midYis

[NewLife4Me]

My dd is having this test, just started y7.
First of all what does it tell the teachers/parents and secondly are there different levels of the test.
The school said they test whichever year the child joins the school so 7, 8, 9.
We have a parents meeting in November so will know the results, progress etc then, but for the time being wanted to be a bit more informed. The last levels I have for her are level 3's at the end of ks1 so it will be interesting.

Hello OP

The MIDYIS (can never remember where the capitals go) is a sort of IQ test and aptitude test. Your DD will get an overall score with 100 being average, so the higher the better. Really bright kids will score in the 130 / 140 range. There will also be individual scores in four separate areas, which from memory are maths, vocab, non-verbal reasoning and practical. This is represented on a graph, and your DD will be banded A, B C etc in those areas. This is very useful for the school as they can tell where a child's strengths and weaknesses are, and if they are underachieving. When the kids get older the MIDYIS tests can be used to predict GCSE results.

Hope that helps

Thanks UpNorth

Another stupid question but how do they test/level for the other subjects?
Sorry to put you on the spot.
I really mean do they follow the old level descriptors, or have these gone now?

is that same as CAT?

I'm not sure if you are asking me lljkk but haven't a clue.
It just said baseline MidYis.
I don't understand how they can target from these tests, if the dc are being tested on stuff they haven't done yet?
For example, there are several we have come across already that were H.ed like dd so haven't necessarily studied all the nc and definitely not done ks2 sats.
Does anybody know how this will be managed in terms of targeting grades/ levels?

The MidYis test test vocabulary, maths, non-verbal (eg blocks and patterns) and skills (proof reading and accuracy).

It is usually done on the computer, where the difficulty of the next question is based on the previous answer, so students get questions adapted to their ability. If it's a paper test, all students answer the same questions.

The overall results put students into MidYis bands, A - D. The really useful thing for teachers is the score in each part of the test, particularly of the student is weak in a particular area, eg vocabulary, compared to their performance on other parts of the test. The teacher can use this to influence teaching.

It also gives predicted KS3 levels and GCSE grades. The GCSE predictions are what schools use to calculate added value, five years into the future.

I think CAT scores are interpreted in same way. So 100 = median, 130-141 = exceptional, etc.

google CAT scores & fisher family trust, there's some formula the FFT uses to decide targets based on the CAT result, but I dunno how.

SATS measure actual attainment, whereas MidYIS measures potential.

Thank you GinaJag

I can't wait to find out how she does. Part of me thinks she'll have a really low score because of Maths particularly blocks and patterns, but who knows
A great explanation everyone, thank you.

Does anybody know what happens with the other subjects like Humanities, Art, Science etc?
Are the old levels still used or does it depend on the school?
Quite a while since our older ones were ks3, it changes so quickly.

MidYIS is mostly used by independent schools who do not dip into social background. The VA scores for independent schools are based on MidYIS baseline testing.

Schools which use FFT data are also including social factors in their baseline scores, ie take account of affluent, educated parents across to a relatively redeprived background. The notion is that a student from a deprived background scoring the same on the CAT test and GCSE as a student from a privileged background will carry a higher added value.

For the OP and the great reveal at the parents' evening - if your child is placed in the same band -A, B, C or - for all four areas then that is where you child is. It might be a shock if she is a C or D, but the tests are quite accurate.

If your child is in different bands for different areas, then she may have a weakness that can hold back her achievement in some subjects. However, the school will recognise this and make allowances. You can also help at home.

GinaandJag

Thank you again.
This is interesting, especially the social aspect.
I'm not sure about FFT data, but this could be a factor.
The school is an independent specialist school for talented children irrespective of social background and family income. Maybe they will use FFT data.

What does it stand for?

FFT stands for Fisher Family Trust. They provide the social data input to CATs tests.

Your DD's independent school won't use this. They will basically map her IQ, identify areas of particular strength or weakness that the school can use to influence teaching, and then return to the data to calculate added value after GCSE.

