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A new online tool — believed to be the first of its kind — can predict the academic outcomes of school pupils and is being developed in Dunedin.
The data-collecting predictive-modelling tool is the brainchild of Otago Boys’ High School deputy rector Mark Hooper and aims to help teachers assist with educational improvements for individual pupils.
The statistics teacher said the tool was unusual because it focused at an individual level rather than population level, and used data inputs such as pupil wellbeing, three-weekly "effort" scores (ratings of their effort at school), and attendance.
"The grade point average (GPA) is the outcome variable that we’re trying to improve the most and predict as early as possible.
"But what is it that affects that and predicts that to the greatest extent?
"Is it attendance, is it effort, is it the number of sports clubs they’re in, is it how many times they’ve been naughty through their time here?
"There’s so many variables that we collect, other than just academic grades. And that’s the uniqueness of this tool."
He said the tool was already being used at Otago Boys’ to identify pupils who were most at risk of underachieving and in need of extra support.
"Everything we’ve done in schools before this has been retrospective and reactive.
"We’re very confident we’re identifying the right students that need extra help, but now it’s about working out if our interventions are making a small or a big impact.
"It’s very exciting and I’m really driven by it.
"The one thing I’m confident this model will do, is not allow any students to fall through the gaps."
Earlier this year Mr Hooper travelled to Harvard University in the United States to develop it, and he was recently asked to present it to the Ministry of Education which is showing interest in the tool.
He is now working with a couple of statisticians from the University of Otago to develop it further so it could be used by other schools.
"It would be crazy if it was just for Otago Boys’."
He hoped it would be available for both primary and secondary schools to start using in the first half of next year.