Steven_Cleaver

Your right playing with this it is difficult to get it out how you want so am thinking of getting it out in as clean as format as possible might need multiple reports for the amount of data I am extracting and for its various uses then possibly use VBA or Visual Studio to clean up the sheet and extract the data from the sheet so have it is in the format I want, then when I have this working use Command Line Reporter scripted and scheduled to automate the Report Extraction. To be honest what I am after is automating our data analysis from the marksheets at the moment takes us about a day and a half to produce the Analysis for a year and obviously if groups\classes changed this is out of data but if I can automate the extraction can virtually make this live at most a day behind as I would probably update every evening. My issue is we are starting to use our data in school much more heavily from Analysis of pupil progress to Staff performance to Department Performance to Whole School Performance and using these to target our intervention strategies, students, departments and whole school using the schools Qualty Assurance system so need the data we are using to be up to date and as accuarte as possible as we are now heavily reliant on this. I'll try and document this as I go in case it is useful to anyone else.

Hi we have Insight setup internally on IIS server over SSL and we are a bit lucky as our LEA run penetration testing on all our web services and send us any issues raised to be honest we have secured this ourselves and when they they have run penetration testing on this a few times and it hasn't really showed up any issues. We have also run our own penetration testing as there is some free stuff on the Net you can use and as Vikpaw has mentioned probably isn't any much different from using SLG and as he says keep it patched etc. As a side note Insight is reasonably easy to set up with excellent support and very user friendly for parents, students and staff.

Cheers Vikpaw with the help of our LEA I have got it to show the Grades for our Inteim reports so now know what I am after is feasible but just need to play with the filters and order to get it to display the right info and not to show multiple data multiple times just need to work how to best structure this.

Hi Ecclesbury The first couple I ran were a bit slow as I was including a lot of stuff I didn't need but when I reduced this they are still a bit slow but running these on another machine so it doesn't effect the other stuff I am doing, didn't crash though but our SIM's Server and my machine are reasonably Hig Spec. Thanks for the tip display first result for the sub reports learning more as I go along.

Hi Vikpaw had another dig around in SIM's reports from what you said and I think I can now see where to get this but looks like a bit of work creating these to extract the information I need, thanks again.

Hi Vikpaw that sounds like it I am just having difficulty in finding the right fields to get the results out I can get the Aspect names out but am having difficulty getting the right Fields to display the data for these and get your bit about filtering is their any chance you can point us in the right direction with the fields I need to include in the report to get the Results out.

Is their a way of extracting the Information held in SIM's Marksheets in a report and not Individual Reports so in essence design a Report that could Extract all of my Report Grades for Year 7 exporting this info from the Marksheet wouldn't work as I would need it as a report I could design. I have had a look at Designing the Report but can't easily see where to add the information from the Marksheets if this is feasible. The reason I want it in a Report is I want to use CommandReporter to extract this info, I have had a look at a couple of the Threads on this but can't easily see if it is feasible to extract the Aspects held on the Marksheets this way. Many thanks

You could also try File Server Resource Manager and USBDLM, USBDLM forces any USB to use specified drives and then File Server Resource Manager to block file types to whatever locations you set so specified USB, Shared or C or home directories, you can also set File Resource Manager to Email if someone trys to save or run a blocked file, it emails basic users details as well as File type etc.

Don't know if anyone one will find this useful but their is a whole host of Cameyo Virtual Apps created that may be useful I have found acouple of these really useful as well as creating a couple of my own. Just packed as EXE's. Including Portable browsers, network utilities, programming etc some really handy to have on a memory stick. http://online.cameyo.com/library.aspx?page=1 http://www.cameyo.com/index.aspx

You could try cameyo's library of Apps their is a whole host of virtualised Apps including VLC player as EXE's so you could drop this on a server share and create a shortcut to this to be honest we install it but this is another option their is a whole host of virtualsed Apps here so don't know if this is useful for anyone else or you could use cameyo to create your own. App Library Cameyo | Free Application Virtualization

To be honest been on sky for about seven years and it has been an excellent Service had the router fail dropping off occassionally but replaced in 48 hours and a problem with the line once for about half a day which turned out to be a BT problem but sky called these for me and have never had an Engineer from BT out so fast.

Cheers will have a look at this as well.

