Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker

Introduction

The Rising Stars Assessment Progress Trackers are designed to help teachers use the marks
from the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tests to monitor pupil progress against the new
(2014) National Curriculum Programmes of Study. There is a separate Progress Tracker for
each set of tests for each year group. The Progress Trackers have been produced to work in
Excel 2007 and Excel 2010. Each Progress Tracker is an Excel workbook that enables teachers
to record the marks for each question and test for every pupil so that the performance of each
pupil and the whole class can be tracked. The Progress Trackers can also be used to produce
summary reports for each pupil. Additionally, data can be exported from the tests to be used
for whole school monitoring and reporting.
Each Progress Tracker workbook is set up with a number of worksheets. For the mathematics
half-termly tests there is a separate worksheet for each test. Each worksheet contains a table
for teachers to insert the marks for the test. The Progress Trackers also each contain:
 a Start worksheet with an easy navigation menu
 a My pupils worksheet that provides summary data about the class and allows test data to
be exported
 a Reports worksheet which produces individual summary reports for pupils that can be saved
or printed.
To minimise errors in data entry each Progress Tracker is locked down (see page 5) and all
data entry is automatically checked.
The Start worksheet provides a list of all the sheets available. Clicking on the titles in the list
will take you to the appropriate worksheet. Navigation around the workbook can also be done
by clicking on the tabs along the bottom of the workbook. Additionally, on the test worksheets,
there is a dashboard that can be used as a quick link to the Start, My pupils and Reports
worksheets.

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Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker

How to use the Progress Tracker

The Progress Tracker is very easy to use. The steps below explain how to get started, how to
enter test data, how to produce reports and how to export data. It is recommended that you
save the Progress Tracker on the school network so that it can be accessed by colleagues and
that you save the file regularly as you add test data to it.

Getting started Excel 2007

1. The Progress Tracker is password protected.
To open the workbook, type in the password:
RISINGSTARS. In order to use the Progress
Tracker you must enable the content when
you open the spreadsheet. To do this using
Excel 2007 you need to click on the options
box in the security warning at the top of the
screen and then select Enable this content
and OK. If you are using Excel 2010 you
just need to select Enable content in the
security warning. Once you have opened
the file, save it to a location of your choice.
Note that you can rename the Progress
Tracker file but the file extension must
remain as .xslm.

Excel 2010

2. To get started, go to the Start worksheet

and enter the name of your Class, e.g. 2Q,
and the name of the teacher, e.g. Mr Quinn.
You only need to enter this information once:
each worksheet will now show the class and
teacher name at the top.

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 Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker
3. You now need to enter the names of the
pupils. To do this, go to My pupils. The
pupils names can either be entered
manually or you can import them from your
MIS system. If you wish to import them from
your MIS, please see the Appendix at the
end of this guide. It is also possible to copy
and paste pupil names from a Word or
Excel file. Note that if you choose this option
you must use Paste Values rather than
Paste. The Progress Tracker will accept a
maximum of 35 pupils for a class. Note that
you need to check the order of the pupils
names before entering them as this cannot
be changed later. Once the names have
been added, each worksheet in the Progress
Tracker will now show the pupils names. As
the school year progresses, the My pupils
worksheet will also show a summary of each
pupils results as their marks are entered for
each test.

Entering test data

4. When pupils have taken a test you need to
enter their marks into the Progress Tracker.
Marks need to be entered for each question
for a particular test. On each individual
test worksheet you need to enter marks for
each pupil under the appropriate question
number. The spreadsheet allows you to
enter the number of marks achieved and
also n for not attempted. The Progress
Tracker has been set up to prevent you
entering invalid marks, e.g. 2 marks for a
1-mark question and part marks. If you wish,
you can optionally add the date that the
test was administered to pupils above the
question mark details. You can add the date
using words and numbers, e.g. 6 Jan 15. If
you enter a date using numbers you must
include slashes, e.g. 6/1 or 6/1/15. Note
that the date will appear as e.g. 06/01/2015
whichever way it has been entered.

