On this page, you will find the answers to some frequently asked questions from users of the Classroom Monitor Assessment Markbooks. Detailed help is available in the Assessment Markbooks help pages.


What Do The Letters On The Hexagons Mean? How Do I know Which Colour To Click?


The letters on the hexagons and the meanings of the different colours vary according to the framework that you are using and practice in your school.

  • If you are using an off-the-shelf framework, please take a look at our Frameworks page to find about the default settings for your framework
  • If you are using a customised framework, you will need to speak to the person in school who set up or edited the framework


How Do I Access Markbook Assessments Made By Other Teachers?


Any assessments made in the Assessment Markbooks are attached to pupil records rather than teacher or group records. This means that all current and historic data recorded in markbooks can be viewed by any user for the pupils that they have access to. To access markbook assessments recorded by a previous teacher you can simply select the group and subject on the markbook menu screen, and select an ability level that they would have been assessed in previously.This data can be particularly useful to inform your planning.


How Do I Make Sure That The Scores Shown Are Up To Date?


If the scores shown in the markbook don't seem to reflect the hexagons clicked, this could be for a number of reasons:

a) Scores haven't been saved: A teacher has saved hexagon assessments without saving scores or the teacher has been using the app. You should follow the instructions given below.
b) Pupils have been set to 'manual' scoring: This means that hexagon assessments are not affecting scoring. Find out more about this on our 
Scoring Explained help page. Follow the instructions given below.
c) The thresholds that are used for scoring need to be changed for your school. Find out more about 
customising markbook scoring.

To re-calculate scores based on current markbook assessments:
1. Login via a browser
2. Load up the relevant markbook
3. Click 
adjust scores in the top left hand corner
4. Make sure that each pupil has 'automatic' scoring enabled
5. Click the orange button at the bottom which says 'Save the Selected Scores and Return'
Your scores should now have updated.


What Is A 'KPI'?


In some frameworks, you will see that some objectives have been highlighted as a 'KPI'. This means that they have been identified as a 'Key Performance Indicator' for that ability level. Depending on how your assessment framework has been set up in your school, KPIs may be identified for information only or carry different weightings to the score for a subject.


Why Do Some Statements Have Stars Next To Them? Why Do Some Have A Plus Sign?


Statements have stars to indicate that they have some resources associated with them. These may have been added by Classroom Monitor, by colleagues in your school or by your framework publisher so that you can use them in your planning if you choose. Statements with a plus sign do not currently have resources attached. Resources can be added and deleted by right clicking on either a star or a plus.


How Do I Record Assessment For Pupils working at a lower ability level than the rest of the class?


Classroom Monitor can be used to record assessments for pupils regardless of where they are in relation to age related expectations. Although, in mainstream schools, you will be using markbooks at the age appropriate ability level for the majority of pupils, you can access and use markbooks for lower (or higher) ability levels should circumstances require it. We have help pages on SEND: Making the Most of Classroom Monitor and a blog on Making Assessment Inclusive that you may find useful.


Do I Need To 'Backfill' Markbooks In Lower Ability Levels?


Classroom Monitor will always try and calculate a score in the highest ability level that a pupil has assessment recorded for each subject. If it can generate a score at a particular ability level (because the pupil has achieved higher than the low threshold at that ability level), it will ignore any assessment at lower ability levels. This means that the system does not require that you record data in previous stages to fill gaps. You should not 'backfill' unless you will find it useful subsequently for teaching and learning purposes or you are required to do so by your SLT.


Why Do Some Hexagons Have Magnifying Glasses On Them?


A magnifying glass on a hexagon denotes that there is some evidence of learning that has been uploaded for that pupil for that objective. It can be viewed by right clicking on the icon.


Why Does It Say N/A Under A Pupil's Name?


This means that there has not yet been enough assessment entered into the markbook for Classroom Monitor to generate a score. As soon as the child has enough assessment saved to get above the low threshold, a score will be generated. Find out more on the Scoring Explained help page.


How Is The Score For Each Pupil At The Top Of The Markbook Calculated?


In most frameworks, scores are calculated based on the percentage of that markbook that a pupil has been recorded as having achieved. Find out more on the Scoring Explained help page.


Why Are There Two Scores For Each Pupil At The Top Of The Markbook?


If there are two scores below a pupil name at the top of the markbook, this means that the subject is a 'child' subject; for example in the Rising Stars Framework, 'Number' is a child of the parent 'Maths'. The score on top (black) is the score for the current subject while the score on the bottom (orange) is for the overall parent subject. Hovering your cursor over a score will tell you which subject it refers to.


Why Does A Pupil Still Have A Score For The Previous Ability Level When I Have Saved Assessment At The Current Ability Level?


There are two possible reasons for this. The first is that the pupil has not yet had enough assessment recorded to reach the 'low' threshold for that ability level so is still showing a score for the previous ability level. The second is that the pupil is set to manual scoring. To check this and change them to automatic, follow the instructions on the Adjust Scores help page.


Can I Tell Which Teacher Made An Assessment? Can I Tell When It Was Last Updated?


Hovering your cursor over any coloured hexagon in a markbook will tell you the user that last updated that hexagon and the date on which it was saved.


Why Are There Pupils Missing From The Markbook? 


If you load up a group into a markbook and there is a pupil missing, this means that they are not currently a member of that group. You can check which pupils are in a group, add and remove them using Group Management. If you can't find the pupil in group management, this means that they have not yet been added to Classroom Monitor. Contact your Classroom Monitor admin user to check whether the pupils in Classroom Monitor are up to date.


Why Can I Still See A Pupil Who Has Left?


If you can still see a pupil who has left, this indicates that the pupil list is not up to date in Classroom Monitor. You can remove the pupil from the group in Group Management, but you may also want to inform your Classroom Monitor admin user that the pupil list in Classroom Monitor does not seem to be up to date.


Can I Record Markbook Assessments On My Tablet/iPad?


Yes. The best way to do this is using the Classroom Monitor app. If you load the Classroom Monitor website in a browser on a mobile device, the markbooks work slightly differently; find out more on the Mobile Markbook help pages. The Attainment and Progress and Reporting modules are not currently included in the app and should continue to be accessed via a browser.


How Can I Speed Up Recording Assessment?


There are a number of ways to do this which are explained on our speeding up assessment help page. The most efficient and effective way of using the markbooks is to load them for only the particular pupils and particular strand(s) that you are assessing at that time. 


Why Are There No Groups/The Wrong Groups Showing In The Markbook Menu Screen?


The groups that you can access are set in the admin account. Please contact your school Classroom Monitor admin user to set the correct groups.


How Do I Print The Markbook?


There is an 'Export to Excel' button on every Class and Pupil Markbook. This creates a colour coded Excel sheet of the current assessments for each of the objectives displayed for each of the pupils displayed. Rows and columns can then be removed in the same way as you any other Excel document. This can be saved and/or printed for record keeping, sharing markbook information with teaching assistants or use in planning folders.


How Can I Copy Objectives?


Individual objectives can be copied using the guidance on the copy and paste objectives help page.


How Does 2Build a Profile Work With Classroom Monitor?


We have a separate 2BAP FAQs page which should have the answers you need.


My Question Isn't Listed Here. What Should I Do?


For general help in using the Assessment Markbooks, see our Assessment Markbooks help pages. You could also try searching using the search box in the top right hand corner. If you are still unable to find the answer to your issue here, please contact us.


Related Links:
FAQs
Getting Started with Classroom Monitor