A Performance Analysis of CISCE and CBSE Schools in the 2014 Examinations: Diving into Data

Data from 8500 Schools, 1.3 million Students--Prashant Bhattacharji

prashant@thelearningpoint.net

An effort to- put factual information in the public domain for the benefit of students and parents- make it possible to rely less on public perception or media surveys about which schools are doing a good job- enable schools to calibrate themselves objectively at a local or national level- promote competition- analysis for administrators, decision makers and government bodies

Embracing Data

Average Performance by City

ISC-2014: Better performance in cities marked in brighter shades

VIDYA NIKETAN SCHOOL,HEBBAL,BANGALOREJ. R. CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL,SALEMRISHI VALLEY SCHOOL,RISHI VALLEY,CHITTOORMARY IMMACULATE SCHOOL,BERHAMPORELAKSHMI SCHOOL,MADURAIMAYO COLLEGE GIRLS' SCHOOL,AJMERCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,GOMTI NAGAR,LUCKNOWLOYOLA SCHOOL,THIRUVANANTHAPURAMMODERN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS,KOLKATALA MARTINIERE GIRLS' COLLEGE,LUCKNOWTHE SHRI RAM SCHOOL,GURGAONEXCEL CENTRAL SCHOOL,THIRUVATTAR,KANYAKUMARIGARDEN HIGH SCHOOL,KOLKATALORETO HOUSE,KOLKATACHETTINAD HARI SHREE VIDYALAYAM AND PRIMARY SCHOOL,CHENNAIDON BOSCO SCHOOL,LILUAH,HOWRAHST.JUDE'S PUBLIC SCHOOL & JUNIOR COLLEGE,KOTAGIRITHE CATHEDRAL & JOHN CONNON SCHOOL,MUMBAITHE LAIDLAW MEM. SCH. & JR.COLLEGE,KETTISMT.SULOCHANADEVI SINGHANIA SCHOOL,THANE

Top Performing Schools @ ISC-2014(English+Best3)

MAYO COLLEGE GIRLS' SCHOOL,AJMERCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,GOMTI NAGAR,LUCKNOWLA MARTINIERE GIRLS' COLLEGE,LUCKNOWTHE SHRI RAM SCHOOL,GURGAONMODERN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS,KOLKATADON BOSCO SCHOOL,LILUAH,HOWRAHTHE CATHEDRAL & JOHN CONNON SCHOOL,MUMBAILORETO HOUSE,KOLKATASMT.SULOCHANADEVI SINGHANIA SCHOOL,THANETHE ASSAM VALLEY SCHOOL,BALIPARA,SONITPUR,ASSAMBRIGHTLANDS SCHOOL,DEHRA DUNLA MARTINIERE FOR GIRLS,KOLKATAVIVEKANANDA MISSION SCHOOL,JOKA,KOLKATAST.TERESA'S SECONDARY SCHOOL,KOLKATAWELHAM GIRLS' SCHOOL,DEHRA DUNCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,MAHANAGAR,LUCKNOWSISHYA,CHENNAIOUR LADY QUEEN OF THE MISSIONS SCHOOL,KOLKATACALCUTTA GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL,KOLKATACITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,ALIGANJ,LUCKNOW

Top Performing Schools @ ISC-2014(English+Best3): Focusing on larger schools with 70 or more students (i.e. the equivalent of 2 or more sections)

LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESHISC-2014: (Score = English + the best 3 subjects)CITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,GOMTI NAGAR,LUCKNOWLA MARTINIERE GIRLS' COLLEGE,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,MAHANAGAR,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,ALIGANJ,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI HIGH SCHOOL,RAJINDER NAGAR,LUCKNOWSETH M.R. JAIPURIA SCHOOL,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,RAJAJIPURAM,LUCKNOWLORETO CONVENT INTERMEDIATE COLLEGE,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,R D S O, LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI SCHOOL,KANPUR ROAD,LUCKNOWSTELLA MARIS SCHOOL,LUCKNOWST.PAUL'S COLLEGE,LUCKNOWST.MARY'S CONVENT INTER COLLEGE,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,STATION ROAD,LUCKNOWMOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE,MAHANAGAR,LUCKNOWST.FRANCIS' COLLEGE,LUCKNOWST.DOMINIC SAVIO COLLEGE,LUCKNOWLA MARTINIERE COLLEGE,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,CHOWK,LUCKNOWST.FIDELIS COLLEGE,LUCKNOW

