MANAGING ICT MANAGING ICT
Are we measuring
the right things?
At the end
I drive round the locality and schools are not in chaos. and among this group of thoughtful professionals there Learning Academy in
In fact they hardly notice any difference.” was general agreement about the power of student self- Kent is working on the
of the last
And from Steve Gillott, head of ICT at Wootton assessment. use of home environment,
Bassett School in Wiltshire, also at the meeting: “If the Simon Thompson, assistant head at Monkseaton health, and postcode information.
MIS server goes down it’s not the teachers who worry, High School in Tyne and Wear, says, of practice at his It is not so much, though, that any specific
school year,
it’s the admin staff.” school: “Students complete self-assessments religiously programme is universally applicable. What they add up
Given that Mr Gillott and Sir Mark are proven every term in every subject. That’s the most important to is evidence of a quest for an assessment philosophy
Microsoft held
champions of ICT, wedded to its indispensable value data, more accurate than the teacher assessments.” that involves the student and points the way forward.
in school improvement, these are pretty significant It is clear that this is an area where everyone is
a roundtable discussion on
views. still on a learning curve. What is certain, though, is • Gerald Haigh is a former teacher, head and governor
What they are suggesting is that measuring prior that, no, we are not measuring the right things. That and now works now as an education consultant.
the collection and use of
classroom attainment is simply not an efficient way of means not so much that we are currently measuring the
predicting a child’s future success either in school or wrong things – there are stakeholders at varying levels
Further information
beyond. The data in the MIS cannot provide the sort who actually need the MIS data – but that schools are • Life Skills from Goal: www.goalonline.co.uk/
pupil data. Gerald Haigh
of information that teachers, students and families can starting to look at what else there is of more use to the lifeskills.asp
collectively use to plan for the future – building on teacher and the school leader. • Bering Strait School District: www.bssd.org
was there and reports on
strengths, addressing weaknesses. Some things are well embedded (Life Skills, • RSA Opening Minds: www.thersa.org/projects/
So if that basic performance data is not good Opening Minds) others are experimental – Monkseaton education/opening-minds
what was said
enough, what are the alternatives? High has been measuring young people’s sleep patterns • Science Daily report: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
David Moran, operational director for information with a view to adjusting the working day; New Line releases/2009/03/090325132536.htm
at the SSAT, pitches in to say there is clear evidence that
“attitudinal data” – measures of what are sometimes
HICH, OF numerous terms called the “soft skills” around self-esteem, collaboration, Organised by Sponsored by
W
in current use, best describes confidence, independence – predict outcomes more
our schools’ relationship with accurately than prior attainment does.
the mass of pupil assessments For example, some weeks after the Blackpool
D
Delivering
iplomas

and grades that sit in their Meeting, this appeared in an article in the American
The UK’s only magazine dedicated to the 14-19 Diploma
computer systems. Research News website Science Daily, reporting on
Are school leaders and work at the University of Illinois: “Christy Lleras, a
PUTTING
teachers rather despairingly “drowning in data”? Or are professor of human and community development,
The 4th National Conference on
EDUCATION
they, much more positively, “data-driven” (or “data- says that ‘soft skills’ such as sociability, punctuality,
FIRST
enabled”)? conscientiousness and an ability to get along well with
It is not clear which, if any of them, describes the others, along with participation in extra-curricular
Delivering Diplomas:
reality. Hence the ubiquity of yet another phrase: “The activities, are better predictors of earnings and higher
effective use of data.” educational achievement later in life than having good
Its presence, attached to courses, handbooks, grades and high standardised test scores.”
Engagement and collaboration
presentations and pronouncements, bears witness to a Mr Moran added: “It really does beg the question
nagging fear that any school’s expensive management of why there is the real focus on prior attainment. We
information system (MIS) could become the digital should be looking at a whole range of skill categories –
Aston Conference Centre, Birmingham 1st October 2009
equivalent of a dusty filing cabinet. how young people work with others, or independently,
It was with that issue in mind that Microsoft took how they engage with technology.”
