schools across the city.

Below those school numbers are the names of individual teachers, grouped by grade. The numbers listed with the teachers’ names are the rankings, meaning that teacher’s place when compared to other teachers like her or him.

A teacher can have up to four rankings for each grade taught: for math during the 2009-10 school year, math career, English in 2009-10 and English career. Career rankings are based on one to five years of data.

The numbers are situated along a black line. That line indicates the margin of error for that teacher’s ranking. A fuller explanation, and an example, can be found on each school’s page.

Clicking on a teacher’s name brings up additional information: the number of children in the class the ranking is based on; an “expected” score based on the past performance and demographics of his or her students; and the actual average test score of those students. Test scores are reported as standard deviations above/below the citywide mean.

The difference between the expected score and the actual score is considered the “value added” by the teacher.

One more piece of information can be included with a teacher’s listing: his or her response or explanation of the ranking, as submitted to SchoolBook. We encourage teachers to add their responses.

A module that allows you to search by teacher name is also on that page.

In creating this tool, SchoolBook decided to showcase only the most recent and career rankings, since we agree with many critics that the older data is less useful. We wanted to make clear the margin of error, since one of the weaknesses of these ratings is the large margins. And we wanted to put every figure in the context of the school and expected scores.

All of the data were provided by the city’s Department of Education (ratings for teachers in charter schools and District 75 are expected to be released on Tuesday). A team of journalists spent several hours verifying the data, dealing with anomalies, searching for missing data and making sure everything worked as planned before posting it on our site.

Popular posts from this blog

Kardashian LaChapelle Christmas card 2013

Kardashian LaChapelle Christmas card 2013, Kardashians leave no stones unturned in making their annual Christmas card as larger than life as possible, but for this Christmas, they might have gone a tad overboard as it cost $250,000 for their latest move of self-glorification; obviously the Kardashian Klan didn’t shell out a penny for it. You can see big hair and high fashion but the card shows no Lamar, Scott, Kanye or Rob. Kim Kardashian was more than excited to see the concept of the new card, as she mentioned trying new things was something that excited her the most. Before the shoot, the entire family was seen sitting around in their robes and jammies, discussing the previous Christmas holidays, presents and much, sipping their favorite champagne throughout the time. The Drama The off-beat or rather intricate Christmas card shows us the five sisters Kim, Khloe, Kourtney, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner along with their parents Kris Jenner and Bruce Jenner. They are seen in...

Death sought for man accused of killing mom, half brother

Death sought for man accused of killing mom, half brother, Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for a Nebraska man charged with killing his mother, throwing his 5-year-old half brother in a river and leaving his 11-month-old half brother in a dumpster. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said Monday that several aggravating factors exist in the case against Roberto Martinez-Marinero. Authorities say Martinez-Marinero surrendered to police Thursday and said he'd stabbed his mother, 45-year-old Jesus Ismenia Marinero. The 25-year-old man also said he had thrown Josue Ramirez-Marinero in the Elkhorn River and put Angel Ramirez-Marinero in the dumpster. Authorities found a body Monday that investigators believe is Josue, but a forensic examination will be conducted for confirmation. The boy's family has been notified. Angel was found bruised but alive Wednesday in the dumpster in La Vista. His mother's body was found Wednesday night in a southeast Omaha ditch. Klein...

'Star Trek' Actress Grace Lee Whitney Dies at 85

'Star Trek' Actress Grace Lee Whitney Dies at 85, Grace Lee Whitney, the on-screen character who played Yeoman Janice Rand on the first Star Trek, passed away Friday. She was 85. Every USA Today, child Jonathan Dweck said the star passed on of common reasons at her home in Central California. Whitney depicted Captain Kirk's collaborator for eight scenes of the first 1966 TV arrangement before she was composed out of the script. At the point when Star Trek was renewed as a motion picture establishment in 1979, the performing artist returned as a boss frivolous officer in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Her last appearance as Rand was in 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. William Shatner, who played Whitney's onscreen manager, tweeted Monday: "Sympathies to the group of Grace. She was a consistent sparkling grin throughout the years each time our ways crossed." Every NBC News, Whitney was a customary at Star Trek traditions around the glob...