The school may do a further MidYIS test to evaluate attititudes to school, but this will just be used to influence teaching and pastoral care. Added value calculations are based just on the baseline testing.

NewLife, I second everything GinandJag says - she is very well informed . Your DD won't get specific testing in arts, history etc because the MIDYIS test results can be extrapolated across most subject areas.

The NC levels really, truly have gone. We are now in the ridiculous situation of trying to decide whether good / satisfactory / average all mean the same thing, and what polite euphemism we can use for the lower levels. At Y9 parents' evening last term the parents were trying to get me to predict GCSE grades, despite the fact that their DC would be the first cohort taking the new, tougher, no Controlled Assessment spec, and that the grades will be 1- 9, not A-G. I told them in the end that they were asking me to read a crystal ball.

Ah, I get you now.

I would have thought they'd have gone for the FFT/CATS as the difference in social status is immense. From sink estate to millionaire.

It will be interesting to see how they manage the sets, if they do this.
For some classes she said there were only a dozen or so children. There certainly aren't many in her year at all.

I promise to come back, if I can find the thread and pass on the results. I'm not pushy academically though and know she will do her best, which I guess is all you can ask of them.

I wanted to know a bit about the system as all her work is done at school, so at weekend she comes home for a day and just chills, so it's a lot to trust the school to do. As an ex H.edder as well it's difficult taking a back seat now

FFT data isn't designed to be used at individual level - it is a method of measuring the cohort.

MidYIS takes data from the school and analyses it versus previous data from the school and similar schools to come up with the GCSE predictions.

If the school has a track record of good GCSE results vs baseline testing, then this will be built into your daughter's predictions, as long as the school is big enough to give a statistically reliable sample.

Yes, it has a good track record and came 71st in top 100 schools, not sure which table though, independant or boarding or something else
Fewer than 300 children though (just), aged from y4 - y13,

MidYis stands for Middle Years Information Systems. A few years ago, it was a paper based exercise, but now is computerised. It's generally undertaken shortly after entry to secondary school and gives information on four areas of ability.

In turn, this gives the school an individual profile of each child and also a profile of the cohort. It will highlight strengths and areas for development and may be useful in setting/streaming.

Thanks Foxy

If anybody is around, can I ask if the test is just one assessment done on one day?
I have a live stream to dd school and she is doing a baseline test tomorrow.

So far as I know, it's done on one day. I haven't been involved with them since 2010, but I think the on,one test allows the student to progress at their own pace, moving them on if they are finding it easy and more slowly if it's a challenge. It's the University of Durhsm that is the originator of the test.

I think I was probably one of the first to be involved with it, in the days when it was a paper exercise. The students all did it together in the hall and the papers were sent off for marking. Schools gain a lot of useful info about their cohorts and each individual.

Btw, I don't think it's just indie schools that use MidYis. Mine was a comp!

The computerised test takes about half an hourl

My concern about these tests CATS and MIDYIS is that they test how good children are in a test situation rather than how good they are which is why its a pity they got rid of coursework (although I think that had turned into how good your parents were at a subject...) Also EQ is often a better predictor than IQ of success

I'm quite anxious about this test tbh.
My dd hasn't done a test since y3.

I also did a similar test by an ed psychologist and ended up crying because I couldn't do it, I have learning disabilities
I think I came out as a 7 year old.
My !Q was in the late 60's.

As dd is very talented it will be interesting to see how she does.
I don't mind what the score is as I know whatever she does she will do her best.

If my child is in MIdyis Band B at beginning of Year 7. What level is this am a bit confused is it average for his year. Thank you

Results are standardised against a national cohort (rather than just against the group at your individual school taking the test), so being in band B means that he is in the second quartile nationally (i.e. not in the top 25% but somewhere in the next 25%).

The University of Durham Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring developed the assessments.
www.cem.org/midyis

(I did find a PowerPoint online re interpreting the scores, but unfortunately cannot link to it on my phone - you might find it by searching on 'what do midyis results mean?').