EAPs (Expected Attainment Pathways) must be created in Analytics as they are used to define the grade method for each qualification. However, you are also able to enter expected grades into your EAPs to produce On Track functionality in the reports, allowing you to see how students are currently performing in relation to their expected grades.
Below we have outlined the functionality that this provides, as well as a video explaining the benefits of setting up Target based EAPs in KS5, including the analysis this provides in the reports and how to set these up.
What functionality does entering expected grades into EAPs provide?
- On/Above/Below Track Analysis
This compares the students’ grades uploaded into a particular data set (e.g. their latest assessment) to the grades they are expected to achieve in that term (based on the grades entered within the EAPs). For example, if a student is expected to achieve a grade C in Term 1 and achieves a B, they would be seen as ‘Above Track’.
This allows performance to be easily filtered in the reports by on/above, above, on or below track. If you use Targets as EAP Baselines and a flat line approach, this will prevent the need to select the Targets report in the 'Compare With' section to see whether students are performing to target.
The below example shows this in the KS5 Reports at Qualifications level:
This is also available at Students, Classes and Filters level.
What baselines can be used in an EAP?
You are able to use any form of grade data you have to create your EAPs, whether that be assessment grades, target grades or even any internal testing you may have done at your school. We've found that the most popular setup is Target based EAPs however, which we've used for the examples below.
This means you can have separate EAPs for each qualification based on the students targeted performance in that specific qualification. When entering expected grades, you could then use one of the following approaches:
- Flat Line Approach
A flat line approach is designed to reflect how a student is expected to remain on the same grade throughout their flight path, allowing you to measure if they are on, above or below their target instantly in the reports. As shown in the example below, a student targeted a grade A at the end of KS5, has the same grade A entered each term across the EAP:
- Linear Approach
A linear approach is where the student’s grade and performance is expected to increase gradually over time. As shown in the example below, a student targeted a grade A at the end of KS5 is shown to gradually improve over time (C+ in Y12 Term 1, B- in Y12 Term 2 and so forth), until they reach their end goal.
We don’t plan to enter expected grades, what do we do next?
In this case, you only need to create one EAP per grade type awarded in a cohort, so you can define the grade method each qualification should use (For example, one EAP for A Level, one for AS Level, one for Extended Project etc, using anything at all as their baselines). If a school does not wish to make use of the additional functionality, the grades expected each term within the EAP can be left blank.
If you choose to create blank EAPs, you would still need to upload EAP baselines to set up and select within your EAPs. In this case, ANY baseline can be used as this will not impact your reports. For example, you could upload your Target grades file as the EAP Baselines (so they're available if you decide to make use of the On Track functionality in the future).
Thanks for reading!