Making the most of your data: school self-evaluation using value added measures

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I This paper is based on a poster session presented at the 8th International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement, Manchester, 4-8 January 1998. The research reported was partly funded by an ESRC fellowship award to Dr Sally Thomas (H53627504395)

The Lancashire Value Added project was set up in I992 in partnership with the LEA and has now been running for 6 years (see Thomas and Mortimore, I996).

Other recent ISEIC value added projects include:

• Improving School Effectiveness Project, in collaboration with QIE, University of Strathclyde

• The Development of Value Added Measures in Jersey. Newham Teacher's Questionnaire Project Surrey Value Added Project at Key Stage I and 2.

SCAA's report to the Secretary of State on 'The Value Added National Project' also recommends that results are reported in both graphical and tabular form.

Except for age if the baseline assessment is standardised.

ie students' t test.

Using the prior attainment scores, the different bands are created with band I containing those pupils with the top 25% of prior attainment scores, band 2 with the middle 50% and band 3 with the bottom 25%.