Breaking the link between attainment and deprivation

Edinburgh, June 5th 2015

Sue Ellis, Strathclyde University

Average school-leaver attainment by area deprivation in Scotland

Poverty: Scotland’s Landscape

We need to take account of:The geography of poverty in Scotland• Almost two thirds of pupils in poverty attend

schools serving relatively affluent neighbourhoods• The attainment gap exists within every school -

must be addressed by every school

The policy climate/process in Scotland• Devolved, premised on a single outcome, on

difference and on teacher professional judgement

What matters for teaching and learning?

Data can:•show which groups are served well/not well by the system, identify disproportionate impacts & possible issues•help professionals identify and explore aspects of pupil performance that matter for progress •prompt conversations about possible ways forward for individuals/groups & systems; help determine goals and monitor progress

Useful Data, Well Used …

Useful data, well used

It can also:

•foster a culture of inquiry•ground creative teaching/ potential solutions in clear evidence & a theory of change•aid communication within an organisation•identify local examples of highly effective practice, so that all can learn from them.

What to avoid: the dangers of high-stakes data • Enforces, centralised, unresponsive policy

implementations• Skews delivery priorities towards narrow, skills based

curricula targets and groups• De-professionalizes teachers & alienates the best –

loss of agency• Puts children under pressure• Diverts resources to admin/compliance systems• Polarises the system - less equity (‘sink/star’ schools)• Quickly becomes unreliable - Norfolk, Philadelphia,

Atlanta….

What Sort of Data is Useful?

• Reliable • Cost efficient• Experiences & beliefs within the system• Attainment on key aspects that matter for

progress, not general levels• Quick and easy to administer/analyse• Locally marked and owned

Criterion referenced –tends to skew attention to atomistic criteria – although proxy-measures

Standardised – allows comparisons across groups and over time

What matters are the conversations that spring from data…

Timing, implementation & knowledge - creating narratives of good data use

• Mobilize teacher knowledge & know-how • linked to the data• timely arrival, alongside the data • fostering a policy of recognition - categories that may need help /

what may work –prof. narratives

• Local Control - school/ teacher decisions from a central bank

• WHAT data• WHEN useful • HOW used to enhance teaching and learning

A self-improving system

• robust professional knowledge• Grounded conversations that embrace

complexity• political / media restraint & (re)education• careful implementation

A system that works in Scotland for Scotland