Welcome and address 3: Construction and the built
the opportunity, on the weekend of the annual NAACE And Sir Mark put it quite simply: “We’re measuring
Pete Henshaw environment
(National Association of Advisers in Computer the wrong things.” He suggests that current conventional Teaching and learning together:
4: Information technology
Education) strategic conference in Blackpool earlier performance data to a great extent measures the
Focusing on engagement
5: Engineering
this year to gather together, and seek the views of, a capability of the teacher and so is largely beyond Teresa Bergin PHASE 2 DIPLOMA DELIVERY
number of significant and influential professionals. the control of the learner. Even his own academy’s
From schools, local authorities, and the London innovative use of behaviour, punctuality and attendance
Diplomas the second year:
1: Business, administration
amme subject to change
Grid for Learning, to Becta and the Specialist Schools data, shared openly with students, does not go far
Where are we now with
and fi nance
ogr
2: Hair and beauty studies Pr
and Academies Trust (SSAT), all of those gathered enough he says, because “when we show it to them,
partnership working?
3: Manufacturing & product design
around the table had a shared interest in the collection they say, ‘how do I change it? What do I have to do
Malcolm Trobe
4: Environmental and land-based
and use of pupil data. Microsoft was represented by next?’ and under our current system they don’t know
Engagement and collaboration
studies
Martin Bean, its worldwide education products group what they do next. What I want is for the learner to
from an FE point of view 5: Hospitality
general manager. know their skills, and how to improve them.”
John Stone
What, then, does such a gathering of nine people Is it possible, though, to pin down those “soft skills” WORKSHOPS:
– “The Blackpool Meeting” – talk about? Quite a of attitude, commitment, adaptability – to identify them
Employer engagement Engagement and collaboration
lot in fact, ranging through home-school contact, clearly and build them into a teaching programme?
Margaret Gildea This hour-long session offers delegates a choice
integrated children’s services, and the consequent need The RSA’s Opening Minds programme, based on
of four workshops to choose from. Delegates
Ask the experts panel discussion:
will have the choice to attend more than one
for interoperability. a set of competencies, aims to do this and is in use in
Sector Skills Councils
workshop during the hour.
First, though, they began at the beginning, discussing 200 UK schools. And Mr Moran points to the work that
Delegates will have the chance to quiz expert
whether the data that our schools are holding is actually the SSAT has done with Professor David Reynolds,
A: SECONDARY AND FE
representatives from the 10 Sector Skills
fit for the purpose of improving the life chances of our resulting in the Life Skills self-assessment tool for
Councils involved in phases 1 and 2 of Diploma
COLLABORATION
BOOK
young people. And this is where the headline above “attitude and climate measures”.
Delivery. Split by phase into two workshops,
B: EMPLOYER
came from. Sir Mark, for his part, has looked at numerous
delegates will be free to ask questions regarding
any aspect of delivery and will be able to drop
COLLABORATION
Currently, every school has its MIS and every systems and feels that there are exemplars in other
into both workshops if desired. This session will
C: GATEWAY SUCCESS
NOW!
MIS carries statutorily required data on assessment countries. He is very interested, for example, in the
provide a great networking opportunity and the
and attendance – and, very often, on behaviour. It is work being done in the Bering Strait School District chance to speak to the experts behind the fi rst
D: ENSURING AWARDING
probably true to say, though, that most teachers – and (BSSD) in Alaska.
10 Diploma lines.
HAPPENS
certainly all parents – believe there is much more to a BSSD has replaced its proprietary MIS with their
PHASE 1 DIPLOMA DELIVERY Drawing together and
child than that basic MIS outline. own DART – Data Analysis and Reporting Toolkit
1: Creative and media
closing remarks
Some hold this view so strongly that they effectively – which offers schools a framework within which they
2: Society, health and development
Chairperson: George Turnbull
dismiss the idea that MIS data has much value in day- can develop their own, bottom-up, assessment system.
to-day classroom discourse. So we hear, from Sir Mark The DART website says: “It’s free like a puppy! You
Grundy, executive principal of Shireland and George can take it home with you, but care and feeding is
MA Education Ltd
Salter Academies in the Midlands. something you must provide on your own.” For a brochure visit www.deliveringdiplomas.co.uk
St. Jude’s Church
“I have this recurring nightmare in which I wake Sir Mark not only wants measurement of
Dulwich Road
up one morning and a virus has been developed that’s competencies – “skills as a learner” – he wants the
and follow the link or call 020 7501 6762
London
killed every school’s management information system. judgements to be made by the learners themselves,
SE24 0PB
SecEd • September 3 2009 11
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20