The "value-added" conception of excellence in education, unlike any traditional view, focuses on the ability of a school or college to affect its students favorably and equitably. It focuses on changes in the student from the beginning to the end of the educational program. The "value-added" approach would involve the testing of students entering a school or college for the first time to determine their entering levels of competence for purposes of counseling and course placement. These initial "pretest" scores would not only provide both students and teachers with information about the student's specific strengths and weaknesses, but they would also constitute a baseline against which to measure later student progress ("value-added"). Following the completion of appropriate courses or programs of study, the same or similar tests would be readministered to measure student growth. This approach, unlike traditional measures such as the reputational view, the resources view, or the outcomes view, promotes equity because it diverts attention away from mere acquisition of resources and focuses instead on their effective utilization. Any school is capable of attaining a significant degree of "excellence" through this method. (JM)