Standardised Scores
Standardised scores are derived from a learner’s raw score and are placed on a scale that makes a comparison with the nationally representative sample of learners from the standardisation trial. Standardised scores are useful for comparing the performance of one cohort with another, provided that they have taken the same test and it has been administered correctly.
Age-standardised Scores
Age-standardised scores are based on a learner’s raw score, adjusted for age, in months, and placed on a scale that makes a comparison with those involved in the standardisation trial. This allows you to compare the performance of pupils against others of the same age. The benefit is that younger learners in a class are not disadvantaged by the better performance of older pupils in their year group.
Note that if a learner takes a test but they are too young then an age-standardised score won’t be generated, instead it will say ‘Age-outside of range’ on any reports.
Attainment Age (e.g. Reading/Maths/GPV/Spelling age)
An attainment age is the average chronological age of the pupils who obtained each particular raw score in the standardisation trial. These can be used as a quick indicator of a learner’s Reading/Maths/GPV/Spelling ability. It is a useful measure for monitoring the impact of interventions as well as being a good measure for learners entering schools from other schools.
Performance Indicators
Performance indicators help you to identify whether learners are meeting performance expectations for their year. These are calculated using percentiles, the percentage of learners obtaining any standardised score or lower in the standardisation trials. As a result, performance indicators are different for each test suite. An example for New PiRA:
|
Red (Working towards) |
Green (Working at) |
Blue (Working at greater depth) |
|
| New PiRA (KS1) | <89 | 89-111 | >111 |
| New PiRA (KS2) | <93 | 93-113 | >113 |
Information about the performance indicators for each test suite can be found in their respective test guidance documents. You can download these by logging in to Boost Insights and clicking Find: Resources & Interventions on the main dashboard.
Performance indicators are available for the following tests: New PiRA, New PUMA, PiRA for Scotland, PUMA for Scotland, New GaPS, NTS Reading and NTS Maths.
Percentiles
Percentiles show the percentage of learners obtaining any standardised score or lower. A percentile of 50 is average. A standardised score that is in the 68th percentile means that 68 percent of the group scored below that learner’s standardised score. The learner is therefore in the top-third for their cohort. Percentiles can give you a better feel for the significance of a learner’s performance.
Percentiles are only generated for ART, AMT, BNST and SSRCT.
Hodder Scale Score / NTS Score
The Hodder Scale score (or NTS Score if you are using the NTS Assessments) is a decimal scale which enables progress to be monitored term-by-term and year-by-year. It can also be used as a basis for predictions about expected progress, and on the Individual Learner Report predicted Hodder Scale scores/NTS Scores are reported for the next three tests a learner will take. These indicate expected progress form one test to the next if average progress is made by a learner.
Hodder Scale scores are available for New PiRA, New PUMA, PiRA for Scotland, PUMA for Scotland, New GaPS.
NTS Scores are available for NTS Mathematics and NTS Reading.
Facility
The facility is the percentage of learners who answered a question correctly in our standardisation trials.
Facility values are not generated for ART, AMT, BNST and SSRCT as these are wide-span tests and test papers can be taken by multiple year groups. It is not possible to provide an accurate facility value on reports as these will vary depending on learners’ ages.