Customer stories

TRIPS shows us how the pupils are progressing

The problem. The school wanted to link the various datasets it already had in a meaningful way. That was done by hand. Errors crept in and it took a lot of time.

The result. Now that the datasets are linked, it is clear where gaps remain. The team sees connections between the different kinds of results more easily and combines results-oriented with needs-based working.

“We had doubts about TRIPS when our programme got off to a bumpy start and the contact was difficult at first. That was resolved by making the contact more personal. Once we saw clearly which data comparisons we can make with TRIPS, we decided to continue. It does take time to master the programme and the way of working. You need to take that into account.”

Data makes our teachers more confident

The problem. The school wanted to improve its results-oriented working. That meant mapping out a lot of data, in Excel files: manual tallying, and time-consuming.

The result. The team now sees precisely where goals are and are not being met, what the cause of that might be and which interventions work for their pupils. At first the teachers were afraid they would lose sight of the individual child. That turned out not to be the case.

“Retrieving data is one thing; interpreting the data in a conversation is the important next step. As a small school we appreciate that TRIPS adapts to what we need. And when you call, you do not get a helpdesk on the line but the person responsible straight away.”

Thanks to TRIPS I finally get round to the analyses that matter

The problem. Whole working days went on manual tallying, and even then what she actually wanted to know had not been analysed. The overviews from the pupil tracking system were never quite what she needed.

The result. With more variables in one analysis she sees connections and small nuances. Results are easier to account for to parents, the Inspectorate and colleagues. The data reassures colleagues: they see that they are doing well.

“A lot is possible in TRIPS, as long as you supply the right data. You can build in your own priorities and it saves a lot of time. You can spend that time on improving your teaching, because now you have the right data for it.”

From gut feeling to clean analyses

The problem. The Gerhardschool records a lot, and consistently. Recording is simple, but analysing was painstaking work: the team spent days on it every year.

The result. The analyses are automated and the variables are visible at pupil, group and school level. Two colleagues did the analyses by hand once more and compared them with those from TRIPS: almost identical. That removed the last of the scepticism.

“The school’s own jargon and our way of results-oriented working are reflected one to one in TRIPS. That is how we went from gut feeling to clean analyses and now adjust our teaching in a targeted way.”

Read the whole interview: “There is a world to be won in education” (in Dutch).

We can now make the impact of our teaching visible

The problem. When the team first saw TRIPS, it thought: we already do this. But in special education, without standardised curricula, it proved hard to show what the teaching delivers.

The result. The whole team sees at the touch of a button how educational quality stands. Pupils give feedback in a minute and a half, lesson observations and the appraisal cycle run through TRIPS, and the conversations in the team are more purposeful.

“The people at TRIPS listen carefully, understand what we run into and think along about what could be done better. Take the step, even if you find it a bit daunting.”

Read how the Zonnebloemschool is introducing TRIPS across the whole team: “Growing together: the bridge between data and practice” (in Dutch).

To know what someone is good at and what could be better, you need reliable information

The problem. The school wants everyone to pay attention to developing talent. That takes information from different sources and from different moments: feedback from pupils, parents and colleagues, and grades throughout the year.

The result. That information is now accessible to everyone. The team mainly uses TRIPS to test its gut feeling and asks itself solution-oriented questions: what is the problem, what do the analyses say and what do we think ourselves?

“We think A is a solution for B, but do pupils and colleagues think so too? And do the analyses support this? Sometimes we go by experience, at other times we investigate a theme with TRIPS. We combine the best of both.”

TRIPS shows me what works and what I can do differently

The problem. Getting pupils to find their own interests usually works, but not always. Then he wants to reflect on his own lessons first before trying something new.

The result. He logs in and immediately sees what works in his lessons and what he can do differently. That makes him curious and sets him thinking about his own teaching.

“It is up to date, intuitive and above all handy. Do you find it daunting or do you have questions? Then TRIPS is ready to help you.”