Professional attitudes to the use of pupil performance data in English secondary schools

Abstract

This paper presents findings from an exploratory survey of teachers' perceptions, understanding, and use of pupil performance data in English secondary schools and examines the extent to which these are associated with school-level performance and a range of factors, including teachers' positions of responsibility. The survey was supplemented by a series of in-depth interviews. Use and availability of pupil performance data was found to be widespread, but classroom teachers reported significantly lower levels of use and understanding. The research also reveals a data-use hierarchy in schools, with many indicating that some data are accessible only to school leaders or provided pre-interpreted. Most teachers make regular use of their own sources of pupil data, which is seen as at least as useful as “official” data, which poses challenges for policymakers in raising levels of use and creating a “mixed economy” of sources.

Keywords:

• data use
• assessment data
• school performance
• teachers' professional attitudes

Acknowledgements

This research project was funded by CfBT: Ref. HQN1040 / 91236.

Notes

1. Since 1988 in England and Wales, academic attainment at the end of secondary education (age 16) has been evaluated by a suite of national assessments known as the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs). The outcomes of GCSE examinations are graded on an ordinal scale from A to G. An A* grade is awarded to pupils scoring particularly high within the A-grade band. GCSEs are available in a wide range of subject areas, and pupils typically sit GCSE examinations in eight or more subjects including English and mathematics. There are also a range of non-GCSE courses and assessments available to schools for pupils to sit at age 16. These non-GCSE examinations, typically in vocational subjects, are awarded a GCSE equivalence for the purpose of reporting the results of national assessments at age 16. Each year, the UK Government uses the outcomes of GCSE examinations (and their equivalents) to report the performance of English secondary schools. School performance, at least in terms of the raw academic attainment of a schools' pupils, is evaluated in the annual School Performance Tables as the percentage of the school's students attaining five or more GCSE subjects (or equivalents) at grades A*–C including English and mathematics.

2. This threshold has since been raised to 65% (DCSF, 2008b).

3. A significantly positive CVA measure is indicated by the lower limit of the confidence interval (95% CI) of the school's CVA score being greater than the national average of 1000; a significantly negative CVA score by the upper limit of the 95% CI of the school's CVA score being less than the national average.

4. We acknowledge the controversial nature of the designation “coasting”, but given the amount of media attention devoted to the identification of schools in both “National Challenge” and “Coasting” categories, they exemplified to an extent the tensions inherent in data being used both as a public accountability measure and as a source of evidence for school self-evaluation and improvement.

5. Although no upper limit on the percentage obtaining 5+A*–C GCSE EM was set by the Secretary of State in his criteria for identifying coasting schools, the 30–50% figure was widely used in the national media. See, for example, http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/13/edballs-coasting-schools-gcses

6. The email contained a hyperlink to the online questionnaire and a request to the headteacher to make the link available to all members of the school's teaching staff.

7. The assistant head is referring to FFT pupil estimate data, which give an indication of the potential performance of students based on outcomes achieved by similar students in the previous year.

8. The interviewee is referring to School Improvement Partner.

9. The Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is the main teaching qualification in the UK. It is generally awarded after a 1-year full-time (or 2-year part-time) initial teacher training course.