ICTLady Posted December 5, 2013 Posted December 5, 2013 Hi all As you know, I'm still in my first year so wondering if some more experienced hands could advise please? At the beginning of the year, we "refreshed" our FFT estimates for Y11 - i.e. downloaded new estimates from FFT and loaded them onto SIMS in place of the estimates that were downloaded last year at the beginning of Y10. I know that estimates change over time because of national data and also because of FFT tweaking their models. However, I've been questioned by a teacher who has (from a class of 27) had 4 students move from a C estimate to a B, one from a B estimate to an A and one from a C estimate to a D. Is it normal for so many grades to change from one year to the next?
Bev Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 My understanding was that they didn't change once they were set. I don't deal with GCSEs but with Key 2 and Key 3, and I've not noticed any changes.
LosOjos Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Likewise, I assumed that once set that was it. Are you sure you're looking at identical data? Fischer estimates can be based on all sorts of different variables, prior attainment or school context, top 50/25/15 etc. Make sure you're looking at like for like data
gazskeltz Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 Actually, I thought that they may change year on year as new national data comes in?
AmandaLambert Posted December 6, 2013 Posted December 6, 2013 FFT amend the estimates at least once a year because the National Statistics change. They amend their formulas & therefore estimates change. They do send out emails to let you know when they have applied new estimates. At our school, we choose to keep the estimates in SIMS for Yr10 through to the end of Yr11 to avoid any confusion. There is a new product in SIMS for FFT that automatically applies FFT Data, we do not have this, so I do not know how this works.
ICTLady Posted December 7, 2013 Posted December 7, 2013 Their website says that estimates will change over time because of national data. I was surprised, though, to see what looks like quite significant changes to estimates in some subjects. I wasn't the one who downloaded the original Y10 estimates (that was before I started my job). I'm following (fairly detailed) instructions from my predecessor but wondering whether (a) I'm looking at a slightly different set of estimates or (b) they really have changed that much.
mark80 Posted December 8, 2013 Author Posted December 8, 2013 Likes already been mentioned there are multiple types of FFT, most common being FFT A (50%) & FFT D (Top 25%). On top of this there are different models (PA) Prior Attainment based on KS2 data & (SE) Socio economic, which is based on KS2 data but also adds contextual data like FSM, Deprivation factor, month of birth etc... I am in a similar position to you in that we use FFTA (PA), and the humanities estimates have gone up but i do not have the exact data that was inputted into SIMS in the first place. National data will effect estimates so if there happens to be a national increase in Maths GCSE attainment this year you can bet that when FFT republish their data the grades will change.
Recommended Posts