Another question for 6th form teachers

Discussion and advice on Sixth Form matters

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
scary mum
Posts: 8842
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by scary mum »

.
Last edited by scary mum on Tue Aug 27, 2013 6:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
scary mum
neveragain*
Posts: 580
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:05 am

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by neveragain* »

Hi,

Interestingly my DD ALIS grades much much lower than her predicted grades, she got really high A's at ASand her predicted grades really high (all a* at A2) but ALIS lower. Her tutor said pay no attention they are an odd statistical anonomaly - so I'm not worried but does seem odd......
Anyone understand them?
scary mum
Posts: 8842
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by scary mum »

So why do they do them? I suppose what is worrying me slightly is that her Yellis predictions were fairly accurate - some too low, but overall there or there abouts. If this is what she is capable of, that's fine, but it has surprised me, and knowing DD like I do she needs something high to aim for otherwise she will just achieve what they expect, if you see what I mean!
scary mum
Kingfisher
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 7:08 pm

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by Kingfisher »

The grades are not generated by the school but by responses she would have given in he online ALIS test. They are NOT predictions so your DC should not worry. They are a measure for the school, really. They are only based on verbal, non-verbal type questions. other factors are taken into account as well. Consider them not! Your DC will do as well as s/he can regardless, often much higher than a silly test can predict.
scary mum
Posts: 8842
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by scary mum »

.
Last edited by scary mum on Tue Aug 27, 2013 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
scary mum
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by Guest55 »

Ignore ALIS - many schools don't use them. Even when they do they are based on average GCSE points rather than additional tests ...
TraffordMum
Posts: 593
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 pm
Location: Trafford

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by TraffordMum »

I was researching this myself earlier today, since my Y12 daughter has just received her ALIS predictions as well.

Her school bases the ALIS predictions purely on GCSE results. Basically ALIS takes a child's results, comes up with an average GCSE "score" and uses that alongside its database of previous students to predict how your child will do at AS/A2 based on how those other students went on to perform.

There is an option to do online testing as well, but my impression from my (admittedly only 10 minutes) internet trawling on the subject was that this is useful only when the student doesn't have a traditional set of GCSEs available, which I can't imagine is the case with the children mentioned in this thread so far.

From what my daughter has observed from her and her friends' predictions, ALIS is OK if you got grades at GCSE that were all the same or very similar. Say, however, you have a science/maths leaning and did really well in those and less well in the arty subjects, the lower grades at GCSE (even if now irrelevant if studying science/maths at A Level) bring down the predicted grades for AS (and the same applies the other way round, of course, for those who are arts-inclined but not as strong on the science side).

My daughter's school uses ALIS as informative rather than set in stone and it is used for initial target setting, which is then obviously assessed by the teachers in line with actual performance during Y12.
neveragain*
Posts: 580
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:05 am

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by neveragain* »

Can't understand why for the life of me my DD should have such low ones then.......crazy!
Mindset
Posts: 96
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:40 am

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by Mindset »

There is the possibility (cynicism alert!) that schools opt to use the additional computer based questions knowing how difficult they are. ALIS is a recognised baseline for measuring 'value added'. The worse the cohort does in the ALIS, the better the value added analysis will appear (students will seem to make great progress from a low baseline). Therefore the better the school's results appear! There's a big emphasis on self-evaluation now for schools, and being able to make positive statements about value added and sustained progress is vital.

I'd give them not a seconds thought!
Y
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Re: Another question for 6th form teachers

Post by Y »

My DD did these tests and was dumbfounded that after a question that asked her if she was going to do any science or maths A levels (no), the computer announced 'Now some maths questions!' We couldn't see the relevance of maths questions to predicting grades for my DD's entirely arts and language based A levels!
Post Reply
11 Plus Platform - Online Practice Makes Perfect - Try Now