What is learning growth, and how is it estimated?
‘Learning growth’ is the amount of academic progress a student achieves over a period of time, usually a year. We measure learning growth by estimating ‘effect sizes’. The effect size, in turn, is a quantitative measure of the strength or impact of an intervention or phenomenon. Recent research evidence suggests that schools should focus on effect sizes as opposed to test scores; that is, the focus should be on the amount of learning achieved by students rather than in their results. Therefore, it is vital that schools estimate learning growth so they can measure the impact of educational interventions on their students.
Analytics for Schools estimate effect sizes on behalf of schools using data from different standardized tests including Naplan, OnDemand, PAT testing, and Allwell, then make the results available to teachers so they can evaluate the success of their interventions and plan accordingly.
What is the expected learning growth over one year of intervention?
According to the literature, we should expect larger effect sizes in younger populations compared to adults. Expected effect sizes for a period of one year are as follows:
- Children from year 3 to year 5 = 0.59
- Children from year 5 to year 7 = 0.35
- Young adolescents from year 7 to year 9 = 0.26
Do teachers receive training for using the learning tools?
Yes. Analytics for Schools provides on-site professional development sessions for teachers to explain the theories and concepts behind each learning tool. We also run hands-on sessions to ensure teachers become familiar with all the features of our platform.
I am the Principal of a school with more than 200 teachers. Do they all gain access to the learning tools, or is there a limited number of users per school?
We provide access to an unlimited number of users for each school. By doing so, we make sure all teaching staff can access the services and make the most out of our learning analytics interface. Limitations on access to certain data, according to staff, student, and parental clearance levels, are built into the dashboards at the design stage, in consultation with the Principals.
How secure is my data?
All our services are tools are delivered in compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles, and all details concerning the collection, use, and security of your data is clearly presented to you in our service agreement and privacy policy.
Does my school get support in case of technical issues with any of the learning analytics services?
Yes. If you have any issues with our services, please contact us on 0415821524 or by email info@analyticsforschools.com.au
What types of student dashboards are available for my school?
School and educational data has a hierarchical structure. Students (at the base of the hierarchy) are nested within classes or teachers on the tier above. Teachers, in turn, are nested within higher-level faculties, houses, departments. We usually start by designing student-level dashboards before progressing to class-level dashboards, then finally dashboards that gather information at a faculty lor school level. These details can be tailored to the meet the needs of individual schools.
What kind of information goes into the student dashboards?
We suggest that all learning-related data be included, such as learning growth estimates, assessment task results, test scores, attendance, progress reports, and grades. We can also include additional data that you may want to make available to your teachers (e.g., well-being survey results).
How often are the dashboards updated?
Student Dashboards are updated on a fornightly basis, unless otherwise instructed. We could update it more frequently if required by the school and the data is available.