Answer extracted from the Education: Joining the Dots podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What criteria should schools use to select the right assessment tracking system?
There is no universally "best" assessment tracking system—schools need to evaluate options against their specific needs and workflows. The right choice depends on whether the system delivers the analysis teachers actually need, whether data entry feels manageable for staff, and whether reports are easily accessible across devices like tablets or computers.
Each assessment tracking system comes with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Rather than searching for a single superior solution, schools should focus on understanding which system aligns with their operational priorities and pedagogical goals. As Becky Sinjin explains in the episode, the question isn't which system is universally better, but which one serves your school's particular context.
What to evaluate when selecting a tracking system
Start by examining what analysis and reporting the system can actually provide. Does it generate the specific insights your school needs to understand student progress and inform teaching decisions? Different systems excel at different types of data visualization and analysis, so clarifying your school's priority questions is essential.
Data entry experience matters significantly. Staff comfort with the interface directly affects adoption and consistency—if teachers find data entry cumbersome, the system's value diminishes. Similarly, ensure that accessing reports works the way your teachers prefer, whether that's through simple button clicks, visual graphs, or detailed tables.
Device accessibility is often overlooked but critical in modern schools. The system should work seamlessly across multiple devices including tablets, laptops, and desktop computers, allowing teachers to enter and review data from wherever they are working in the school. This flexibility reflects how teaching and data management actually happen in practice, rather than forcing staff to work only at a central location.
"The standardized test results are there to support the teacher judgment, to contribute to the teacher judgment, not to replace it."
Becky Sinjin — Freelance school assessment and performance data consultant. With 15 years of experience as a data manager in secondary schools using CISRA tracking systems, followed by seven years of freelance consulting work with multiple companies and schools on data strategy, Sinjin brings deep practical knowledge of how assessment systems integrate into real teaching environments.
Before making a final decision, it's worth exploring how other schools in similar contexts use their chosen systems. A point detailed in this podcast is that communities of practitioners—such as data managers networking through professional groups—share valuable real-world insights about which systems work best in different scenarios.
Key takeaways
- Prioritize systems that provide the specific analysis and insights your school actually needs, not systems with the most features.
- Ensure data entry is comfortable and intuitive for your staff, as this directly affects consistent use and data quality.
- Verify that the system offers flexible access across multiple devices so teachers can work from different locations in the school.
- Evaluate how easily teachers can retrieve and review reports in their preferred format—whether visual, tabular, or otherwise.
See also
What foundational principle should underpin data management systems in schools?
Every single teacher in every single subject must understand how the grades they enter into the system relate to the curriculum. Schools need to ensure this alignment is clear and consistent across all departments.
How should schools position standardized assessments within their broader teaching and assessment strategy?
Standardized test results should support and contribute to teacher judgment rather than replace it. Teachers need to recognize that standardized tests provide one piece of evidence within a wider assessment strategy.
How do age-standardized scores improve the accuracy of student progress measurement?
GL Assessment uses standardized age scores by calculating averages for pupils of a certain age in years and months rather than just for a whole year group, providing more precise and fair progress comparisons.