Pips Reception Results Query

[Guest]

Hi, we all do the PIPS assessments at our school - for every year group - and I do think they are a good idea.

 

Last year we looked at the R end of year PIPS scores and were very disappointed. High fliers had underachieved and lots of children had two minuses.

 

So this year we really targeted focus groups for Lit/ Num sessions and also planned differently for more able/ less able children. We have really gone to town on personal learning for those groups... BUT...

Just got the results back for this year's children and they are poor again. Too many high fliers have just achieved an 'average' on the value added and some children (low ability) have two minuses.

 

So - when you compare our results to the LEA - they are above at the start of the year and below at the end - for Reading and Maths. The same as last year, even though we have really worked hard to target these two group (high/ low ability).

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated, as now - rather than just a 'blip' in our whole school data - it is a 'trend'...

 

Thanks

 

Viki

[Guest]

Viki,

 

I had the same 'problem' last year! I was really quite shocked, offended and hurt at the fact that my higher achievers had come out with - value added (and so was the Head!)

 

It seems like the system may be somewhat flawed- especially when placed alongside the ACTUAL Profile ELG's...

 

...I certain;y feel that the way some of those Maths questions are asked are very confusing for the children "How much more..."

 

We got this years results in late this year so my breath is somewhat held until the Head calls me in to 'discuss' them!

 

Saying that it's just so frustrating when you KNOW how much progress the children have made throughtout the year. Especially when it's backed up by the following Year One taecher!!!!!

 

Oh and final whinhge point...WTF is it all about that we are 'predicting' KS1 SAT's results at this age ...LET THE CHILDREN BE CHILDREN not statistics

Edited July 22, 2007 by Guest

[Guest tinkerbell]

I hope you don't take offence but I did the initial PIPS test with my Reception class 2 years ago and decided not to continue with it .I found sitting the children in front of the computer and the answers they had to give were very basic to achieve quite high points on the e-profile....not my cup of tea at all and not in depth enough.I told my HT we wouldn't be doing the end of term one and she supported me .Our LEA has advised that tests such as PIPS should not be used on Reception children 80% ofour assessments should be based on continous provision work!

[Marion]

The NAA say that PIPs shouldn't be used to inform the FSP but OFSTED like it for value added/tracking. I'm with Tinkerbell on this one I can't see how "guessing" answers on a pc gives an accurate picture of a child's ability.

[Guest]

I have never done PIPS until this year and when we got the results back and looked at the graphs some of them have not made the expected progress. The children are above average at the start and our profile scores are good. I was very upset as I felt the test didn't show the progress they made , my results are now being discussed at the next academic meeting! I went to the deputy and told her that she had to show my profils scores aswell. most schools are not doing PIPS and we have just got it. I was outstanding in our inspection but I am still feeing upset about those scores. The inspector didn't agree with PIPS. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Guest]

we don't do pips and nor do any of our cluster schools I thought it was considered now to not be in line with EYFS as it just tests such a narrow range of skills. Our early years advisors certainly don't recommend it. I observe the children on entry and by oct half term have made a judgement along with preschool transition record of where they are at on the EYFSP. I then record on Iprofile and each half term I update the profile. Any value added data needed by anyone can be found on this. I was recently ofsteded and the inspector was perfectly happy with the data I provided.

Deb

[Guest]

Sorry to sound ignorant but what are pips?

[Guest]

hi pips is a baseline assessment for children which is done at the beginning and end of reception and can be done in other years too. It stands for Performance Indicators in Primary Schools and is an assessment programme from Durham University used for YR-6. In reception it is a computer program where the children answer questions on the screen on a range of things eg number recognition, pre reading skills, vocabulary, counting etc. (the children really enjoy it and don't realise that they are being assessed) When the children make I think 2 mistakes in each category the test moves on too another area. The children then have a score, the test is repeated at the end of the year and the children get further in the test and achieve another score and it shows their progress and whether they are achieving below, in line with or exceeding expectations. The problem with it as with all tests is that it doesn't give a true picture just a snapshop of that child on that day for the 15 minutes that they do the test and progress only for the narrow range of skills in the test. I had a problem with PIPs when it was done in my school in reception because the results were used to predict Y2 SATs levels and I was the Y2 teacher, every year the predictions were a mile away from what the children were achieving in their SATs.

Deb