About SDA/GIDE
Our strength is in delivering high quality systems and services to tight timescales and at relatively low cost.
We adopted Open Source software in 1994 and specialise in consultancy for Internet solutions, data collection, analysis and dissemination.
We have over 10 years experience in delivering strategic high profile projects including e-Government services. Our staff are highly skilled.
Our expertise and methodology allow us to develop a large range of systems quickly and with minimal staff.
Software for Data Analysis (SDA) works in partnership with Gestion Intégrée de Documents Électroniques (GIDE).
SDA/GIDE News
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2008
In January we updated Assessment Components, known as ACOMP, for DCSF.
In December 2007 and January 2008 we had discussions with Becta about real-time reporting for parents.
On 10th January 2008 we published DCSF performance tables for: secondary school (GCSE and equivalent), School and College (Post-16), KS1-2 CVA Pilot and Post-16 CVA Pilot. The work involved data validation, cleaning, transformation, website design, creation and launch, production of PDF booklets and consultancy. We also designed and handle the errata procedure for amendments. Performance tables.
In January we provided various services to NAA for single level tests (SLT) as part of Making Good Progress. 'Testing when ready' gets going
2007
Family Intervention Projects
SDA, in conjunction with the National Centre for Social Research, has developed the Family Intervention Projects (FIPs) monitoring system for the Respect Task Force. Further information about these projects can be found at http://www.respect.gov.uk/
From April, we are again providing a wide range of services to DfES including Research and Statistics Gateway website; In Your Area website; Key To Success website and online publication of Achievement and Attainment tables. We are collecting Census data for the DfES and we are also collecting teacher assessment data for the DfES and NAA.
In March we provided the Department for Trade and Industry with an online Admin burdens IT tool.
SDA/GIDE successfully delivered the online Self-Evaluation form (and its predecessors) for Ofsted between May 2002 and 31 October 2006 and between 6 November 2006 and 30 March 2007. We also successfully provided services and software related to PANDA reports between 1997 and 2005.
We wish to make clear that problems reported by the BBC in the following articles do not relate to systems and services provided by SDA/GIDE.
Problems hit school data systems
Ofsted reports omitted top grades
On 11th January 2007 we published DfES performance tables for: secondary school (GCSE and equivalent), School and College (Post-16), KS1-2 CVA Pilot and Post-16 CVA Pilot. The work involved data validation, cleaning, transformation, website design, creation and launch, production of PDF booklets and consultancy. We also designed and handle the errata procedure for amendments. Performance tables
2006
On 7 December 2006 we published DfES performance tables for: primary school (KS2) and KS1-2 CVA pilot. The work involved data validation, cleaning, transformation, website design, creation and launch, production of PDF booklets and consultancy. We also designed and handle the errata procedure for amendments. Performance tables
SDA was amongst seven of the largest suppliers of schools management information systems (MIS) to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
The MoU has been put in place by Becta (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency), the Government's lead partner in the strategic development and delivery of its technology strategy in education. It is a key step in Becta's objective to improve the use of MIS in schools to support teaching and learning and to reduce the burdens on schools of providing data returns.
Minister for Schools, Jim Knight said "The Memorandum of Understanding will ensure that schools have access to high quality data to support teaching and learning. It will reduce burdens on schools by improving the efficiency of data collection."
Further details can be found by Becta's website
On 6 November we reinstated the self-evaluation form system (SEF) for Ofsted when their contractor Research Machines failed to deliver a SEF system on 1 November. The SDA/GIDE SEF system is used online by some 22,000 schools in England.
SDA provide a fully managed service, including secure hosting, of the Southwark Local Authority Education Statistical Databank online facility.
This website is a central point where users within Southwark Council access their education service related data. At present the databank is accessible by service managers and other key users of data in the education department (some 80 users) and serves as a secure dissemination portal for key management information. It is proposed that the range of information be extended so that the education databank is one of various systems supporting Southwark Council in meeting the national 'Every Child Matters' statutory requirements. An extension to provide access to all Southwark schools is also under consideration.
