Functions used when calculating student results

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Last updated: Feb 23, 2021 by Richard Kennedy (Unlicensed)

The following Synergetic functions are used when calculating student results. Similar functions are grouped together with variations related to either the:

  • Class or subjects. A class function only operates on the selected class results while a subject function operates on all of the classes using the selected assessment code.
  • HighLow or LowHigh. The function used depends on the order of the assessment area we are working with. For example, we would use:
  • a HighLow function with a weighted average as we want the highest results first
  • a LowHigh function with a ranking as we want the results for the lowest ranked students (that is, the top students) at the top.

They are used on the Formula sub-tab of Subject Assessment Maintenance. See Subject Assessment Maintenance - Area tab - Formula sub-tab.

Formula

Description

@sfAvgClass /
@sfAvgSubject

Average the selected student results using the specified class or assessment area. The results are averaged based on the students either:

  • in a class within the subject (@sfAvgClass)

  • across all classes in the subject (@sfAvgSubject).



    Note: These functions only act on a single field (column). For example, @sfAvgSubject(A1) shown immediately above operates on the Written Exam area (A1) for classes GEEA1 and GEEA2 within the German subject assessment GEEA.

    Tip:     You can improve the format of the output by setting the Round to Decimal Places field on the Formula sub-tab.

@sfCentileClassHighLow /
@sfCentileClassLowHigh /
@sfCentileSubjectHighLow /
@sfCentileSubjectLowHigh

Students can be ranked by their class or subject and placed in any of the 99 numbered points that divide an ordered set of scores into 100 parts.
For the HighLow functions, the:

  • first centile includes the highest 1% of the data
  • 99th centile includes the highest 99% of the data.

    In the following @sfCentileSubjectHighLow example, the top:
  • student is in the top 1% (Centile 1)
  • two students are in the top 10% (Centile 10)
  • three students are in the top 19% (Centile 19).



    Note: Not all centiles are represented given the small sample.

Use the LowHigh functions if you are using an intermediate field such as Ranking as the 'assessment area' in the formula. This will ensure that the top ranked students continued to be displayed first. See Adding a decile or similar formula to student results.

@sfDecileClassHighLow /
@sfDecileClassLowHigh /
@sfDecileSubjectHighLow /
@sfDecileSubjectLowHigh

Students can be ranked by their class or subject and placed in one of ten (decile) equal parts, so that each part represents a tenth of the sample. See Adding a decile or similar formula to student results.

For the HighLow functions, the:

  • first decile includes the highest 10% of the data
  • fifth decile includes the highest 50% of the data
  • ninth decile includes the highest 90% of the data.

    In the following @sfDecileSubjectHighLow example, the students in the top 10% are in the first decile (Decile 1).

Use the LowHigh functions if you are using an intermediate field such as Ranking as the 'assessment area' in the formula. This will ensure that the top ranked students continued to be displayed first.

@sfMarkToGrade

Convert a mark into an alpha grade. That is, A, B, C or D. You specify the assessment area, then the grade and the minimum mark required to receive that grade, using the following format:
@sfMarkToGrade(A1;,A{90},B{80},C{70},D{60},F{0})
This formula will allocate marks:

  • over 90 a grade of A
  • of 80 to 89 a B
  • and so on.

You need to use a semicolon to separate the area being marked (here A1) from the grades as in the example.

Note: The allocation of alpha grades to marks is also defined in the lookup table luReportResultType. See luReportResultType lookup table in the System maintenance manual.

@sfMax /
@sfMin

Calculate the minimum and maximum values within multiple assessment areas.

@sfMaxClass /
@sfMaxSubject

Determine the maximum for the selected student results using the specified assessment area. The maximum is identified based on the students either:

  • in a class within the subject (@sfMaxClass)

  • across all classes in the subject (@sfMaxSubject).



