Value-Added Modeling in Physical Education

The educational reform movement in the United States has resulted in a variety of states moving toward a system of value-added modeling (VAM) to measure a teacher's contribution to student achievement. Recently, many states have begun using VAM scores as part of a larger system to evaluate teacher performance. In the past decade, only “core subjects” such as mathematics and reading were required to provide student growth data through student assessments and annual progress. However, recent trends suggest that “non-test subjects,” such as physical education, will soon be held accountable for providing evidence of student growth. It is increasingly likely that student-performance score data will be used in VAM to prove teacher performance in physical education. This article discusses current educational trends as they relate to physical education and VAM, and presents ways in which the subject of physical education could meet the requirements of an increasingly VAM-driven educational world.