Top Performers in Lucknow - (out of 65 ISC schools)

LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESHICSE-2014 All Schools - All scores refer to the percentage score in English + the best four subjectsLA MARTINIERE GIRLS' COLLEGE,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI SCHOOL,INDIRA NAGAR,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,GOMTI NAGAR,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,ALIGANJ,LUCKNOWSETH M.R JAIPURIA SCHOOL,LUCKNOWST. AGNES' LORETO DAY SCHOOL,LUCKNOWST. MARY'S CONVENT INTER COLLEGE,LUCKNOWLORETO CONVENT INTERMEDIATE COLLEGE,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI SCHOOL,KANPUR ROAD,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,MAHANAGAR,LUCKNOWSTELLA MARIS SCHOOL,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,R D S O, LUCKNOWST. XAVIER'S CONVENT SCHOOL,LUCKNOWGURUKUL ACADEMY, INDIRA NAGAR,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,CHOWK,LUCKNOWCITY MONTESSORI INTER COLLEGE,STATION ROAD,LUCKNOWGREEN FIELDS SCHOOL,RAJAJIPURAM,LUCKNOWIMMACULATE CONCEPTION CONVENT SCHOOL,GOMTINAGAR,LUCKNOWSPRING DALE COLLEGE,INDIRA NAGAR,LUCKNOWMOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE,MAHANAGAR,LUCKNOW

Top Performers in Lucknow - (out of 75+ ICSE schools)

In the early stages of middle and early school, perhaps, some skills and subjects are of more fundamental value than others. Language, Communication and Numeracy skills possibly play a more critical role at this stage as opposed to subjects with more specific topics in them.

The Foundation Years

● In the chart above based on CBSE-2013 Data, Mathematics scores do seem to have a fairly strong positive correlation with Economics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry and even Accountancy.

● Not to jump to a conclusion and declare that correlation immediately implies cause, but the trend is worth noticing.

● CBSE scores were used, because of a relatively larger number of students for various subject combinations, as opposed to the Indian School Certificate Examination

● The general idea is, that data should be tracked and analyzed frequently, to arrive at improvements in learning outcomes, based on evidence.

The Score Correlation Chart

- Board examination data is only one dimension of academics, though a fairly important one, especially for Non-PCM/PCB students

- Even if comprehensive statistics are not available - periodic tracking of performance of students in NTSE, JEE, AP/SAT, etc. will give a well-rounded indicator

- Create an environment where students perform well in the board exam - versus an environment training students specifically for board exams

- Benchmark against known and well-reputed assessment systems

- Before board examinations become a critical point of focus, track the performance of students on internationally accepted diagnostic and aptitude tests - PISA and others, designed by assessment specialists - which give a better indicator of general verbal, numeracy, logic and comprehension skills. Compare them with what may be considered the “acceptable standards” internationally.

- some schools may be performing better, by virtue of a student-body from a higher income group. If possible, comparison with schools within a certain radius and a similar fee structure, will eliminate for biases at work

Precautions while making data-driven decisions - Do not “over-read” or “overfit” to data

● In the absence of a standardized assessment system, do not rely too much on absolute board exam scores.

● An upward swing in the percentage of 90-percenters is not the target: an impressive rank or relative-standing with respect to other schools, is.

● We may or may not be able to download board exam scores every year!● Do make use of the Comparative Analysis document itself, which is

generally provided by the council.● One possible indicator to track: (Total percentage of CMS Students in

grade bands 1 and 2 in a subject) divided by (Total percentage of candidates nation-wise - in grade bands 1 and 2)

● For instance, for the school we see in the chart which follows, relative proportion of high-scorers in English is (15.44+44.97)/(10.28+30.60) = 1.5 times the all-India proportion

Relative Standings vs Absolute Scores

If possible, track percentiles rather than the absolute scores

Council’s Comparison Chart

- it may not be as detailed as our current tables- at some point of time, perhaps, this is all that you’ll have access to- it may not give a great insight into where the school actually ranks but- as mentioned, it can be used to track whether a school managed to push a higher proportion of students into the high scoring bands (with respect to the All-India proportion)- We have “twice the All-India” percentage of students in grade band 1 and 2 in Mathematics last year, we had 1.5 times - and so on

Thank you!Queries: prashant@thelearningpoint.net or updates@thelearningpoint.net

Do read the Council’s Comparison Chart