Desknotes for calculating the 2 levels progress measure

1. Defining Key Stage 1 English

Reading and writing task/tests and teacher assessments are reported separately at Key Stage 1; an aggregate English level is not produced.

The methodology for obtaining an aggregate English level, treating reading and writing as equal contributors, is set out below.

1. Calculate an overall reading test level from the reading task level and the comprehension test level, using the following rule:

IF comprehension test level = 3 or 4

THEN overall reading test level = comprehension test level

ELSE overall reading test level = reading task level

NB. The reporting of Key Stage 1 was changed from task/tests to teacher assessments in 2005. This had the effect of making the calculation of combining the reading task/test redundant. Otherwise, the methodology will be identical. The change will occur for the majority of pupils taking the KS2 tests in 2009.

2. Calculate the point score for both the writing testand the reading task/test accordingly:

Level / Points
W / 3
1 / 9
2C / 13
2B / 15
2A / 17
3 / 21
4 / 27

3. Calculate the average of the reading task/test and writing test point scores.

4. Convert into an overall English level accordingly:

Average points in reading and writing / English level
>=3 and <6 / W
>=6 and <12 / 1
>=12 and <14 / 2C
>=14 and <16 / 2B
>=16 and <18 / 2A
>=18 and <24 / 3
>=24 / 4

5. If both the reading task/test and writing test levels are absent (A) or disapplied (D), then the English level should be set to A or D (both are treated equivalently so either will do).

6. If the reading task/test and writing test levels are a combination of a valid level (W, 1, 2C, 2B, 2A, 3, 4) and absent/disapplied/missing data, then the English level should be set to the valid reading task/test or writing test level.

2. Defining the levels

For the most part, we use National Curriculum test levels and full GCSE grades. However, because of the lack of sufficient test data to adequately monitor the progress made by pupils starting from below the levels assessed by the NC tests, we have used Teacher Assessment (TA) levels as a proxy measure for these pupils. The following describes this recoding process on the National Pupil Database.

2.1 Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 matched data

2.1.1 Key Stage 1 prior attainment

  • No recoding (other than KS1 English, described above) is required.

2.1.2 Key Stage 2 current attainment

  • Apply the following flow diagram to both English and maths:

2.2 Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 matched data

2.2.1 Key Stage 2 prior attainment

  • Apply the following flow diagram (for both English and maths):

2.2.2 Key Stage 3 current attainment

  • Apply the following flow diagram (for English only):

  • Apply the following flow diagram (for maths only):

2.3 Key Stage 3 – Key Stage 4 matched data

2.3.1 Key Stage 3 prior attainment

  • Apply the following flow diagram (for English only):

  • Apply the following flow diagram (for maths only):

2.3.2 Key Stage 4 current attainment

  • No recoding is required.

3. Coverage

The coverage will be all pupils (except those in the greyed-out cells in section 4) in maintained mainstream schools in England. In other words, all pupils who contribute to the attainment indicators in these schools at each Key Stage of current attainment, with exceptions as set out in section 4 below. (Subject to confirmation)

4. Defining pupils who make 2 levels progress

The following transition matrices (TMs) show which pupils are defined as making 2 levels progress (green cells) and which pupils are defined as not making 2 levels progress (red cells). The national indicator is calculated as

for those pupils as defined in section 4. The exceptions are pupils for whom it is not possible to assess whether 2 levels progress has been made (grey cells), who should be excluded from the calculation completely.

4.1 Key Stage 1-2 English and maths

4.2 Key Stage 2-3

4.2.1 Key Stage 2-3 English

4.2.2. Key Stage 2-3 maths

4.3 Key Stage 3-4

4.3.1 Key Stage 3-4 English

4.3.1 Key Stage 3-4 maths

DSGdesknotes_v1.doc