Making the most of Assessment
Data in the Secondary Years
Dr Robert Clark
Baseline Assessment
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Year 7 (8)
Year 9
Year 10 (11)
Computer Adaptive Baseline Test
Vocab
Maths
Non Verbal
What is an Adaptive test ?
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All questions allocated to groups of different difficulty
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All students in a year group get common difficulty starting question
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If answer correct, next question harder
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If answer wrong, next question easier
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Test looks at all answers in a section and homes in on questions of a
suitable difficulty for student
Try it yourself at www.intuproject.org/demos
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Standardisation
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Test scores are standardised; Mean = 100, SD = 15
Standardised
Score
National
Percentage
Comment
>130
Top 2.5%
Traditional classification of ‘mentally gifted’
>120
Top 10%
>108
Top 30%
>100
Top 50%
<70
Bottom 2.5%
Potential special educational needs ??
Feedback from Baseline Test
• Intake Profiles
• Individual Pupil Records (IPRs)
• Predictions (GCSE)
Individual Pupil
Record Sheets
(IPRs)
Look for sections that
are inconsistent
General IPR Patterns
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Pupils with high scores across all components
Pupils with low scores across all components
Pupils with significant differences between one or two components
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Vocab lower than others
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Vocab higher than others
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Maths higher than others
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Maths lower than others
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Non-Verbal higher than others
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Non-Verbal lower than others
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Low Skills
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High Skills
Pupils with high scores across all components
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Score > 130 – top 2.5%
Gifted ?
Challenging Work ?
Are they being Stretched ?
Pupils with low scores across all components
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Score =70 – bottom 2.5%
Special Educational Needs ?
Specialist testing required ?
Vocab significantly lower than other sections
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English Second Language ?
Understanding language used in learning and assessment ?
Language enrichment ?
Vocab significantly higher than other sections
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Good Communicator ?
Work in class may not be to this standard
→ Weak Non-verbal
→ Weak Maths
→ Weak Skills (speed of working ?)
Many benefit from verbal descriptors ?
Maths significantly higher than other sections
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Strong Maths ability
Not 100% curriculum free
May depend on prior teaching effectiveness
Far East influence ?
Maths significantly lower than other sections
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Implications not just for maths but other numerate or data based
subjects
General poor numeracy ?
Remedial Maths ?
Non-Verbal Significantly Higher than other sections
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Good spatial and non-verbal ability
May have high specific skills
Low Vocab, Maths & Skills may indicate has difficulty
communicating
Frustration ?
Non-Verbal Significantly Lower than other sections
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Difficulty understanding diagrams or graphical instructions ?
Verbal explanation ?
Physical demonstration ?
Physical Models ?
Low Skills Scores
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Skills = Proof Reading and Perceptual Speed & Accuracy
Speed of Working
Work well in class / homework but underachieve in exams ?
Problems checking work or decoding questions ?
Low Skills + Low Vocab
→ Poor written work in class (unable to work quickly)
→ Dyslexia ? Further specialist assessment required
High Skills Scores
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Skills = Proof Reading and Perceptual Speed & Accuracy
Can work quickly & accurately
Difficulty communicating and expressing ideas ?
May perform poorly in areas using numeracy skills and subjects
needing 3D visualisation and spatial concepts ?
May struggle in most areas of curriculum.
Predictions
 NOT a forecast of the grade the student will get
 An indication of the grade (points score) achieved on average by students of
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similar ability in the previous year
NOT a Target
Targets ?
• Minimum Targets – Round CEM prediction down ?
• Realistic Targets – Use nearest CEM grade ?
• Challenging Targets
→ 75th percentile ?
→ Prior Value Added ?
→ Arbitrary grade fraction ?
Adjust Predictions to reflect school expectation
Display predictions
as Grades
0.5
Convert
to A*=58
6.3
6.9
5.8
6.1
5.5
75th Percentile
Prior Value Added
Chances Graphs
Curriculum Assessment Y9 - INSIGHT
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Combines Curriculum based assessment with baseline assessment
→ Maths
→ Science
→ Reading
→ Developed Ability
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Feedback includes
→ Standardised Scores (& KS3 Levels)
→ IPRs
→ Predictions (including chances graphs) - From Y7 and to GCSE
→ Value-Added from Y7
→ Value-Added to GCSE
IPRs
Vocab
Maths
Science
Developed
Ability
Also available as KS3 equivalent (sub) levels
Thank You
Dr Robert Clark
robert.clark@cem.dur.ac.uk
secondary.support@cem.dur.ac.uk