Introduction to the Yellis Project

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Introduction to theYellis Project
Neil DeftyNeil_at_cem.dur.ac.ukTel 0191 334 4201
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Introduction to theYellis Project

• Overview of the Yellis Project
• History
• Timetable for Testing
• Websites Yellis Yellis
• PARIS Software
• Assessments Questionnaires
• Basic Yellis Test Questionnaire
• Computer Adaptive Baseline Test
• Extended Yellis Questionnaire (Y11)
• Online Attitudinal Yellis (Y10)
• Feedback
• Baseline
• Attitudinal
• Value Added

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A Brief History of Yellis

• Project started in 1992, with 10 pilot schools,
  and only value added feedback was provided.
• Within a couple of years the project had grown,
  due to involvement of a couple of LEAs, to over
  200 schools and by 1999, when I joined the
  project, there were over 1088 schools
  participating.
• Last academic year there were (approximately)
• 200,000 pupils from over 1200 schools
  participating in Basic Yellis cycle,
• 45,000 pupils from over 230 schools
  participating in Extended Yellis
• 10,000 pupils from over 54 schools taking the
  online Attitudinal questionnaire

We are in the process of receiving registrations
for the 2006/2007!
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Timetable Testing and Feedback
2-Year Cycle
Year 10
Year 11
Value Added Feedback
GCSE Results Collection
Term 2 (Optional) Extended Questionnaire
Term 1 Basic Yellis Test and Questionnaire
Term 2/3 (Optional) Attitudinal Questionnaire
Extended Feedback
Initial Feedback
Attitudinal Feedback
1-Year Cycle
Term 2 Basic Yellis Test and Questionnaire
Initial Feedback
Overvew of the Yellis Project
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The Yellis Websites Yellis Yellis
Yellis Website http//www.yellisproject.org
Yellis website Accessed by following the
Yellis Login link from the Yellis
website Username Password required
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The Basic Yellis Test Questionnaire - Overview

• Been in use since 1992 currently taken by over
  200,000 students in nearly 1200 secondary schools

• A measure of developed abilities providing a
  fair baseline from which GCSE predictions and
  value-added scores can be generated

• Standardised test administration and no pre-test
  student preparation required FAIR to all schools

• Test fits into a double period ( 1 hour)

• Available in two equivalent formats Paper
  Computer Adaptive

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Computer Adaptive vs Paper Based Testing
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Basic Yellis Test - Vocabulary Section

• A series of multiple choice questions
• Designed to measure quick-thinking vocabulary
  skills.
• Provides a strong indicator of later academic
  achievement.

Paper-based (54 questions) Time allocated 10
mins
Computer-Adaptive
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Basic Yellis Test - Maths Section

• A series of questions - a mixture of multiple
  choice questions and ones that require
  constructed answers
• Designed with an emphasis on measuring quick
  thinking as well as numerical ability.
• Provides a strong indicator of later academic
  achievement.

Paper-based (18 questions) Time allocated 15
mins
Computer-Adaptive
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Basic Yellis Test - Patterns Section

• Two distinctive types of question - entitled
  "matching" and "reflection and rotations all
  multiple choice
• Curriculum-free and fair test
• Designed to assess the perceptual speed and
  accuracy.
• Time allocated 4 4 minutes most students
  will not finish
• Results reported to schools but not used in
  GCSE prediction/value-added analyses

Paper-based (1815 questions)
Computer-Adaptive
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Basic Yellis Test - Questionnaire Section

• Looks briefly at your students' attitudes
  towards education and their aspirations for the
  near future.

Paper-based
Computer-Adaptive
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Extended Yellis (Attitudinal) Questionnaires

• Attitudes to school and study do your students
  enjoy and feel happy in school?
• Attitudes and motivation toward subjects what
  do your students feel about the classes they
  take? How does their motivation vary with
  subject?
• Bullying in school do your students ever feel
  threatened or bullied? If so, where?
•   Career aspirations what expectations do your
  students have for their future after school?
• Drug use how prevalent are cigarettes, alcohol
  and illegal drugs amongst your students?
• Socio-economic status what are the educational
  levels and occupational status of the parents of
  your students?
• and much more!

