Dr Mike Treadaway

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• Dr Mike Treadaway
• Director of Research
• Fischer Family Trust

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In-School Variation (ISV)

• What is it?
• Why does it matter?
• How can we measure it?
• How can we use FFT live to explore and understand
  it?
• What can we do about it?

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ISV - Definitions

• Differences in attainment and progress, within a
  school, between
• Groups of students in terms of background
  characteristics
• Such as gender, ethnicity, EAL, social class
• Year Groups
• Subjects
• Including Departments and Classes

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ISV Why does it matter?

• IF
• In the 60 or so of schools where overall VA is
  not significant
• Performance in subjects below the average in the
  school became average
• Nationally, we would see an improvement in 5AC
  (Level 2 nowadays) of around 5
• Even more importantly
• Its about fairness, equity, equal opportunities
• Its about getting a fair deal
• whatever your background,
• whatever your prior attainment,
• whatever subjects you choose to take.
• Overall, students in schools where ISV is low
  make better progress

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ISV How does VA vary?

• Group schools according to the variation in pupil
  progress
• measured using KS2-gt4 total points score
  contextual value-added (FFT_SX)

• Schools with low variance
• Have better value-added scores across almost all
  indicators
• Similar patterns found for other indicators (e.g.
  EN, MA, SC)
• Are more likely to have significantly positive VA
  scores

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ISV Educational Outcomes

• Educational Outcomes
• SSAT Publication
• 2008 analysis includes ISV data for each school
• Developed by FFT
• Looks at variation in student progress
• KS2 to KS4
• FFT Contextual (SX) value-added model
• Data over 3 years (2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08)
• Each school in one of 3 categories
• Low School is in the 30 of schools with lowest
  ISV
• Middle School is in middle 40
• High School is in the 30 of schools with
  highest ISV

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High ISV Always a bad thing?

• Two Similar Schools
• Save overall CVA Score
• Same number of students

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School A

• Most students make similar progress
• Masks variation in core subjects
• Low prior-attainment students do well in English
  but poorly in Science

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School B

• Wide variations in student progress
• Groups with very high and very low progress are
  almost all white boys entitled to FSM
• So school is doing really well with two-thirds of
  a group which most schools struggle with!

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Low ISV Always a good thing?
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ISV - Investigating

• FFT Live
• www.fftlive.org
• Key Analyses for identifying at ISV
• Significant Areas Grid
• Significant Areas Detail
• KS4 and KS5 Subject Value-Added
• Student Value-Added

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ISV Investigating with FFT Live
Groups
Subjects
Students - Overall
Students - Subject
www.fftlive.org
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Value Added Significant Areas 3 Year Summary
Report
Value Added Significant Areas 3 Year Detail Report
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KS4 and KS5 Subject Value Added Summary Report
KS4 and KS5 Subject Value Added Detail Report
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Pupil VA Summary Report (KS 2,3,4)
KS4 and KS5 Pupil VA Subject Report
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And some final thoughts

• Examine consistency over years
• Dont over-react to latest years data
• Embed intelligent use of data
• So that evaluation feeds forward to ensure that
  expectations are set for future improvement
• Develop a culture
• Where middle leaders identify and share
  innovation and effective TL strategies within
  and between departments
• Where student voice informs evaluation and
  planning
• Balance Equity and Efficiency