[acs] Facility e-portal Target Analysis

[ama178]

Facility e-portal Target Analysis bitlet in the student screen that displays the colour coding for above and below target is too generalised for the assessment model used by the school. At the moment there is only one setting that relates to the colour coding change threshold and that is x pts. above or below target.

 

For example if 2 pts. above target go green if 2 pts. below target go red.

The model used by the school requires that there be an upper and lower threshold set for the changes in colour for either x pts. above or y pts. below her x could be 3 pts. and y could be 6pts.

 

Does anyone know of any way in which an upper and lower threshold such as this can be implemented into the bitlet? Alterntivly does anyone know of any 3rd party consultant that can modify the bitlet to take these changes or even write a customised bitlet to display the data correctly?

[JPS]

I think you will find it very difficult to solve this problem. It really is only designed for the best practice serco assessment model. I dont know anyone who has got it working that uses something other than the best practice model. There is a serco guy on these forums who may be able to advise - michael2k6, I think is his username.

 

If you do get anywhere I would be interested to know. Good luck.

[Banjo]

Facility e-portal Target Analysis bitlet in the student screen that displays the colour coding for above and below target is too generalised for the assessment model used by the school. At the moment there is only one setting that relates to the colour coding change threshold and that is x pts. above or below target.

 

For example if 2 pts. above target go green if 2 pts. below target go red.

The model used by the school requires that there be an upper and lower threshold set for the changes in colour for either x pts. above or y pts. below her x could be 3 pts. and y could be 6pts.

 

Does anyone know of any way in which an upper and lower threshold such as this can be implemented into the bitlet? Alterntivly does anyone know of any 3rd party consultant that can modify the bitlet to take these changes or even write a customised bitlet to display the data correctly?

 

It can be done. You can set different points for each term within the year and different colour schemes for significantly above or just above.

 

The advantage of this is that you don't get the majority of students 'RED' in the autumn term because they haven't reached the EOY target, well they would wouldn't they, it's only December!

 

A couple of questions:

 

Do you use the standard model or have you modded it to 6 assesments per term?

 

What do you use at KS4/5 as the standard model has the wrong points value (UCAS)

Edited January 25, 2011 by Banjo

[ama178]

Banjo. Thanks for your responce. I get that you can put different thresholds on at each data entry point (we have 4) and that this will reduce the number of reds.

 

What I am after is getting around the uniform x pts above or below = change of colour to have a skewed threshold so that 1 pt above target = change to green but 3 pts below target is required for a change to red.

[ama178]

I think you will find it very difficult to solve this problem. It really is only designed for the best practice serco assessment model. I dont know anyone who has got it working that uses something other than the best practice model. There is a serco guy on these forums who may be able to advise - michael2k6, I think is his username.

 

If you do get anywhere I would be interested to know. Good luck.

 

That seems to be the story every where i turn unfortunatly the serco model doesnt fit all schools and SERCO's current thinking is that it is a major change to the software and so will not be implemented as they are putting all thier effort into Progresso.

 

This sad but understandable really as it would be a great addition to the software to have an upper and lower threshold limit for red and green.

[michael2k6]

Hi all,

Cheers for the input James and Banjo.

Can i confirm - you're looking at, for example -

On target might be yellow, 1 point above is lime green, 2 points above is dark green. But you dont want it to go pink until 2 points below and red 4 points below?

Or are you wanting to make the number of points dynamic and relational to something else?

If it's the former, i believe it is possible but i would need to confirm it and understand what you're really trying to do.

 

Regards

Mic @ Serco

[ama178]

H michael.

All we are talking about is the use of three colours red - amber - green. We are also only talking about 4 data entrys per year DP1, DP2, DP3, DP4.

The head of Assessment and monitoring and the data manager have set the school input data input templates and grids to accomodate the folowing for say year 7 reports.

 

DP1 - 3 sub levels below target = red, 1 sub level above target = green

DP2 - 2 sub levels below target = red, 1 sub level above target = green

DP3 - 1 sub levels below target = red, 1 sub level above target = green

DP4 - 1 sub levels below target = red, 1 sub level above target = green

 

This works fine in the reports and the data entry screen, however the problem comes when a parent logs on to view their students details. The Target Analysis screen shows different colour coding to the report that has been sent out and to the report that is stored on doc storage and to the data entry screen.

 

The reason is that the Target analysis can only do colour changes based on 1 variable as it is related to the "attainmentanalysis.xml" setting ontargetPrecision="2"

 

The precision give a + or - range before it then applies a colour change, in this case 2 sub levels below target = red, 2 sublevels above target = green.

 

What I require is a way to skew this range to accomodate the DP1-4 scheme we are using as shown above.

[Banjo]

You need to go and create and edit you grid views under Assessment | Advanced Grid design for results entry

 

As you can see from the screenshots below you can change the colour coding and the point value(s) that triggers each one. It isn't that hard but needs planning as to avoid missing a value out or doubling up of colours.

 

http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv26/banjo789/SS.jpg

 

http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv26/banjo789/Grid.jpg

[michael2k6]

Ok, i get what you're saying. Banjo - i think they've already done that. Theyre talking about the student results bitlet for contacts which is different to the results entry screens, and is controlled differently.

Now i understand what you are saying, i wouldn't think it is possible. I made the same mistake as Banjo and thought you were on the entry screens. Support would certainly have more knowledge on this than I do.

 

Mic @ Serco

[ama178]

Thanks michael thats dead right.

 

I have been talking to Fergal at SERCO and am awaiting a responce but my feeling is that i am on a loser. which is a shame because as it stands the wrong info is being displayed to parents.

 

As it is i am about 95% there working with the "attainmentanalysis.xml" I have customised each DP's ontargetprecision to make it work for RED and Amber but it is still off for green. At the moment I think I will have to live with this until Progresso is released......

 

If anyone is interested I can post the xml file here.

[Banjo]

Thanks michael thats dead right.

 

I have been talking to Fergal at SERCO and am awaiting a responce but my feeling is that i am on a loser. which is a shame because as it stands the wrong info is being displayed to parents.

 

As it is i am about 95% there working with the "attainmentanalysis.xml" I have customised each DP's ontargetprecision to make it work for RED and Amber but it is still off for green. At the moment I think I will have to live with this until Progresso is released......

 

If anyone is interested I can post the xml file here.

 

Post it, let's take a look

[ama178]

Our attainmentanalysis.xml is attached inside the .zip....

attainmentanalysis.zip

[APC]

The colour coding isnt controlled by the xml file, but is hard coded (unless you can prove me wrong!)

[ama178]

thats true but the threshold for determining when the colour changes is controlled by the xml file.