Taken in Term 2/3 of Year 10 ONLINE Taken in
Term 2 of Year 11 on paper
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Baseline Feedback

• Initial Feedback
• Student Register
• Listing of Raw Test Scores ()
• Band Profile Graph
• List of "Under-aspiring" Students

Paper copies sent
All available on the Yellis CD or from the
Yellis website

• Standardised Feedback
• Standardised Test Scores (Ranked)
• Standardised Test Scores (Alphabetically ordered)
  
• Individual Pupil Record Sheets (IPRs)
• Standardised Scores Spreadsheet

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Listing of Raw Test Scores ()
This is a list of the students percentage scores
in the Maths, Vocabulary and optional Patterns
sections, their overall Test Score and their
Test Band.
overall Test Score Average of Maths and Vocab
Scores
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Band Profile Graph
Checking this graph each year will give you an
immediate overview of your intake. A school with
a completely average intake would have 25 of
pupils within each band.
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List of "Under-aspiring" Students
This is a list of students who, through a
combination of attitudinal answers and actual
performance in the Yellis Test, have been
identified as being significantly less interested
in remaining in education after Year 11 than
other pupils of similar ability.
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Standardised Scores
Standardised feedback each component of the
Yellis Test has a mean of 100 and a standard
deviation of 15.
A Standardised Score of 130, i.e. two standard
deviations above the average score, is generally
considered the minimum score for the designation
of 'mentally gifted'.
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Individual Pupil Recordsheets (IPRs)

• For each student this report gives
• Raw Scores
• Standardised Scores
• Bands
• Stanines
• Percentiles
• Data also available in the Standardised Scores
  Spreadsheet (Excel).

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GCSE Predictions
All available on the Yellis CD or from the
Yellis website

• PARIS and your GCSE Predictions database
• GCSE Predictions Spreadsheet
• QCA Predictions Spreadsheet
• The Chances Graphs Booklet
• Regression Equation Coefficients

GCSE predictions are based on the average
performance by similar students in past
examinations.
PARIS Predictions And Reporting Interactive
Software
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Regression Segments
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Scatter Diagram of YELLIS Test Scores against
Maths GCSE grades (n200)
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Predictions And Reporting Interactive Software
PARIS An Excel workbook that runs under the
versions of Excel found in Microsoft Office
97/2000/XP/2003. Used to produce pupil, subject
and school level reports that look at the
potential and value added performance of students
in their GCSE examinations.
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PARIS Individual Student Reports

• Individual Student Report
• Gives details of
• Raw Yellis Test Scores
• Yellis Band
• GCSE predictions
• on the 8-point scale
• as GCSE grades
• Chances Graphs

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PARISFull Summary Subject Reports
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PARIS Institution Summary Report
can be used to estimate the of students
expected to get 5 or more A-Cs
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GCSE Predictions Spreadsheets

• Give details of your students
• Yellis test scores
• GCSE predictions
• on the 8-point scale
• on QCA scale
• as GCSE grades
• Predictions given for "selected" subjects or
  "all" subjects.

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Chances Graphs
This booklet contains four graphs for each GCSE
subject. These show the performance of the pupils
in each of the four Bands, based on the actual
GCSE grades achieved by all Yellis candidates in
the previous year. These graphs provide a rough
guide to what might be expected, as well as
indicating the likely spread of the results.
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Attitudinal Feedback
Basic Yellis 5 Comparison Graphs Extended
Yellis 23 Comparison Graphs Student
Comments Attitudinal Trends Comparison
Graphs 35 from the Basic Questionnaire 197
from the Extended Questionnaire The student
comments are NOT on the Yellis website or Yellis
CD.
All available on the Yellis CD or from the
Yellis website
Paper copies sent
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Basic Comparison Graphs
These show details of pupil attitudes, job
aspirations, cultural capital etc. and provide
both raw and comparative data.
Your data is above the Yellis average
Your data is below the Yellis average
Your data is about the same as the Yellis average
Your data is about the same as the Yellis average
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Extended Comparison Graphs