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Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker
5. You can use the buttons on the dashboard
on the test worksheets to change how you
enter and display test data. You can choose
to enter test data horizontally or vertically.
You can also choose - instead of n for
questions that a pupil has not attempted.
Note that if your preference is for not
attempted questions to be represented by
dashes rather than n that you need to enter
the marks using n. You can then use the
dashboard to change to dashes.
6. Once a mark (or n) has been entered for
each question the total number of marks for
the test will show in the test column. These
are colour coded red (less than expected),
green (expected) or blue (more than
expected) to indicate progress against the
National Curriculum Programme of Study.
This table provides you with a quick view of
how pupils in your class are progressing as
well as the class as a whole.
7. As test marks are added, the average
mark for each question also appears at the
bottom of the mark entry column. These are
also colour coded. This provides you with
an easy-to-use view of how your pupils are
performing on particular questions, enabling
you to adjust your teaching and planning if
necessary.
8. As the marks for the various tests are
completed, the summary on the My pupils
worksheet updates automatically. The
summary also uses colour coding to
indicate whether each pupil is making
expected progress, less than expected
progress or more than expected progress.
9. The test questions have been mapped
against the statements in the Rising Stars
Progression Framework. To view the
statements roll over the code(s) in row 9.

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 Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker
Pupil reports
10. The Progress Tracker also allows you to
produce reports for individual pupils. To
do this go to the Reports worksheet and
select the pupil you want from the drop
down list next to Pupil name. When you
choose a name the summary information for
that pupil appears in the report along with
todays date. To print a copy of the report,
use the Print report button. You can also
save a PDF version of the report in a folder
of your choice by clicking Save report as
pdf. The file name of the report includes
the pupils name and the date, e.g. Daniel
Davison_2032015.pdf.

Exporting test data

11. Test data can be exported from the Progress Tracker to use as part of whole school
monitoring and tracking of pupil progress. To export data go to the My pupils worksheet
and click on the Export summary data as CSV button. This allows you to select a folder
in which to save the data and produces a CSV file with the class name, teacher name
and time the data was exported, e.g. 2Q_Mr Quinn_2032015_11_42.csv. The file name is
produced automatically but can be changed in the selected folder if required. Exports can
be done as often as needed.

Lockdown
The Progress Tracker has been locked down to ensure that the codes within it cannot be
accidentally overwritten. Some users may wish to unlock the spreadsheet to adapt it.
Each worksheet is protected. To unlock a sheet, select Home, Format and then Unprotect
sheet. If you choose to adapt a worksheet, it must be at your own risk. To protect the
worksheet again select, Home, Format, Protect sheet.

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Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker

Appendix  How to import pupil data from your Management Information

System (MIS)

1. If you are using Excel 2007, click the Office

icon top left of your screen and then Open.
If you are using Excel 2010, click on the
Open file icon. Navigate to the folder with
the .xml file from your MIS that you wish to
use.
2. Select the file and then click Open or
double-click on the file. The following
dialogue box appears:

3. Select the Use the XML Source task pane

button and then OK. The following dialogue
box appears:

4. Click OK. A new worksheet opens with the

following XML map on the right-hand side:

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Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker
5. To import the UPNs, forenames and
surnames for your pupils, drag the 'UPN'
label to cell A1, 'PreferredForename' to cell
B1 and 'PreferredSurname' to cell C1:

6. Right click cell A2 and on the drop down

menu select 'XML, Import'.

7. Navigate to the folder with the .xml file from

your MIS that you wish to use.
8. Select the file and click 'Open' or double-
click on the file.
9. The table is populated with the appropriate
pupil information.

10. Select and copy cells A2 to C29 (or

whatever is appropriate in your case).
Note: make sure that there are no more
than 35 pupils as this is the maximum class
size for the Progress Tracker.
11. Open the Progress Tracker. Go to the My
pupils worksheet and position the cursor in
the first cell under UPN.

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Year 2   Using the Rising Stars Assessment Progress Tracker
12. Click on the arrow below 'Paste' and select
'Paste values'. The table will then be filled
with your data.

13. The final table should look like the one

here. If you accidentally click on 'Paste'
you will lose the table outline box. If you do
this click on the 'Undo' arrow and select
'Paste values'.

14. Once you have successfully imported the

data click on any cell to remove the outline
selection. You should then close the XML
Source Window. The temporary Workbook
'Bookx' file should also be closed without
saving.
15. Now save the changes you have made to
the Progress Tracker.

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