Yay?

[Ravening_Wolf]

At least it means minimal changes to the infrastructure of most of our current set-ups

[marco84]

Beeswax is right, the school i work at has decided it will be a good tool to level the kids. so looks like i'll be setting it up after all.

[e_g_r]

I meant lol about the karaoke.

The test we are doing and will continue to do as directed by higher agencies

[alan-d]

My SMT are now dragging their heels on cancelling this. My HT sent me this link although I can't see what it is actually trying to say. Sounds like total blather to me in an attempt to justify such a huge waste of public money.

It is therefore important that schools engage with the test as soon as possible and make use of opportunities for practice and familiarisation.

Yes lets all teach the test - cos the interface does not really resemble anything they use throughout the rest of the year at school or home. (What an idiot!!!)

[beeswax]

I meant lol about the karaoke.

The test we are doing and will continue to do as directed by higher agencies

sorry about that. we've had our priorities changed 3 times today, and I don't know if we're coming or going.

[phil_thebeans]

I put off installing this shite software (experience from another school my tech worked at) until now and only set about installing it this week and as yet hadn't started. Thank the heavens I can now not bother.

Yeah another complete waste of taxpayers money spent on a a brand spanking new dual xeon (quad core) Dell server all for nothing.....or a brilliant new server for my delight hurrah. Seriously though it is if i am Nostradamus, I had a feeling that this project in its present form would fall on its arse and if my SMT decide to run with the tests for "fun" I will be hoping for some financial bonus for any or all work we put in installing and monitoring the ks3 software that is above and beyond our remit as it is no longer going to be arequired test. It would be much better if we create our own specific ICT tests and have the kids clicking tick boxes in a spreadsheet etc at least it would work.

[Gatt]

Our school has not decied what its going to do about it - and knowing SLT - it could drag its heals over it..

In the mean time i have removed the DPS software from all PCs..

Now need to find a way to stop the services.. got tons of postgres processes running :|

[e_g_r]

All in a tiz after i broke the news, no one seems to know what they should be doing.

Surely there should be a directive ya or nay from the Dfes to the LEA and then down to the schools.

[russdev]

Interesting report here http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01..._school_tests/

Looks like the software will be used as part of the new Making Good Progress.

Russ

[beeswax]

All in a tiz after i broke the news, no one seems to know what they should be doing.

Surely there should be a directive ya or nay from the Dfes to the LEA and then down to the schools.

I get the feeling that the LEA's knew about this about 5 minutes before we found out. It takes time for them to formulate a strategy. I expect gestation to last until February half term.

[russdev]

All in a tiz after i broke the news, no one seems to know what they should be doing.

Surely there should be a directive ya or nay from the Dfes to the LEA and then down to the schools.

I get the feeling that the LEA's knew about this about 5 minutes before we found out. It takes time for them to formulate a strategy. I expect gestation to last until February half term.

You right there they found out when we did in basic terms you have got 4 options...

1) Not doing anything with it..

2) Do 2007 test this May and carry on with it in 2008 in what ever form it then takes...

3)Do 2007 and then stop

4)do 2007 and then decide on 2008

You as school have to decide where you see your teaching going, do you think there is benefit for you as a school to be involved.

We sort of know where we are going but going to take till end of month before have sorted it all out and got permission to do what we want to do. We have quite a radical plan not new but being that we have odd set-up in Leicestershire, separate schools for school years 7-9 and 10 - 13 going to make it quite a forward thinking school in the area.

It will involve us being involved in the new ks3 ict software in what ever format it takes..


Russ

[alan-d]

Going to have a think about it for a few weeks but option 1 looks favorite as we already get 100% A-C grades anyway, the majority being grade B & higher.

The pilot we did last year was more of a hindrance to teaching than a help. We're not dismissing it altogether, it's a case of wait and see what evolves.