Introduction: The use of student growth measures for educator accountability at the intersection of policy and practice

Student growth measures (SGMs) involve the quantification of student progress over time, using student test scores and other student assessment and demographic data aggregated at the teacher level to determine effectiveness, or more descriptively, teacher effects. SGMs come in numerous varieties, including value-added models, student growth percentiles, and student learning objectives. The authors discuss the growing interest in teacher evaluation as a lever for reform and articulate the theory of action underpinning contemporary teacher evaluation policies that incorporate SGMs. The authors conclude with an overview of the rest of the volume as well as an overview of their perspectives as the volume’s editors.