This article provides an in depth look at KS4 residuals in the KS4 Reports of Analytics and how it is calculated. This can help with troubleshooting figures, or for those who are interested in the detail behind the calculations.
What are Residuals?
There are two types of residuals calculated in the reports, grade-based and attitude to learning based, explained further below:
Grade-based Residuals
These residuals are calculated based on a student's performance in a particular subject/qualification, and are used to to compare the relative performance of qualifications, faculties, classes, and students. They aim to represent how well a qualification, faculty, class, or individual student has performed in comparison with how the same students have performed across all of the qualifications (with points) they have taken. They’re based on the performance of your students in the report you’re viewing.
In KS3/4 of Analytics, you can have subjects/qualifications with custom points set up by your school, or official points. As such, in instances where a mixture of points are used for a cohort, two separate types of residuals will be generated.
Note - You can also exclude specific qualifications from residual calculations temporarily, using the 'Residual Excl' tab in the reports! |
Attitude to Learning (AtL) Residuals
AtL residuals are based on a students judgement in specific AtL categories set up in your school (e.g. Behaviour, Homework, etc.). These can be used to compare the pastoral judgements in a category for students in a specific class, qualification, or faculty with the judgements in that category for the same students across all of their qualifications. For example, how the student's behaviour in one qualification compares to their average behaviour across all qualifications they take.
Note: AtL residuals are only available where average points or average judgements are used.
Calculating Student Residuals
Student residuals can be used to compare a student’s performance in a particular qualification/AtL category with how they’re performing on average across all of their qualifications.
They are calculated firstly for each subject/qualification based on the type of points awarded (custom/official attainment 8).
Student Residual = (Standardised Points Score – Average Points Score)* *for that specific grade points type (Attainment 8 or custom points or AtL category) |
Note: As Residuals are based on student performance, Analytics will include all students (including guests) and all grades. Grades that have been discounted and do not count towards Headline measures will still be included in Residuals.
Calculating Class/Qualification/Faculty Residuals
Once student Residuals have been calculated, Analytics can produce class, qualification, and faculty Residuals.
Class Residuals
Class Residuals compare the performance of students in a class to how those same students are performing overall across all of their qualifications with the same point scale. These are calculated by taking the sum of the individual student Residuals and dividing this by the number of students in the class.
Class Residual = (Sum of student residuals in class ÷ count of students in class) |
Qualification/Subject Residuals
Qualification Residuals compare the performance of students in a qualification to how those same students are performing overall, across all of their qualifications with the same point scale. These are calculated by taking the sum of the individual student Residuals and dividing this by the number of students in the qualification.
Qualification Residual = |
Faculty Residuals
Faculty Residuals compare the performance of students in a faculty to how those same students are performing overall across all of their qualifications with the same point scale. These are calculated by taking the sum of the individual student Residuals and dividing this by the total number of student Residuals in the faculty.
Faculty Residual = (Sum of student residuals in faculty* ÷ count of students in faculty) *Taken from their individual qualifications included in that faculty |
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