La., Texas Districts See Gains From TAP

To the Editor:

I was surprised to read the recent Report Roundup item about Chicago's experience with the Teacher Advancement Program ( "No Achievement Boost Found for Chicago TAP," March 14, 2012 ). My experience has been completely different. I have been a school superintendent for more than 30 years and have seen many programs come and go. However, TAP sustains itself. Since adopting TAP in 2008, we have found that, quite simply, the TAP system is a comprehensive, well-researched program that works. We believe so strongly in TAP that we have implemented the system districtwide.

The DeSoto Parish, La., school system's commitment to TAP is reflected in the continuous growth of our teachers and students. The nine schools with value-added growth data available met or exceeded those targets for the 2010-11 year compared with similar schools in Louisiana. Five of our schools scored a 5, indicating "far above average" growth compared with similar schools in the state. We are also proud to note that we have improved our state's district-performance score each...