The Education Statistical Databank currently provides a wide range of facilities including:
- Content Management for Administrators;
- User and Administrator account creation;
- Secure upload of general documents for dissemination to users;
- Secure upload of school specific documents for dissemination to users;
- Provision of school specific hyper links on these pages (for example to go directly to a school's page on the DfES 'Achievement and Attainment tables' web site);
- Secure upload and validation of datasets to populate the databank with the most up to date pupil, school and LA level data;
- Tabulation of current datasets in real time;
- Access to regular backups and various user logs about system usage;
- Generation of PDF reports from current datasets in real time, such as
- Summary School Profiles showing the context and performance of each school at every phase compared to national, LA and other local information and providing self evaluation guidance;
- Detailed School Attainment Profiles for every phase, showing each school's performance in relation to ethnicity, gender, length of time in school and other contextual factors.;
- LA version of each type of profile focusing on the LA's performance compared to national results;
- Community profile for local grouping of schools in the LA, comparing each community's contextual factors and performance against LA and national results at every phase.
For the Training and Development Agency (TDA) we produced an online data collection system for initial teacher training (ITT) allocations bidding.
In February 2006, we provided online and offline reporting tools to AXA.
For the 3rd year running we have provided a PLASC service to schools from our Online Pupil Database (OPD). The final submission date for PLASC returns for 2006 was 15 February 2006.
On 6th February we launched a revised version of the School Inspection Survey for Ofsted. There are separate SIS forms for headteachers and other school staff and governors.
In January 2006, we provided an online system to the DfES to enable LAs to log into a secure website and submit school PLASC returns to the DfES.
On 27th January 2006, a draft version of XML Schema for the Ofsted self-evaluation form were released for information and comment to software suppliers. These Schema, together with example data, have been designed and produced by SDA/GIDE.
On 19th January 2006 we published DfES performance tables for: secondary school (GCSE and equivalent), School and College (Post-16), English and Maths Pilot, Post-16 Pilot and Key Stage 4 CVA Pilot. The work involved data validation, cleaning, transformation, website design, creation and launch, production of PDF booklets and consultancy. We also designed and handle the errata procedure for amendments. Performance tables
2005
In December we began providing NatCen with a data archive facility for survey data. We also provide NatCen with facilities for surveys on the web.
In December, we published Primary School (Key Stage 2) Achievement and Attainment Tables on the Internet and booklets in Postscript and PDF for the DfES.
In November we provided consultancy and suggestions for an example XML Schema for an enhanced CTF schema for 2006 for the DfES.
Throughout the year we have provided data dissemination for a range of companies including AOL, AXA and Peugeot.
We are working on the production of XML Schema for the school self- evaluation form for Ofsted.
In September, we designed and implemented a system for Ofsted, to enable Regional Inspection contractors (RISPs) to view submitted school self-evaluation forms in real-time.
In September, we published new-style PANDA for Ofsted to schools and LEAs.
Inspections from September now use the self-evaluation form (SEF) which is now also used by British overseas forces schools.
In August we designed and implemented a secure transfer facility for Ofsted.
In August, we started working with Southwark LEA to develop an online statistical databank with tabulation and reporting tools.
We have developed and are hosting, for DfES, a website facility for the secure electronic distribution of Key Stage assessment results (known as e-results) to schools and local education authorities.
In July we developed and hosted two surveys for the DTI on trade liberalisation and services.
In June, we created and managed an online survey for AOL. This collected some 50,000 interviews with some 500,000 individual pages being validated over a period of 18 hours.
We are providing a P scale data extraction, collation and cleansing service for the National Assessment Agency (NAA)
In May, we published the Annual Performance Assessment (APA) analyses for Ofsted.
In March, we published Secondary school Key Stage 3 achievement and attainment tables for the DfES.
In March, we were contracted again to provide a system to produce PANDA reports and ePANDA hosting facilities to Ofsted until 31 March 2006.
In February, the Enhanced Data Collection system for Ofsted was enhanced to include the self-evaluation form.
In January, we published Secondary School (GCSE and equivalent), School and College (Post-16) and Pace and Progression Pilot Achievement and Attainment Tables on the Internet and booklets in Postscript and PDF for the DfES.
In January, our CAWI system was used for an evaluation questionnaire for the DfES 2004 Pace and Progression Pilot Achievement and Attainment Tables
2004
In November, GIDE managed for AOL, a 2.5 million bulk email to AOL subscribers.
