Researchers demonstrated a quarter century ago that schools could effectively employ value-added statistical methods. At the time, only a few states and districts had accumulated the necessary annual assessment data to take advantage of the breakthrough. Today, every state has the capacity to provide educators with value-added data. Yet most American teachers and administrators still lack access to such information. In its proposed regulations for the Race to the Top program, the U.S. Department of Education has signaled that it wants to change this. Educators should welcome the push. Principals, teachers, and parents will gain valuable information about students' past and predicted performance. School and district administrators will have more information about teachers and the programs intended to hone teachers' skills. Last but certainly not least, teachers will have more information about the effectiveness of their own classroom instruction. If used wisely, such information can lead to better informed decisions that benefit everyone with a stake in improving teaching and learning. (Contains 2 figures and 23 notes.)