When creating a Threshold, metrics can be configured to Include Weighting or not. Weighted Thresholds utilize performance bands to indicate risk; non-weighted Thresholds utilize Indicator requirements to configure which metric combinations will trigger the Threshold. This article walks through the difference between weighted and non-weighted Thresholds, and how to set up performance bands and Indicator requirements.
Before You Begin
This article assumes that a Threshold has already been created, and that metrics have been added to the Threshold. To learn more about creating a Threshold, take a look at Create a New Threshold. To learn more about adding metrics, take a look at Add Metrics to a Threshold.
Weighted vs. Non-Weighted Thresholds
When creating a new Threshold, or editing an existing Threshold, there is an option to toggle on Include Weighting. When enabled, any metric added to the Threshold is given a weight, which can be edited to have more or less weight. Weighted Thresholds are monitored with performance bands, which assign a color and label to weight ranges. Users can then view Threshold reports that display where individual students fall within the performance bands, according to what metrics they've met, and how much weight has been assigned to those metrics.
Weighting a Threshold can be useful when that Threshold should be triggered by any combination of included metrics, so long as the associated weights reach indicated levels. Weighted Thresholds also allow for student progress to be tracked, providing color-coded reports that display if students are within higher or lower risk performance band ranges.
When not enabled, metrics added to a Threshold are not weighted, but are configured according to the desired Indicator conditions that are required to trigger the Threshold. Rather than placing students within a number range from low to high, non-weighted Thresholds utilize a series of if-then rules to determine whether a student has definitively triggered the Threshold or not. Where weighted Thresholds might indicate levels of lower risk to higher risk, for example, non-weighted Thresholds act more like a benchmark, where a student is either above it or below it, with no further context needed.
Non-weighted Thresholds can be useful when there are clear rules or regulations that indicate when a student should trigger that Threshold. Indicator conditions can require any or all of one or more sets of metrics to be met, upon which the Threshold is automatically triggered.
Where to Start
- Go to Thresholds.
- Select the desired Threshold from the list.
- Select Edit at the top right of the Threshold, then select Edit from the dropdown.
Weighted Threshold Performance Bands
- If the Include Weighting? option was enabled during Threshold creation, the Performance Band section appears at the top of the Threshold Edit page. To configure the Performance Band, select the 3-dot menu and select Edit.
- The Configure Performance Bands popup menu appears. Select Add Band to add the desired number of Performance Bands.
- Each added band displays as a row within the Performance Bands table. Select the desired Color for each band.
- Enter a Label for each band.
- Enter a Value for each band. The upper limit of each band populates automatically according to the lower limit Value of the next band.
- Select the trashcan icon to the right of the row to delete that band.
- Select Save.
- Once configured, the Performance Band appears at the top of the Threshold page, displaying the weight ranges of each band, along with the associated color and label.
- Each metric added to the Threshold displays a Weight field.
- By default, the Weight for each metric is set to 1.
- The Weight for any metric can be updated by entering the desired Weight in the field.
- The Total Weight of the metrics within an Indicator appear underneath the Weight column.
- The Weight of a metric informs where a student will fall within the Performance Bands when that metric is met.
Non-Weighted Threshold Indicator Conditions
- If the Include Weighting? option was not enabled during Threshold creation, the Indicator Conditions section appears at the top of the Threshold Edit page. Select the requirements button to toggle between Require Any Indicator To Be Met and Require All Indicators To Be Met.
- Require Any Indicator To Be Met: This setting means that a student must only meet one of any of the Threshold Indicators to trigger the Threshold.
- Require All Indicators To Be Met: This setting means that a student must meet every Indicator within the Threshold to trigger it.
- Each Indicator within a non-weighted Threshold also includes a requirement option, which can be toggled between Require Any and Require All.
- Require Any: This setting means that a student must only hit one of any of the Indicator metrics to meet that Indicator.
- Require All: This setting means that a student must hit every metric to meet that Indicator.
- Requirements for each Indicator within a Threshold can be set individually.
- Non-weighted Thresholds can be customized to trigger under very specific conditions. The above example is set up to require that every Indicator must be met to trigger the Threshold. Indicator 1 is set up so that any one included metric will meet the Indicator. Indicator 2 is set up so that every metric must be met to meet the Indicator. Therefore, if ANY metric is met for Indicator 1, AND ALL metrics are met for Indicator 2, the Threshold will trigger.
Next Steps
To learn more, visit the Thresholds manual.