In November, we published Primary School (Key Stage 2) Achievement and Attainment Tables on the Internet and booklets in Postscript and PDF for the DfES.
SDA/GIDE are currently amending our CAWI/CATI system to enable forms to be completed using Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
We are currently working on School Achievement and Attainment (formerly Performance Tables) for the DfES. This work includes producing HTML, PDF and winhelp format files.
We are currently preparing 2005 Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) XML returns where Local Education Authorities are unable to update their Management Information Systems in time to meet the Department for Education and Skills' January 2005 deadline. Further details
We have recently provided NatCen with online forms for surveys on teachers pay and student spending.
GIDE is collaborating with AOL on many projects including: panels, online surveys and large emailings.
We are helping the DfES produce XML files for schools. We produce Common Transfer File (CTF) XML files for the Pupil Achievement Tracker (PAT) based on the performance tables data. This is then put on the Key To Success website for LEAs and schools to download.
In September, the Key To Success website was extended to allow access by schools to download XML files for use in the Pupil Achievement Tracker (PAT).
During the summer term this year we did a data collection excersise for the DfES on School Surplus Places. This involved collecting school based data from LEAs.
For the third year, SDA/GIDE has produced for the National Centre a CAWI to do the Youth Cohort Study project.
In July, SDA/GIDE developed the 'In your area' website for the Department for Education and Skills
In June, SDA/GIDE provided a CATI system for the Job Retention and Rehabiliation Pilot (JRRP) for the Department for Work and Pensions
In May, the Enhanced Data Collection system for Ofsted was enhanced to include data collection for the pilot self-evaluation form (SEF).
In January, the Enhanced Data Collection system for Ofsted was enhanced to provide an expanded pre-population on demand facility.
SDA/GIDE began development of an XML manipulation facility within browsers.
An initial release of an SDA/GIDE online pupil database for schools has begun user testing and has been used to provide a PLASC service to schools.
The data map facility within the SDA/GIDE CAWI system was enhanced and a number of new features were introduced.
2003
In December, SDA/GIDE provided services for an IT review for the Department for Work and Pensions. This included advice on questionnaire design and using the CAWI system for data collection prototyping.
In October, SDA/GIDE expanded the Enhanced Data Collection system for Ofsted and it is now available to all 22,000 schools in England.
In October, we provided a School Inspection Survey (SIS) forms system and hosting for Ofsted using the SDA/GIDE CAWI system.
SDA are registered with the DfES as a PLASC software supplier.
The DTI has completed a survey about Structural Funds using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) system developed by SDA/GIDE.
The DfES have used this CAWI system for the Supply of School Places Survey. This survey allows LEAs to either enter data interactively or upload it. Comprehensive validations ensure that only clean data are submitted and LEAs can produce a report in Acrobat as a permanent record of the data they have submitted.
SDA/GIDE began work on the 2003 Performance Tables for the DfES and redesigned and added features to the Research and Statistics Gateway (formerly the Statistical Internet Site).
In April, we published School and College (Post-16) Performance Tables on the Internet.
In March, we were contracted again to provide a system to produce PANDA reports and ePANDA hosting facilities to Ofsted for 2003/2004.
SDA/GIDE are to provide the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF ) with statistical data processing including tabulation with results in PDF and XLS.
SDA/GIDE have been contracted again this year to provide the online component of the Youth Cohort Study, for the National Centre for Social Research, on behalf of the DfES.
In January, we expanded a secure Internet database for the DfES. Key to Success now provides access, within seconds, to over 7 million pupil records.
In January, we published Secondary School Performance Tables on the Internet.
In January, we provided consultancy services to a school to enable them to make a successful XML PLASC return from their local pupil database.
2002
In December, we published Primary School Performance Tables and Value Added Pilot.
In December, we provided a service to LEAs for PDF production of Primary School Performance Tables.
In September, we provided an Enhanced Data Collection service for Ofsted which is used by schools called for inspection. This uses the SDA/GIDE CAWI system.
In autumn term 2002, we provided an LEA with a system to convert examination results into textual comparisons, so that schools and LEA advisors can easily interpret data at a glance. The system analyses each school's performance in terms of national and local results, as well as in terms of variations between different groups within the school.
We provided design, production and hosting of online Internet surveys for the Patents Office and Insolvency Service.
