In the UK, School League Tables are used extensively by policymakers and parents as one of the key measures of school effectiveness. However it has been widely recognised that there are problems with some of these measures. Indeed last year the UK government introduced a new measure of school effectiveness (Contextualised Value Added (CVA)), which adjusts school's expected performance to take account not only of pupil prior attainment but also some other pupil and school characteristics associated with performance differences (outside a school's control) (see Ray, 2006). We will be hosting a mini conference, with a joint ADMIN, LEMMA, CEMMAP session at the Methods Festival on the limitations and problems of school league tables, and measuring value added by schools with speakers from the three ESRC investments.

This session, the first day, will cover a range of methodological issues around the measurement of value added, school performance and use of school league tables. The session on Tuesday morning will be of general interest to a wider audience, including those from different disciplines and methodological backgrounds and focus on possible ways forward in measuring school effectiveness after outlining the problems with current approaches (please see here to book).