• The following list gives the titles of Comparison
  Graphs currently provided by the Extended Yellis
  questionnaire
• Alienation Indicators
• Attitudes to Design Technology
• Attitudes to English
• Attitudes to a Foreign Language
• Attitudes to Mathematics
• Attitudes to Science
• Career-Relevant Activities Experienced
• Sources of Careers Information Found Useful
• Preferences for Kinds of Work
• Items in the Freedom from Free Scale
• Design and Technology Homework
• English Homework
• Foreign Language Homework
• Mathematics Homework
• Science Homework
• Career Choice Motivators
• Parental Involvement Mothers

Your data is above the Yellis average
Your data is below the Yellis average
Your data is about the same as the Yellis average
Your data is about the same as the Yellis average
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Pupil Comments (Extended Yellis)

• Pupils were asked, Do you plan to continue with
  your education after this year?
• Firstly I enjoy writing in a schooling
  atmosphere, I feel safe. Secondly I know that
  education is very important and without it you
  will find difficulty finding a living and
  supporting yourself.
• I want to do A levels because I think that they
  are good for getting a job and I would enjoy it
  and hopefully get the career I have been thinking
  about.
• Because I just want to go out and get a job.
• I would like to go to college and learn to be a
  travel representative abroad.
  
• Pupils were asked, Do you feel that your
  involvement in things other than examinations at
  school will be recognised when you leave?
• I hope to fulfill my dream.
• Our school runs a Duke of Edinburgh award scheme
  that starts in about year 9 at Bronze level, you
  can then work up to Gold if you want to. I am
  currently working on my silver award. The
  teachers also run the scheme have helped us a lot
  with it.
• I think that people like to look at extra
  curricular activities because it shows a better
  picture of your personality.
• I am in a band and I dont think this will effect
  me in any way.
• Pupils were asked to make any other comments
• I feel have to say that the teachers in this
  school treat you with no respect and do not help
  you in anyway at all. I do not like any of them
  apart from my form tutor for she is the only one
  that helps me and talks to me.
• I would like to add that the toilets at this
  school are a disgrace and I would like to see
  something done about this.

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Attitudinal Trends Comparison Graphs

• For schools with two or more years of
  questionnaire data
• Basic Yellis - 35 Graphs
• Extended Yellis - 197 Graphs
• Designed to enable you to easily track how the
  responses of your students to items on the
  questionnaire compare to those of all other
  Yellis students over time.

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Value Added Feedback

• Reports
• Pupil Level Residuals
• Yellis to GCSE, Short Course and Vocational GCSE
• Average KS3 Level to GCSE (for core GCSEs)
• Subject Summary by Gender
• Graphs
• Value Added
• Relative Ratings
• Expectations of Exam Grades Comparison Graphs
• Spreadsheets
• Value Added Spreadsheet
• QCA Predictions Spreadsheet
• Gender Adjusted Analysis
• The latest version of PARIS and your Value-Added
  Database

All available on the Yellis CD or from the
Yellis website
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Pupil Level Residuals
Residuals is a statistical term for value-added
scores. This is a much fairer way of looking at
performance than a crude measure such as A-C
achievement. Indeed, for example, we must
recognise that a Grade E or F at GCSE may be a
great achievement for some pupils.
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Subject Summary by Gender
This report is a summary of your students'
average Yellis, GCSE and value added scores split
by gender. It is designed to be interpreted in
conjunction with the latest "Gender Gap at GCSE"
report.
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Value Added Graph
Relative Ratings Graph
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Expectation of Exam Grades Graphs
These Comparison graphs show, for each of a
selection of core subjects, how well pupils
performed at GCSE compared with how well they
expected themselves to perform (based on their
responses on the Yellis questionnaire).
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Subject Reports (produced using PARIS)
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Student Report (produced using PARIS)
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Statistical Process Control (SPC) chart (produced
using PARIS)
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Standardised Residual Graph (produced using PARIS)
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Scatter Graph (produced using PARIS)
Art Design Yellis Regression Line Grade
0.052 Score (2.557) (Dashed lines are 2
standard deviation boundaries)
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Yellis Contact Details
Project Manager Neil Defty 0191 334
4201 Neil_at_cem.dur.ac.uk Secretary Jill McKenna
0191 334 4200 Jill.McKenna_at_cem.dur.ac.uk PARIS
Software Dave Greenhaff 0191 334
4202 David.Greenhaff_at_cem.dur.ac.uk Yellis
Website http//www.yellisproject.org/ CEM
Centre Website http//www.cemcentre.org/