Data Management News October 2008

You will already have had a busy term, analysing exam results to brief staff and governors and yet there is no immedicate expectation of the datat arriving on RAISEonline. DATA RELEASE 2008 At the current time there is no specific timetable for the RAISE data for 2008. The problems with the marking at ETS seem to have had an impact on the dates for the loading of KS2 & 3 data. KS1 & 4 are not affected. The suggested timetable for this year is as follows (last year's delivery dates are in brackets):  KS1 - During October 08 (last year -12th November) KS2 - Not announced but after last year’s date, probably late November/early December (12th November 2007) KS3 - Not announced but after last year’s date, probably January/February (18th January 2008) KS4 - During November (10th December 2007) TARGET SETTING AUTUMN 2009 The DfE have issued their Guidance to LAs (these can be found at http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ts/publications/list/ and many of you will already have your instructions from your LA for your SIP meetings in November. The guidance is worth a read if you have not done so before as it sets the target setting process in the context of all the government initiatives you face such as the Children's Plan, PSA targets, the Making Good Progress pilot and Care Matters: Time for a Change. The 2 part document also gives guidance on the nationally required targets for 2010 (KS2, 3, 4, Early Years' Outcomes and attendance) and indicators that the SIP/LA should be looking for on the progress of certain groups - BME (Black and Minority Ethnic groups), SEN and Children in Care. The guidance continues to play up the role of RAISE online in target setting, the functionality for which is now fully available. If you are a secondary school you will need to load cohort details including KS2 results if you wish to use the target setting model. The target setting model in RAISE works purely on prior attainment ignoring all contextual issues to ensure there is no lowering of expectations for certain groups of pupils. Call me if you need help. Early indications are that most LAs continue to provide FFT as well with the recommended model D being the most challenging for target setting. Ofsted - Indicators of a school's contribution to well-being - Consultation Document Released on early October this paper suggests that DCSF and Ofsted are moving towards using 2 kinds of school level indicators for pupil well-being. The first relating to quantifiable outcomes the schools can influence - % of persistently absent pupils, % pupils doing 2hrs+ PE, school lunch take-up The second based on the perceptions of stakeholders (pupils & parents) relating to the ECM outcomes - the proposal is that the existing Ofsted questions will be bought together with new questions around ECM and combined in an recommended form of questionnaire which will provide by accredited survey providers such as Cocentra. Thus avoiding overlaps and also providing a national benchmark of data. We are already in discussion with Ofsted about the new approach to pupil and parent surveys set out in the document and will keep you informed of progress as and when we can. RAISE NEWS RAISE Question Level Analysis, Target Setting and Data Management functionality is at last fully functional and if you would like any help using these areas please call me. I understand from Ofsted that all problems with Common Transfer Files have now been fixed so you should not experience the same issues as last year when some versions of SIMS and Facility Manager would not talk to RAISE. I also received the following clarification from Ofsted recently "Pupils who take exams early at KS4 have their results reported in the year they finish KS4. In some cases, if they went on to take AS levels in one or more subjects, the AS level results in the subject will be included instead of GCSE assuming the points score is higher." Finally you should all be aware I have re-written Cocentra's RAISE course, incorporating target setting, QLA and data management and it is being delivered across the country this term and into the Spring term for details visit http://www.cocentra.com/cocentra/training or call Louise or Ann on 0845 009 4030 If you would prefer support in your school or for your cluster in the form of a workshop using your own data please give me a ring 07917 080201 If you have any query relating to school data and in particular RAISE feel free to email or call me unless it involves a significant piece of work it will cost you nothing but your time! My contact details are set out below. Andrew Best Cocentra Ltd People for Learning Mobile: 07917 080201 Office: 0845 009 4070 Email: Andy.best@cocentra.com    Contextual Information 2008 I thought I would just let you know that Ofsted/DfE have released the contextual information for 2008, whist the schedules and layout are broadly the same there have been some changes: Attendance and absence indicators have been removed from the 'Basic Characteristics' report. New Overall and Persistent absence indicators will be released at a later date as separate reports in RAISEonline. Primaries will notice a space has already been made for them in Interactive Analysis reports.  There is little information on how the tables are to be constructed at present although as you may be aware, they are expected to form part of the new well-being indicators (see Ofsted consultation - "Indicators of a school's contribution to well-being"). There are no help screens and the tutorials for RAISE on the national strategies site have been removed presumably to allow them to be revised. I have asked for clarification of whether the national level attendance data will be made available elsewhere as it will still be a focus of inspection and will be included in the new school report card (USA example on DfE website). Key Stage 3 prior attainment data for year 10 students are not currently available and therefore the 'Prior  Attainment of KS4 Cohort' report does not include this information. The figures will be released at a later date once these data become available.  Key Stage 1 data KS1 data 2008 has now been released onto RAISE although there is still not sign of the KS2 data. Key Stage 1 Contextualised Attainment schedules have been added to RAISE in the reports and analysis section. There is currently very little explanation available as to how these are being prepared although they are seeking to compare the attainment of groups within school with their national equivalents from a similar context. I assume this is similar to the FFT measure with a similar name (for more information on this, Google "Contextualised Attainment KS1"). The key thing to remember is this is not a progress measure as it does not include any measure of prior attainment, so it takes no account of where the pupil started KS1. Any analysis needs to be done carefully and ideally alongside other information such as the Foundation Stage Profile or data collected in Year 1 or Year 2.