One of the biggest ideas behind the Athena Tracker is that students should not be measured against everyone else in the room. Instead, the focus should be on individual potential.
That is why the Athena Tracker Student Log-in feature is so valuable; instead of students being passive recipients of feedback, this feature gives them direct access to their own academic profile.
They can review results, track progress over time, set targets and see how they are performing against their own potential.
Visible Insights for students and teachers
At Borrisokane Community College in Tipperary, students, parents and teachers say the Student Log-in is helping them create more ownership, more motivation and better conversations around individuals’ progress towards their goals.
Principal Paula Malloy discussed how the school has used Athena to connect data to everyday learning.
She said: “We have been using CAT4 testing for many, many years. By using Athena, we’re able to link these CAT4 ability tests into the academic tracking. This gives us data about how the students are doing.”
The software uses assessment data and aptitude testing to identify a baseline potential for each student in every subject. Teachers can then quickly identify students who may need support, students who are coasting, or students who need greater challenges.
For students themselves, the Student Log-in makes those insights more visible.
Adding Motivation for Individual Students
This is demonstrated by Margaret, a 3rd Year student. She told of being able to set her own targets and how this changes how she thinks about school, stating: “I set my target grades myself. I can change them if I think I’m doing better than my target grade.
“In Maths, for example, I used to have my target grade at Merit. If I’m getting merits all the time, you know, a Higher Merit would be a better goal for me.”
The platform also allows students to see trends over time instead of focusing on one disappointing result.
Students can view previous exam results, monitor subjects where they are improving and identify areas that need more attention. They can also see how grades translate into CAO points.
“Before Athena, I wouldn’t really want to go up to a teacher and say I want to change my target grade. I think it’s easier when you can change it yourself. It’s more me against myself and what I can do,” Margaret added.
“When you have bad tests, you might feel bad, but when you look at the overall picture on the graph, you’re like, ‘Well, I’m mostly doing well anyway.’”Athena’s wider approach focuses on helping schools support every student individually, especially what it describes as “the forgotten middle”. Students who may not be struggling enough to trigger intervention, but who may still be capable of much more.
Identifying Trends And Adapting
One of the key benefits of academic tracking is the ability to identify trends early and intervene in real time, rather than waiting until state exams arrive.
Parent Avril Murphy (pictured above) says this visibility helped her family spot an issue early. She said: “It takes the whole mystery out of it for parents. My daughter, Niamh, was showing a downward trend in Maths, so she realised, ‘I need to kind of up my game here.’ She knows herself, we know, and obviously the school knows.”
Teachers say that approach is especially valuable because it keeps expectations realistic while still encouraging ambition.
Cathal Bennis, Engineering / Digital Teacher in the school, says the focus is on helping students maximise their own abilities: “It pushes the student to be the best that they can do, rather than trying to push them for a grade that’s not attainable. Athena is fantastic for that.”
Across Ireland, hundreds of secondary schools are now using Athena’s software to support academic monitoring and student progression.
Principal, Paula Malloy, concluded that the impact of Athena Tracker has been greater than she had first anticipated: “I didn’t expect it to be as good as it is. I think it’s brilliant. I’m a parent as well, and I think it’s great.”
You can learn more about the Athena Student Log-in and the wider Athena Tracker platform from Athena Analytics.
