Targets, effort and value added
Many schools judge a pupil not only by the grade they reach but by the grade they should reach, and by how hard they work. MarkBook handles this with three kinds of column: targets in the Target area, effort and progress judgements in each checkpoint, and a calculated value added column that compares the two. This page shows how to set each one up and how they work together.
Targets
The target columns MarkBook installs
| Column | Short label | Data type | Where | Who fills it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFT Estimated Grade | FFT | Grade label | Target area | Imported; locked so nobody types over it |
| Target Grade | TG | Grade label | Target area | Usually an administrator or head of department |
| Personalised Target | PTG | Grade label | Target area | Usually the teacher |
All three appear once a year at the left of the grid, under Target area. Each uses an attainment scale: make it the same scale as the grades you compare it with (Current Grade, Report Grade). Set it with Default attainment scale on the value type in Configuration → Assessment → Markbook Templates → Columns Configurations.
Student targets also have a register of their own, with the year profile (SEN, EAL, FFT) and imports from a spreadsheet: see Student Targets and Importing Marks & Targets.
Who may change a target
On the value type, Editing rule decides who may type in the column:
| Editing rule | Effect |
|---|---|
| Open — any grader | The class teacher can change it |
| Leaders only — set in Who leads what | Only the leaders you tick (head of department, year group coordinator, SLT) and administrators |
| Locked — read-only | Nobody types; values come by import only |
A common choice: Target Grade Leaders only with Head of department ticked, and Personalised Target Open. Leaders are assigned under Configuration → Users & Roles → Who leads what. See Leadership Roles.
Predicted and working-at grades
A Current Grade (working-at) column comes with MarkBook. For a predicted grade, create a value type Predicted Grade (short label Pred), Grade label, Repeated in every reporting period, on the same scale as the target. See British (UK).
Effort, attitude and progress
These are judgements, not grades, so they use judgement scales (Configuration → Assessment → Judgement scales). MarkBook installs three columns for them:
| Column | Short label | Usual scale |
|---|---|---|
| Effort Grade | Eff | Effort 1–4, or Excellent / Good / Satisfactory / Poor |
| ATL | ATL | Attitude to learning |
| Progress Grade | Prog | Below / Expected / Above expected progress |
Example effort scales:
| Scale | Value type | Values (shown in the grid) |
|---|---|---|
| Effort 1–4 | Number | 1 Excellent, 2 Good, 3 Satisfactory, 4 Poor |
| Effort A–D | Text | A Excellent, B Good, C Satisfactory, D Cause for concern |
| Effort — Excellent to Poor (wizard) | Text | E Excellent, G Good, S Satisfactory, P Poor |
With Number, the grid and report show the number and the report legend explains it. With Text, they show the Code. The Weight (or Numeric value) is what an average or a sort uses. If 1 is your best effort grade, remember that a lower average is better.
The Type of the scale (Effort, Progress, ATL …) is how MarkBook matches a new school's scales to the Effort, Progress and ATL columns. You can still choose any scale on any column.
Value added
Value added shows the distance between the grade a pupil has and their target, in grade steps.
The installed column
VA Grade (short label VA) is a calculated column already set to Report Grade minus Target Grade. It shows a signed number: +1 one grade above target, 0 on target, −2 two grades below.
To colour it, edit VA Grade, turn on Colour-code this column by its value, and press Use the value-added preset (−2 … +2):
| Value | Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| below −1 | Red | Well below target |
| −1 to just under 0 | Orange | Below target |
| 0 to just under 1 | Grey | On target |
| 1 to just under 2 | Light green | Above target |
| 2 and above | Dark green | Well above target |
Each band includes its lower value, so −1 is orange and 0 is grey.
Variations
Click VA Grade in the template's Reporting period zone and use the Advanced tab, with Show as Signed (+2 / −1):
| Compare | Formula |
|---|---|
| Report grade with target (installed) | RG - TG |
| Current grade with target | CG - TG |
| Current grade with the personalised target | CG - PTG |
| Current grade with the FFT estimate | CG - FFT |
| Predicted grade with target | Pred - TG |
Every column in the formula must be on the template. If Report Grade or Target Grade is missing, VA stays empty for every pupil.
Value added counts points, not letters
The formula subtracts the grades' Weight (points). Make sure your scale has one point between neighbouring grades. The wizard's British A–U* scale gives E 3 and U 1, so E to U reads as −2. Target and current grade must also use scales whose points line up, ideally the same scale.
Value added on a 1–10 or 2–6 scale
The same idea works in any system: a Romanian school can set a target note and use MA - TG; a Bulgarian school can compare a term mark with a target, SO1 - TG. Use Signed display and the preset bands.
Who sees what
- Show in student/parent grid and Show in printed report on each value type decide whether families see targets, effort and VA. Many schools show effort and the target to families but keep VA and FFT teacher-only.
- When families see it can hold a column back until a leader approves it. See Checking & Approving Columns.
Worked example
Year 9, History, scale GCSE 9–1 with points 9 to 1. Effort on the 1–4 Number scale.
| Pupil | TG | PTG | T1B CG | T1B Eff | T1B RG | VA (RG - TG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leo | 6 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | +1 light green |
| Sofia | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | −1 orange |
| Daniel | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 grey |
| Hana | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 5 | −3 red |
Hana is three grades below target with the weakest effort grade: the coloured VA and effort columns put her at the top of the head of department's list before the report goes home.