Scaled Scoring

Scaled score the DfE will be using

Scaled score

New standard

130

100

80

Maximum score

Minimum score

STA have decided the scale will centre around 100 points.

This 100 points represents a child has met the new standard.

In old money this would be roughly a level 4b.

Centring around 100, the scale will run from 80 to 130.

A scale allows direct comparisons of results from one set of assessments to another

Such comparisons would be difficult to make using raw scores because tests may be different – for example, they can have different numbers of questions, the number of correct answers required to pass may be different etc.

Mapping raw scores to a scaled score helps to minimise any variance between different test results.

Scaled score Raw Score Y

10085

Raw Score X

60

Due to the difficulty of Test X, a raw score of 60 could map to a scaled score of 100

Test Y is not as difficult as Test X, so a raw score of 85 could map to a scaled score of 100

The mapping of a child’s raw score to the scaled score will be done by the Standards & Testing Agency through a statistical mechanism.

You do not need to know the detail of this mechanism to grasp the concept.

For example, a child may score 42 out of 70 in their mathematics KS2 test. This might be mapped across to a scaled score of 98

Maximum score

Minimum score

Raw Score Scaled score

Child’s raw score for mathematics

Child’s scaled score for mathematics

42

70

0

130

98

80

Maximum score

Minimum score

Mechanism

Maximum scorevariable = 130

Minimum score0 = 80

Scaled score

Min score to meet new standards

variable = 100

Raw Score

The raw score that would indicate a child has met the new standard is mapped to 100.

What raw score maps to a scaled score of 100 may vary year on year to address the variances in the tests that give raw scores.

One year this could be 42 out of 70, one year this could be 35 out of 70.

Sometimes the mechanism will mean a range of raw scores will map to a single scaled score.

So why scaled scoring?

What the DFE plans to do with scaled scores

Scaled scores will be used for both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 national curriculum assessments.

They will use scaled scores to measure progress from KS1 to KS2.

All KS1 pupils who scaled score 98

KS1 scaled score 99

KS1 scaled score 102

KS1 scaled score 110

KS1 scaled score 105

To measure progress from KS1 to KS2, the DfE will, using pupils’ KS1 scaled scores, sort pupils into national cohorts for the different assessed subjects.

This process will be undertaken for Maths, Reading and SPaG

England

KS2 scaled score 108

Progress made

Progress made

Progress made

KS1 scaled score 98

National Cohort

For those pupils whose KS1 scaled score was 98 the average scaled

score in KS2 is 99

National Cohort

KS2 scaled score 104

KS2 scaled score 96

KS2 scaled score 97

KS2 scaled score 90

KS2 scaled score 99

Individual Pupils

Not made sufficient progress

Not made sufficient progress

Not made sufficient progress

Example: We take the national cohort comprised of children whose scaled score was 98 in KS1 mathematics.

The individual performance of each pupil within this cohort at KS2 is assessed and compared to arrive at a score indicating sufficient progress has been made.

(this example uses a simple averaging method that is yet to be confirmed)

National Cohort

KS1 scaled score 99

KS2 scaled score 88

KS2 scaled score 86

KS2 scaled score 82

KS2 scaled score 88

Individual Pupils

National Cohort

For those pupils whose KS1 scaled score was 99, the average scaled score in

KS2 is 86 therefore progress has been made if a pupil scores 86 or above.

Progress made

Progress made

Progress made

Not made sufficient progress

‘averaging’ methodology is not yet confirmed – consultation just refers to ‘sufficient progress’

Extreme example:

Only in comparison with the progress made by other pupils with the same initial scaled score will it be possible

to establish if a pupil has made sufficient progress.

Sufficient progress replaces “2 levels of progress”