As you say you can tell what you want with Stats. To be honest when I saw the stuff from CEM myself and the Exams Officer did think of perhaps contacting midyis and yellis to see how they did it and if they had anything more up to date so we were going to contact these Monday just sort of thought their would be more info on this. We use various data to set targets and do this with staff to give them input and involve them in ownership but was just looking for national subject difficulty factors we kind of use our own school Historic over the last five years. We also measured midyis expected results so year 7 gainst what they actually achieved 5 years later only did this for a couple of subjects including language but found these were around 85% to 90 % accurate so reasonably reliable so have started to use these more along with Expected progress and other measures. Again thanks for your take on this useful as always.

The CEM is the one I could find but thanks Vikpaw I'll give the other one a look.Would you think the CEM would still be relevant.

Hi I have been trying to find the latest information on Subject difficulty factors so which subjects are considered more difficult than others in some sort of table format so that we can build this in more to our data analysis we do use residuals but I just wondered if their was anything else.

Your right Vikpaw but we tell staff they need to use their own devices and it is set to autolock remote computer if not used after a few minutes can't print anything out as that is locked down but could screen print and because they use Encrypted Key usually on Memory stick or own device and a username and password so dual Factor couldn't access any MIS systems without Encrypted App (App can't be copied or replicated and is disabled if incorrectly used and Username and Password. Just feel we have secured best we can with this and feel this is a bit more secured than Staff taking data off site on Laptops USB or paper etc and less complicated than trying to make sure all data is Encrypted or no documents are taken offsite to be honest we use various methods and techniques to secure, restrict and log what is going on but would be a lot to discuss on here and all is done technical side of things so it makes it seamless for the user. So MIS user double clicks App (this authenticates using Encrypted key) and user Logs in with Username and Password no App can't access MIS systems so even if students knew a member of Staffs password they wouldn't be able to access the MIS systems.

Moved from HAP to own remote access solution sort of with own software for logging and Encrypted APP for MIS access but allows access to PC's in schools + ABtutor + M86 firewall Filtering hosted at LEA but configured and Managed by us.

Allow remote access to the same as they would have in school but dual factor encrypted authentication using app with encrypted key built in so dual factor is seamless for user, locks machine, after a few minutes or whatever the school wants if not used and other security features inluding logging so who has accessed the system etc for auditing, tracebility. The reason we use Dual Factor is so that if a student knew a staff username and password would not be able to access MIS systems externally. Use polices with staff as well as security to enforce use. Feel this is better than allowing data to go offsite and this is explained at various meetings via SLT and through school policies adn consequences.

We use Insight from Tasc Software has been Excellent key to this; Easy for users to Navigate and looks modern. Easy to setup and configure how you want just a few check boxes. Excellent support Links to SIM's and shows Attendance, Behaviour, Reports and Exams info. Parents, Staff and Students can all access this. Very reasonably priced.

One of our staff is using an IPAD with teachers doing training here so they record the lesson then review after and make suggestions whats good whats bad etc then delete the video I thought this was quite a good idea and seems to work well. We had a look at various ways of doing this but wanted soomething good quality and something video not stored but instant feed back.

MIS Officer here with help from the Deputy Head although I sit in on some of the discussiions as I line Manage th MIS officer and as skunk has said seems more issues with trying to fit everyones requirements in trying to sort staff PPA etc. I have sort of looked at it myself a couple of times but to be honest doesn't really interest me so have avoided getting to involved. I also think it helps if your Maths are quite good as regards working out teaching hours per subject, department and allocating staff effectively whilst still keeping costs under control always remembering that Staff are one of the greatests costs in any company or school.

Ubiquiti Unifi then as mentioned above look a good option I have been looking at these myself as the school isn't to yet interested in full Wireless system.

Another one for TASC and Insight parents can view students reports in PDF format both present and all past reports. Staff can view information for students including reports and we have recently given students access to this so that Parents, Staff and Students have access to the same information although have configured slightly differently for the different groups and what shows when for these groups for instance for staff upto date attendance for Parents one week behind etc. You not only have access to reports but Attendance, Behaviour, Assessment and Exams all this can configured easily to what you want for each group of users just ticking\unticking a few tick boxes. 1. The interface for users is very easy to use and navigate also looks modern. 2. Very, very reasonably priced and no expensive initial setup costs. 3. You can link students into AD so they use same Username and Passwords they use at school again fairly easily. 4. Staff use their SIM’s username and Password. 5. Excellent support from Tasc software. A couple of schools in our LEA even changed systems once they had taken a look at Insight in the school.

Thanks for the Heads up.

Hi What about printing to PDF I have found this really useful in printing some funny formats out of SIM's. FREE PDF Printer Could try above or various other free Prnt to PDF Software.