    Note: These functions only act on a single field (column). For example, @sfMaxSubject(A1) shown immediately above operates on the Written Exam area (A1) for classes GEEA1 and GEEA2 within the German subject assessment GEEA.

@sfMedianClass /
@sfMedianSubject

Determine the median for the selected student results using the specified assessment area. The median is identified based on the students either:

  • in a class within the subject (@sfMedianClass)

  • across all classes in the subject (@sfMedianSubject).



    Note: These functions only act on a single field (column). For example, @sfMedianSubject(A1) shown immediately above operates on the Written Exam area (A1) for classes GEEA1 and GEEA2 within the German subject assessment GEEA.

@sfMinClass /
@sfMinSubject

Determine the minimum for the selected student results using the specified assessment area. The minimum is identified based on the students either:

  • in a class within the subject (@sfMinClass)

  • across all classes in the subject (@sfMinSubject).



    Note: These functions only act on a single field (column). For example, @sfMinimumSubject(A1) shown immediately above operates on the Written Exam area (A1) for classes GEEA1 and GEEA2 within the German subject assessment GEEA.
    Tip: You can double click on a column to sort the results. Double click again to change the sort order. In the examples above, the Written Exam field (column) has been sorted so that the minimum value is at the top (circled).

@sfQuartileClassHighLow /
@sfQuartileClassLowHigh /
@sfQuartileSubjectLowHigh /
@sfQuartileSubjectHighLow

Students can be ranked by their class or subject and placed in any of the four quartiles.

For the HighLow functions, the:

  • first quartile includes the highest 25% of the data
  • second quartile includes the highest 50% of the data.

    In the following @sfQuartileSubjectHighLow example:
  • three students are in the top quartile (25%)
  • six students, including the three top students, are in the second quartile (50%).

Use the LowHigh functions if you are using an intermediate field such as Ranking as the 'assessment area' in the formula. This will ensure that the top ranked students continued to be displayed first.
See Adding a decile or similar formula to student results.

@sfRankClassHighLow /
@sfRankClassLowHigh /
@sfRankSubjectHighLow /
@sfRankSubjectLowHigh

Students can be ranked by their class or subject. See Adding a ranking formula to student results.

The HighLow functions give the highest result the lowest rank:

  • @sfRankClassHighLow ranks the student in a class, with the highest student given the lowest rank.

  • @sfRankSubjectHighLow ranks the students across all classes in the subject, with the highest student given the lowest rank.



    Note: Any students with the same result are ranked the same. This is taken into account for subsequent students.

Use the LowHigh functions if you are using an intermediate field such as Ranking as the 'assessment area' in the formula. This will ensure that the top ranked students continued to be displayed first.

@sfStdDevClass /
@sfStdDevPClass /
@sfStdDevSubject /
@sfStdDevPSubject

Calculate the standard deviation for the selected student results using the specified assessment area.

The standard deviation calculated can either be for a:

  • sample (StdDev)
  • population (StdDevP).

    Tip: Use the sample standard deviation functions in most cases.

The standard deviation is identified based on the students either:

  • in a class within the subject (@sfStdDevClass, @sfStdDevPClass)

  • across all classes in the subject (@sfStdDevSubject, @sfStdDevPSubject).



    Note: These functions only act on a single field (column).

@sfWeightedAverage

Calculate the average for the selected assessment areas, taking into account the weighting factors applied to each. See Adding a weighted average formula to student results.

For example, the German A subject assessment includes three areas that are assessed:

  • Written Exam, also designated as A1
  • Oral Exam, also designated as A2
  • Homework, also designated as A3.

    It is important to be consistent across each of the assessment areas used in the weighted calculations.
    For example, you might represent them as follows:

  • Area 1 - 50% represented as 0.5
  • Area 2 - 20% represented as 0.2
  • Area 3 - 30% represented as 0.3
  • Weighted Average - 100%, represented as 1.


    The result for the GEEA1 class is calculated on the Student Results Maintenance window.