Summer 2006
Traca™ goes .Net
In order to enable our customers to get the maximum benefit from Traca we have decided to move Traca to the MIcrosoft .Net environment. This will bring substantial benefits to the end user through the use of this new technology. ...more

Spring 2006
New Version in beta test
Version 2 is now in beta test with schools. It is anticipated that the new version will ship to schools before July. This new version facilitates the collection of assessment information and the subsequent reporting by groups. Teachers can create their own groups to suit specific teaching scenarios. Additionally, the management of creating assessment records has been made a central function under the control of the system administrator.

Autumn 2005
Autumn Upgrade CD Released .
Existing Traca™ customers will have received their update disks enabling the new academic year and start of year procedures to be run.Please contact the office if you have not received your renewal pack.

Autumn 2004
Autumn Upgrade CD Released .
Existing Traca™ customers will have received their update disks enabling the new academic year and start of year procedures to be run. This release includes a number of enhancements including a new interface for the optional SATs tests.

Summer 2004
Traca approved for purchase using eLC's.
In July 2004 Traca™ was approved by the DfES for purchase using eLC funding. Many schools have been waiting for this and were able to utilise their funding before the end of the August 31 deadline.

Spring 2004
Further demonstration to Hillingdon Head Teachers
School Solutions recently gave a further highly successful demonstration of Traca™ to Hillingdon schools which resulted in the establishment of a large cluster of users. This reinforces our belief that once Traca™ is seen in operation by teaching staff it will be fully embraced throughout the entire school.

Spring 2003
SITTS Newsletter
‘Assessment – the Future for Primary Schools’
In October, 2002, Traca™ was piloted throughout Hertfordshire under the umbrella of the LEA with resounding success. Throughout the pilot, School Solutions worked closely with Hertfordshire LEA and the pilot primary schools to ensure best working practice was reached. Regular group meetings took place between ourselves, pilot school representatives and the LEA, as a result of which Traca™ was enhanced and modified to deliver the very best possible solutions for assessment and tracking in primary schools.
The full article is available at:
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/trade/sitss/documents/news_spr03.pdf

Demonstration to Harrow Head Teachers
A consortium of Heads from Harrow researching all available pupil assessment and tracking software recently approached School Solutions about Traca™. We suggested that they look at Traca™ in operation in a school environment and they visited three of our client schools in the South East. Following this, School Solutions gave a demonstration of Traca™ to all Head Teachers in Harrow and discussions are proceeding.

Summer 2003
SITTS Newsletter
Fast Track for Traca™!
The general release of Traca™ to all Primary schools in Hertfordshire was met with an overwhelming response. As soon as the SITTS team started delivering the programme, training courses were offered and were so quickly booked to overflowing that waiting lists were drawn up. Not all schools took up this offer as Traca™ does not need intensive training.
The full article is available at:
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/trade/sitss/documents/news_sum03.pdf

Demonstration to Hillingdon Head Teachers
School Solutions were invited by Hillingdon LEA to demonstrate how Traca™ could be used in their schools. We attended their Head Teachers conference where delegates were highly impressed by how intuitive and easy to use Traca™ is. Many expressed a preference for Traca™ over other assessment tools available in the primary sector and a number of the Head Teachers subsequently purchased the software.

Autumn 2003
SITTS Newsletter
Traca™ – One Year On
Traca™ has now been used widely in Hertfordshire for over a year. There have been changes and enhancements during this time and not only is Traca™ used in the school setting, it is being used in staff meetings to enter assessments or set targets for all classes at the same time. It is fast becoming the trade standard for pupil assessment and tracking.
The full article is available at:
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/trade/sitss/mis/documents/autumn03col.pdf

Common Transfer Files – Clarification
Some confusion has arisen whereby schools have been led to believe that the CTF must be generated from the schools IMS system. This is incorrect. The official DfES position on CTF files is clearly defined in the DfES IMS Handbook page 14 -

“Schools do not have to transfer all the data at the same time. They might, for example, arrange to transfer basic information about pupils transferring from primary to secondary school, together with their end of key stage 1 assessment information in February and have a second transfer of data, covering key stage 2 assessments and tests later. So long as the UPN is included the new data will be added to the existing record and the system will not create an extra record for the same pupil.”

Therefore, basic pupil information, attendance etc. can be generated from the schools IMS and assessment information can be supplied directly from Traca™. This alleviates the need to export data from Traca™ to the School IMS saving considerable time and effort.
Traca™'s CTF export file has been tested and approved by the DfES as being fully compliant with their specifications and requirements.

Autumn 2002
SITTS Newsletter
Traca™ wins overall approval of Herts working group
During a project by the Hertfordshire SITTS team to look at all available assessment packages in the primary sector, School Solutions, along with other companies, were invited to demonstrate their respective programmes. A working group of Head Teachers and Assessment Co-ordinators attended these demonstrations and Traca™ won their overall approval. In their view, Traca™ is a very simple, yet effective piece of software that makes the recording of teachers’ assessments and the setting of targets a far easier process.
(We can provide a hard copy of this newsletter if required. Please contact us to request this)