The school-level data presented is the same as that displayed in the reports schools can access through the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) portal. However, there are some differences in the school-level SES and state-level comparisons, as well as the data presentation.

These reports compare a school’s TTFM results with the results for their statistically similar school group (SSSG), which is made up of schools with similar profiles of educational advantage/disadvantage. The results for a school’s SSSG comparison will differ from the ‘replica school’ lines in the TTFM portal due to the difference in the way the two comparison groups are calculated. The TFFM ‘replica school’ is a virtual school made up of like-for-like NSW students whereas the SSSG in Scout is made up of statistically similar schools in NSW.

These reports also allow schools to compare their results against state-wide results. In Scout, the state-wide comparison is for the calendar year selected, with separate averages for primary and secondary schools. In the TTFM portal, schools can compare their results against the ‘NSW government norm’ for primary and secondary schools. These norms are based on the results from all students who participated in the TTFM survey in Term 1, 2015, and do not change from year to year.

The Tell Them From Me portal presents results for ‘Expectations for Success’ and ‘Advocacy at School’ as average scores (on a scale of 0-10). By contrast, these Scout reports show the proportion of students who report a high or low outcome on these two measures (along with ‘Sense of Belonging’). Students with a score of 6 or more on the TTFM scale score are reported to have positive (high) outcomes, while those who score less than 6 are reported to have negative (low) outcomes.

For more information on the Tell Them From Me portal, including how to access the survey portal, please visit http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/support-and-training