Performance Evaluations

Here's some food for thought on teacher performance evaluations, from New Jersey, where they are evidently looking at "value-added" models. NewJersey.com

From the article:

THE Teacher Effectiveness Task Force report issued March 3 by a panel appointed by Governor Christie recommended basing teacher evaluation significantly on student test scores.

My question is this: what evidence is there to support this model? We know by now that the LA Times results are questionable, the Vanderbilt study found performance pay to be ineffective, most of the brilliant schemes to pay kids for grades have been abandoned. So, in this world where we are supposed to be 'research-based' and use the 'data', where is the research to support these plans? And, "I believe it will work" is NOT good enough.