Switching your benchmarks in Connect and Summit

Switching your benchmarks in Connect and Summit

Selecting and switching benchmarks in Connect and Summit 

This article will describe the ways in which you can select benchmarks on the platforms and view your analysis against either the national benchmark or the provider benchmark.

The benchmark selection options, and therefore this article, are relevant for the following qualifications: 
  1. A level England 
  2. L3 Vocational - England 

The article is accompanied by a support video and both will cover: 
  1. What is a benchmark?
  2. Why would I want to switch benchmarks?
  3. How do I use your benchmark tools?
  4. Additional support available 

Support video. This video is 9 minutes 36 seconds long. It covers points 1-4 above and is an essential watch if you are considering switching benchmarks. 



In addition to this article, there are articles covering the analysis and more detailed explanations behind our benchmark recommendations. These are all linked to the main article covering our analysis of the 2024 DfE datasets. https://support.alps.education/portal/en/kb/articles/analysis-and-recommendations-from-2025-dfe-datasets



Video summary

What is a benchmark?

The value-added scores and grades across Connect and Summit are based on benchmarks - value-added tables derived from large datasets. Essentially the thermometers and tables in Connect and Summit are derived from these benchmarks. 

Alps analysis is traditionally based on the full national dataset. 

Your value-added analysis in Connect/Summit is currently based on the national dataset from 2019. Since the pandemic, we have continued to use this 2019 benchmark to provide a consistent baseline to support you in making judgements on your school/college improvement priorities. However, we recognise that the pandemic has caused disruption to the value-added landscape.

Following the examination results in 2022, to support colleagues in making judgements based on the value-added context, we constructed benchmarks based on data submitted to Alps by schools and colleges. Colleagues in England had the option to view their analysis in Connect against these Alps 'provider' benchmarks for both A level and KS4.  We continued to offer provider benchmarks in 2023 and 2024. 

Why would I want to switch benchmarks?

The outcomes from the 2024 examination series present another unique value-added context.
  1. In England, students at KS5 had a higher prior attainment on entry (2022 GCSE outcomes) than in 2019, and outcomes are due to remain at 2019 standards. Therefore results when viewed against the 2019 dataset were likely to have been less red on results day. 

To respond to this unique context, we used the data submitted to Alps for  Year 13 cohorts in 2024 to generate an Alps ‘customer’ benchmark.

Connect and Summit offered you the opportunity to switch or toggle your benchmark to view your analysis against either 2019 or 2024 customer data. 

As we release the 2024 DfE national dataset into Connect and Summit, we will replace the 2019 dataset with the new 2024 dataset. Therefore your default benchmark for Year 13 gradepoints from September 2023 to examinations 2024 will become that 2024 DfE dataset. 



How do I switch my benchmark?

There are two main tools in Connect and Summit which allow you to view your analysis against this customer benchmark. 

Account Benchmark selector

Selector allows admin user in a Connect/Summit account to impose a benchmark for all users.


Session benchmark toggle

  Selector allows admin user in a Connect account to give control of benchmark selection to individual users.

  User selects session benchmark.


How do I find these tools? 

Connect 

  1. Click on Analysis Settings from the Homepage 
  2. Admin users will see the Account Benchmark Selector 
  3. Colleagues who have been given permission to toggle benchmark will see the Session benchmark toggle (see below) 


Summit
  1. Click on Benchmark setup from the Homepage 
  2. All users will see the Account Benchmark Selector 
  3. All users will see the Session benchmark toggle 





Account benchmark selector

Summary: 
Admin users have the permission to select a benchmark across the whole of the Connect or Summit account. 
This will affect all users.
This will be a permanent change, ie when a user logs out and then in again, they will see this benchmark. 

We highly recommend you read the articles signposted on the page as switching benchmarks has implications for all users and the resulting analysis. 

1. Navigate to the Account Benchmark Selector page from the Homepage (see above).
2. Use the dropdown to select the desired benchmark. 
3. Click SAVE and agree to the ARE YOU SURE dropdown. 

All users will now use this selected benchmark. There will be a lozenge in the top bar informing the user which benchmark they are using. 



Session benchmark toggle 

Summary: 
Admin users have to give users permission to see and use this tool in Connect. Summit users have this by default. 
The benchmark switch lasts for the duration of the session and will reset to the account benchmark default on signing out and in again or refreshing the page. 
The tool switches the benchmark for individual users only. 

1. As an Admin user in Connect you will be able to give other user rights to toggle the benchmark. Note:  Summit you will have this option by default. 
      a. Click into Manage Users 
      b. Note new column headed 'Client benchmark switching'
      c. Click on edit user in final column. 



2. On user page, scroll to bottom and toggle the Client benchmark button and SAVE.
Note that users will have to log out and in again for this to take effect.


3. User will now have the ability to switch benchmark. They should click on the Analysis Settings in the Homepage menu. 
      a. Click on the Session Benchmarks toggle  
      b. Read the information carefully. There are links on this page which we would urge any colleague looking to switch benchmarks to read as they contain essential information regarding the educational context.
      c. Scroll to bottom of page and select the desired benchmark from the dropdown and SAVE. 





4. The user will now be viewing Connect using the 2024 provider benchmark. There will be a lozenge in the top bar informing the user which benchmark they are using. 


5. This switch will be applied to the whole of Connect/Summit and will persist until users either 
      a. Switches benchmark toggle back to national OR
      b. Signs out of Connect/Summit, at which point the benchmark will default back to the national version.