Using data effectively to support post-16 transition

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Many students find the transition to post-16 education challenging. When students start new courses they are faced with content that is often more specialised and demanding and a successful transition will require them to quickly develop both existing and new skills. Using data effectively to track and evaluate student progress is essential if students struggling to make an effective transition are to be identified quickly and provided with additional support.

Research

With a new cohort, it is important to find out as much as possible about them, preferably before they even start their courses. Being aware of students whose attendance or behaviour has been a concern previously, students who engage with external agencies, have wellbeing concerns or where previous strategies have been used successfully to motivate them can be extremely valuable. Using this information effectively allows leaders to be proactive rather than reactive with the strategies they put in place.

Setting targets

To track progress effectively, it is important that when students start their course, they are set targets that are both aspirational and achievable. At Alps we enable schools and colleges to set such targets for students by using national data sets to generate Minimum Expected Grades (MEGs). MEGs are based on a student’s previous attainment and are set at the level of the top 25% of outcomes nationally. Our online Alps Connect platform enables the easy generation of MEGS at the start of term. We give schools and colleges further flexibility when it comes to target setting, allowing them the option of either using MEGs directly or as a framework for setting personalised targets for students that are even more aspirational.

Supporting underachieving students

When tracking student progress, regular analysis of assessment data and how it compares to target grades is key. Alps Connect allows schools and colleges to upload unlimited in-year monitoring data, which may include current working at grades, predicted grades (based on work completed so far) and mock assessment data. Whatever data is collected and analysed, it is important that leaders develop a clear, joined up strategy for addressing underachievement. If a student is underachieving in just one subject, departments might take the lead in informing parents and putting in place appropriate intervention strategies, keeping key staff informed of the success of these. If underachievement exists in multiple subjects, it may be more appropriate for pastoral teams to take over, communicating with students, parents and teachers to develop appropriate strategies.

When working with individual students who are finding the transition from KS4 difficult, it is particularly important to focus on improving their time-management skills. Many students may also need extra support to organise their class and revision notes and modelling effective organisation of these in tutor periods and subject lessons can be hugely beneficial.

We hope that you have found the tips in this article useful. To learn more about Alps Connect visit our EdTech Impact profile or email info@alps.education to speak to the team or arrange a demo.