Development of Value-Added Measure of Learning Achievement for High School Students.

The objectives of this research were to develop the method of value-added measure of learning achievement for high school students and to categorize the school groups by using the value-added score. The samples were 84 secondary schools in Khon Kaen province under the office of Secondary Educational Service Area. The student data consisted of Grade Point Average (GPAX), Ordinary National Education Tests (ONET) in five subjects including Thai language, Social Study, English language, Mathematics, and Sciences were used in academic year 2010 - 2011. The instrument of research consisted of data record form, survey form. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, equating method, regression analysis, value-added analysis, Pearson product correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis. The research results as follow 1) Value added score is obtained as follow steps; (1) equate with the linear equating method the grade point average (GPAX) by O-NET scores of high school students (2) regress mean equated GPAX scores of students from year 2010 on mean equated GPAX scores of students from year 2011 (3) calculate the difference of the actual mean equated GPAX score and the "expected" mean equated GPAX from the regression. 2) The measurement model of value-added of learning achievement for high school students consisted 5 factors which fitted the empirical data (Chi-Square = 2.30, df = 5, p-value = 0.8058, RMSEA = 0.0000, RMR = 0.0002). School group categorized by using the percentile of value-added score classified 7 groups including, very poor (pr<10) poor (10 <= pr<25) fair (25 <= pr<50) very fair (50 <= pr<75) good (75 <= pr<90) very good (90 <= pr<95) and excellent (pr >= 95). The implementing of the value-added of learning achievement into practice were (1) to improve the quality of teaching and learning each subjects and (2) to evaluate the quality of schools. This method provided a clearer indication of the contribution a school makes to the progress of its students. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.