Midyis Baseline Test Data

MIDYIS BASELINE TEST DATA

The test scores are nationally standardised so that:

·  The mean is 100

·  The standard deviation is 15 i.e. students with scores between 85 and 115 are in the middle 67% of all students who did the baseline test

1.  The Vocabulary and Maths tests:

·  Measure ability in these areas

·  Measure fluency and speed in undertaking these tasks

·  Are excellent predictors of subsequent achievements in almost all school subjects and good predictors even for subjects such as Music, PE and Art which require aspects of talent

2.  The non-verbal scale comprises the cross-sections, block counting and pictures tests:

·  These measure a student’s ability to see in 3-D, and their spatial awareness, an important skill in many areas of the curriculum

3.  The Skills scale is based on two tests, proof reading and perceptual speed and accuracy:

·  Proof reading measures the ability to spot errors in a passage of text such as spelling and grammar, and may indicate potential problems in written work

·  Speed and accuracy measures the ability to recognise and match symbols quickly

·  Both skills rely on a student’s scanning and skimming skills, desirable under test and examination conditions

SOME USEFUL DATA PATTERNS TO LOOK FOR:

Vocabulary Score

·  This measure provides a strong indicator of later academic achievement in all subjects. For the MidYIS system this is particularly well correlated with subjects such as English, English Literature, Geography, History and Foreign languages.

·  Able students with English as an additional language may have a depressed Vocabulary score. Such students are able to demonstrate a truer measure of their ability through the Maths and Non-Verbal section scores. Please note the test results show that access to the other test sections is not limited by a low vocabulary score.

·  Students with low vocabulary scores may not know or understand the meaning and use of many common words or phrases. This may well impact on learning and subsequent achievement.

Maths Score

·  This measure also provides a strong indicator of later academic achievement in all subjects. For the MidYIS system this is particularly well correlated with Maths, Physics, Chemistry and ICT.

·  The Mathematics section is difficult to design as curriculum-free because most mathematical concepts have to be taught and hence are curriculum-related. However this section has the emphasis on measuring speed and fluency in Mathematics, rather than knowledge of Mathematics.

On the evidence provided by the MidYIS Vocabulary and Mathematics baseline data, many schools undertake further screening assessments leading to extra support for students to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. A number of national strategies are available, and may well involve close liaison between English, Mathematics and the learning support staff.

Non-Verbal Score

·  For the MidYIS system this measure correlates well with Maths, Geography, Art, Drama, Science and Technology subjects. It provides a measure of the student’s ability in 3-D visualisation, spatial aptitude, pattern recognition and logical thinking. It is a suitable indicator of ability for students for whom English is a second language.

Skills Score

·  The Proof Reading and PSA tests are tests for the modern world (and are designed to measure fluency and speed). They rely on a student’s scanning and skimming skills, skills that are desirable in examination situations when reading questions and checking answers. Low scores in this section, when compared to the other sections, may explain examination underachievement.

·  For the MidYIS system this measure also correlates well to the prediction of English, English Literature and Foreign Language subjects

·  Low skills scores (and often with low vocabulary scores) are indicators of poor quality written work

Looking at a student’s MidYIS IPR can therefore ‘flag-up’ potential learning strengths, concerns and pose questions for teachers.

·  Where each of the test component confidence bands overlap (IPRs), then there would appear to be a consistency of performance for that ability range.

·  Where one or two of the components are above or below the other confidence bands, then a significant strength or concern would be indicated.

WHY USE THIS DATA?

·  For all teachers and support staff, this information will help to support professional judgement. It will also give a better understanding of the progress students make at school and their potential performance

·  It also indicates reasons for student learning difficulties and may even go some way to explain lack of progress, flag-up causes for underachievement and even behaviour problems

·  It is useful data to refer to for student reviews, writing reports, meeting parents, monitoring progress and interim assessments.