The Unintended Consequences of VAM: Excluding Latinx Social Studies Topics

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Using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-Test to analyze 128 survey responses from K-12 teachers, this paper considers how value-added measures (VAM) impact educators’ decisions to include Latinx topics in their social studies lessons. The authors found that VAM teachers are more likely to rely on district/state curriculum standards whereas non-VAM teachers rely on curriculum resources to incorporate Latinx topics. When compared to non-VAM teachers, VAM teachers cover less Latinx content when it does not align with the standards, but higher coverage when the topics do align. The findings suggest that VAM can restrict teachers from implementing a diverse curriculum.