Any maths teachers out there ! They How do schools use maths progress trackers for Year 7 grading?

[Festivalfanatic]

Could I ask any teachers to explain to me how a progress tracker “ spreadsheet “ for example in grading maths works.
like what data you use and if it generates grading for you or just organises the data and you decide on grade based on it.

im fairly confused by my year 7s maths grade and when I questioned it they said it was due to data and the spread sheet progress tracker they use to grade by grading its
emerging
developing
securing
and
mastering.

her grade was “ N/A “

No one can explain it to you because different schools do different things. It's all basically bollocks though.

If her grade is 'N/A' did she not sit SATs? Often SATs are used as a baseline to generate target grades which the 'emerging' or whatever would then be measured against.

It makes 0 sense to me and the answers from the school are a bit vague.
she did her SATS yes but she did miss some year 7 this term because of ill health. She accessed the work through via google classroom and hospital school. didn’t miss a single work sheet or topic and sat the end of term test with her class ( she as back )

so wasn’t sure what else they mean by lack of data for the spreadsheet.

Ok, she may have missed another assessment that feeds into the spreadsheet.

It would be more useful for you to ask the school what set she is in for maths, what her end of term test score was, and what the average for her set was.

I'm assuming they haven't had their end of year exam yet?

Yeh I’ve tried that. They just keep saying not enough data in the spreadsheet 🤔 but surely you could have an idea via the end of term exam.

You specifically asked for the class average for the end of term test and they said they didn't have enough data?

This is rubbish and they are just trying to brush you off.

They are saying there is not enough individual data for DD for the tracker.
when I ask what this means, what is missing and what her end of term exam was I don’t get a straight answer.
i know what set she is
and i know 2 of the other children’s results because they are my friends but they won’t tell me DDs 🤣🫣

Does she know what she got in her end of term exam? Has she been handed it back?

Nope nothing.

In my head when I first saw the parents report what I assumed was …

she did badly on the test but because of recent events they didn’t want to grade her on it.

but why not just say that ?

there is a paragraph in each report and for example the others have what they did well on and what they need to work on. Hers was a lovely paragraph but more about her being “ persistent and a good kid “ rather than maths related. Apart from the end which said “ if continues with the determination she is well placed to progress strongly in mathematics “

but then grade is N/A

How do other children know their results in the test but your DD doesn't if she sat it with the rest of them?

It’s probably an oversight if she missed an assessment and the computer says no if data is incomplete. Unfortunately I think school reports are largely a pile of poo as it’s all done by computer and lacks any personal input.

DD is in yr 7. We’ve had 2 school reports with grades so far. Her target grades are based on her SATS results, even for PE, DT, Art, Drama and ICT - how can you grade someone for PE based on their ability in maths, reading, writing or SPAG? DD did well in SATS so all her targets are grade 8. But here’s the catch, the subjects I mentioned above will only award a narrow range of grades from 3 to 6 (exceptional) with most students scoring between 3 and 5. But this isn’t explained to parents. So looking at her results, it looks like she’s severely underperformed in several subjects. Apparently she’s doing fine though 🙄

theres was in their report. The mum is my good friend. I asked to make sure everyone didn’t get N/A before emailing.

The actual test result, e.g. 73% and not just the 'emerging' bit?

Yes they had the percentage written in the paragraph part and then developing in the grade part.

My guess is she bombed on the test and they don’t want to tell her that (as they know she has been absent ill). So they are just trying to not tell you.

I think I was just feeling a bit deflated because it was a very rocky time. Very rocky but she fondled all the work and we sent it in from hospital school and then she went back to school and she done the end of term test which was based on the topics. I just wanted to know if we had managed to keep up or if she struggled with anything. I don’t know why by the N/A reallt triggered me because I had seen how hard she worked to stay on top and hand in her work and revised for the test.
if she didn’t do well in it - then that’s fine to but can’t work out why it just hasn’t been addressed.

Yes so this was my initial thought, I reckon she has completely flunked the test but the issue here is that her health is unlikely to change and neither is her attendance and so we have a home : school system in place and she always accesses the work so it’s still good for us to know if she is struggling in maths so we can see if there is anything we can do to help rather than skirt around it.

They can't actually withhold test results from you even if their intentions are 'good'.

I would ask them directly 'what did DD get in the end of term test as we need to know this in order to identify areas for improvement.' Who have you been emailing? If the class teacher then you can copy in HOD.

I emailed teacher and then when he replied he had included the HOD. I have found it really hard to understand her maths since starting secondary school. I’m a bit worried I have her in the wrong school. Her attendance has always been poor and we have always had I suppose part time school - part time home learning but work is always submitted and marked previously.
where as since starting this school I don’t know she seems ok doing the work and understanding it but then seemingly doesn’t generate any scores.

the report says “ well placed to make strong academic progress in maths “
but can’t generate a grade for her ?

the other report I read of friends mentioned things they struggled in and needed to work in with “ if focused on these areas could make significant improvements in maths progress “

DDs had no mention of an specific area she struggled in 🤔 so unless she got every question wrong but then that doesn’t fit with “ well placed “ 🤣

I want to go back to primary school hahaha

She attended English the same amount of time as Maths and actually didn’t do the end of term assement in English but she used her previous written work on the topic to grade her and has done that.

She did do the test before the other children for test adaption reasons so she done it in the morning they did it in maths in the afternoon. So unless the test has gone walkies but again would a teacher just not say that 🤣

Just reply asking for a photocopy of her end of term test so you can help to support her on the areas she has struggled with.

Ah yep, if she didn't sit the test with the other kids then that test has 100% been lost in transit. They haven't marked it, that's why you haven't got a score or areas to work on.

They haven't admitted this because they don't want you to go ballistic, easier to try to fob you off.

I am not even an ogre of a parent though - I would hope not. I mean I probably do play an active part in her education but that’s because I don’t really have much choice. I don’t think I’ve ever shouted at a teacher though hahah !

Ah I didn't mean that they thought that you personally were likely to go ballistic, but that parents in general have a tendency to blow up over the smallest things these days (it's a massive issue, the government have even issued guidelines to try to help solve the problem). This has the unfortunate effect of schools being less honest with parents when there are problems to try to avoid complaints.