Local Authority and School Value-Added Data

They can be accessed by visiting the following website:

www.online.fischertrust.org - The Fischer Trust website.

A small file (LLL_Password.txt) has been placed in your development folder on the Fischer Trust secure server.

This contains the password.

The username is your LA number.

The initial analyses cover two areas:

Segmentation

Reports which group schools on the basis of their 3 year value-added (High, Middle, Low) and the trend over the 3 years (Steady, Improving, Declining, Varying).

A summary report for the LA allows you to select different indicators, key stages and years.

Links then enable you to look at schools in each group and then to data for individual schools.

There are two versions of Segmentation, the ALT version is less fully developed but is included so that we can ask for your views about the two different styles of presentation.

Currently, segmentation data is for England only.

Data for secondary schools in Wales should have be added by now.

KS2 analyses for Wales will have to wait until 2007 when we will have 3 years of KS1 to KS2 VA data.

KS4 Subject Value Added

Reports showing:

• Each subject for the Local Authority as a whole
• Each school separately
• Schools for each subject

At two levels

• Summary
• Detail

The approach is based upon a technique called ordinal regression which, put simply, allows a comparison of the % of students achieving each grade with the estimate.

We feel that this approach is appropriate because

(a) it treats the data as a series of 'chunks' (i.e. grades) rather than as a continuous scale, and

(b) it represents VA in terms of grades achieved in a subject, which we think is more likely to appeal to subject teachers than a value-added based upon points score.

At present the documentation which exists is as above. Initial users have not found this to be a problem.

We will, of course, develop some documentation but this is likely to be at least a month away.

Technical Issues

There is a facility to export reports (as PDF, Excel Files, Web Pages). This may not work if your internet browser security settings prohibit pop-ups.

We know from testing that this aspect of the system works, so if you have any difficulties in this area then please check your local/network security settings.

Reports use colours to highlight significance.

It you print out a report, please ensure that your browser is set to enable BACKGROUND PRINTING - if not, you will have a rather colourless printout.

Feedback and Known Issues

Whilst the reports work sufficiently well there are some issues. Occasionally, subjects are shown on drop-down list for years where they are not available. This results in a blank report.

If this happens, please select a different subject.

We are working on a way to resolve this.

For reports which include school names, long school names can make the drop-down menu stick out over the report.

We hope, within the next 2 weeks, to include a feature whereby you can enter a shortened school name and this will then be used in all reports.

Data SHOULD be the same as in your latest Local Authority database.

If not, please let us know.

The analyses are at an early stage but initial feedback has been very positive so please feel free to share with a small or with a wider group in your LA as appropriate.

For more information about the Fischer Family Trust or to provide feedback please contact:

Dr. Mike Treadaway,
Director of Research,
Fischer Family Trust
Web: www.fischertrust.org

For more information about the School Improvement Service or School Improvement Partners please contact:

Mike Furbank, Head of Improvement and Learning
Tel: (01482) 392402
E-mail: mike.furbank@eastriding.gov.uk