SETS FAQ
Have you watched the 6 minute SETS overview? If not, watch it now.
Does Merge Education guarantee SETS?
Yes. We offer a no-questions-asked-30-day-unconditional-guarantee. We'll promptly refund your money with a smile if, within 30 days, you decide SETS is not as you expected. Just return the SETS software and manuals to us (please use a 'delivery receipt request' so you'll be sure we received it).
Why do we do this? Because we know this type of purchase can evoke worries about ease of use or appropriatness, and we want to make you so comfortable in trying SETS that you'll use it and see it's everything we've said it is.
Who is SETS Just Right for?
If you're delivering skill building or educational opportunities, SETS is probably just what you need. Arts, science, math, literacy, sports, youth development, mentoring – you name it – SETS can help you generate more funding and optimize your program.
SETS' ability to track more elusive qualities and abilities makes it an especially potent tool for programs that work to foster such attributes in their clients. PLUS it gives you the reports funders are looking for.
Here's an added bonus you won't find in any other evaluation tool:
SETS was developed with an underlying philosophy that makes it uniquely suited for ongoing, meaningful staff development. What do we mean by that? By focusing on students' core assets and abilities, SETS helps staff develop and assess the building blocks of Leadership, Resiliency, and Empowerment.
How is SETS a Staff Development Tool?
Rather than asking staff to make superficial observations (such as whether or not a student is taking a leadership role, for example), SETS prompts staff to observe the fundamental learning points and abilities that are prerequisites to any real learning or personal empowerment. Among these are:
- ability to focus, concentrate, and listen,
- motivation to succeed,
- confidence and tolerance,
- consistency of effort,
- ability to follow directions,
- clarity and ease of communication, and
- willingness to try new things.
How does SETS “Level the Playing Field”?
Because SETS is affordable and so easy to use, even small organizations can easily generate the data they need to compete for grants and contracts. What’s more, now you can quantify the success you achieve in less easily quantified areas such as clients’ ability to learn and their character development. Funders love to see that kind of accountability. Of course SETS doesn’t guarantee increased funding, but good data will give you the edge you need!
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SETS’ Key Features
Key Features: Ease of Use
SETS was designed and field tested by professionals with decades of experience who understood that for smaller programs to use SETS, it had to be intuitive, essential, and friendly. SETS achieves these goals through:
- An intuitive menu system.
- Valuable reports produced with the click of a button.
- Friendly and simple quick start user manuals and video tutorials for director and staff with “sandbox” database to ensure fast, painless learning.
Key Features: Program Management
- Efficiently track, monitor, and manage program details including class rosters and activities.
- Easily compare progress of groups receiving different services.
- Save time with quick attendance entry.
- Easily determine which classes have the highest consistent attendance.
- Track activities and classes for available space.
- Manage all organization contacts from a single database, eliminating the need for multiple lists.
- Multiple standard reports provide ease of use.
Key Features: Student and Staff Management and Assessment
- Quantify student improvements in learning abilities and behavior.
- Evaluate different demographics and populations.
- Compare attendance records with staff’s observations of students, to learn which teachers and classes are best serving students.
- Compare individual teachers, classes, and programs to highlight problem areas and determine causes.
- Determine the most efficient use of resources and control costs.
Key Features: Teachers/Mentors
- Easy oversight of classes, students, and hours
- Efficiently record specific student progress
- Communicate with colleagues about individual students
- Build upon student strengths and support student limitations
- Refine teaching approaches
Key Features: Fundraising
- Your use of SETS’ program management and evaluation tools demonstrates to funders your commitment to program integrity and quality.
- SETS’ real-time tracking shows your attentiveness to ongoing quality improvement, so funders know their dollars will be well spent throughout the year.
- Program reports quantify client outcomes, presenting data that clearly demonstrates the efficient use of funders’ support.
- Because SETS quantifies behaviors and skills that are fundamental to good learning, reports quantify why and how your program is a leader in your field.
Key Features: Best Practice and Evidence-based Models
- Compare progress of program and non-program students utilizing control group protocols to scientifically evaluate services.
Technology Requirements
SETS requires Windows XP or Windows 7; if you use MACs you will need to purchase an additional software to run SETS (priced under $80, with a free trial here).
SETS can operate on a single computer or Local Area Network. We will offer web-based (cloud) SETS if there is sufficient demand.
Is SETS Web-based?
Not currently. If you're a current (or potential) SETS user who would like it to reside in the 'cloud', please let us know!
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Installation and Program Setup
Once you purchase SETS, you will receive an email with a link to download the software and manuals, and links to the video tutorials. When you follow the download process a SETS folder is created on your C drive, and a SETS shortcut placed on your desktop. The first time you open SETS, you will be asked for an "unlock code", which we will provide for you. It’s a very simple process, even if you’re not particularly computer savvy.
If you'd like a little hand-holding through the initial process to get started, just call us - we give great customer service!
Training Requirements
SETS is so user friendly that it requires no formal training, and most users are up and going in no time. SETS comes with video tutorials, quick start manuals for the program director and staff, and a comprehensive main user manual with answers to any question you could possibly have.
SETS also comes with a “Sandbox” database – a place to tour and play around while you get comfortable with the program. If you have questions once you get into it, you can email us at setshelp@merge-education.com. In addition to the initial handholding, if needed, the purchase price includes 9 free Q&A emails during the first three months and a monthly email thereafter - but if you use the quick start or video tutorials, you may not even need the emails.
History
SETS is the result of Bill Rossi’s decades of experience managing a private studio and nonprofit after school programs. Bill and other human service professionals worked together with evaluation scientists and software developers to make it intuitive, cohesive, friendly, and efficient.
How Does SETS Generate More Funding?
SETS verifies the efficacy of the program to potential funders. As most programs know, stories about clients are great, but data is king. SETS has been clearly shown to be a survival tool - something that's become increasingly important in today's funding climate.
How Does SETS Help Manage Programs?
SETS provides program oversight by reporting on which classes and sections are currently offered, which are open for additional enrollment, which teachers and students are in each, class times, and staff and student attendance. By utilizing this basic data with the sophisticated student evaluations, program directors can keep operations flowing smoothly; they're also able to see which teachers are the most effective and which might need additional support.
User Friendly?
Thanks to years of design, testing, and refining, SETS has been refined to the point that it’s simple – it makes sense – it’s actually friendly. We think it’s the essential quality that makes it so likeable.
How is SETS Essential?
When we say SETS is essential, we’re admiring its’ simplicity – how it tracks the fundamental learning points and behavioral and emotional benchmarks. SETS was designed to accomplish a lot without fanfare, to truly make your job easier.
Fundamental Learning Points?
Fundamental learning points are those principles that are essential to learning: the ability to concentrate, focus, and listen; motivation; confidence; tolerance; consistency of effort; ability to follow directions; clarity and ease of communication; and willingness to try new things. When evaluation focuses on these points, teachers and staff do too – naturally – so we all get better at what we do.
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Anchor Points
SETS utilizes anchor points to improve consistency between and among the teachers providing the observations. Each item on the scale is accompanied by a set of anchor points which guides the teachers’ responses. The anchor points appear when the question mark at the end of each item is clicked.
What Scales (Metrics) are Used?
Sets uses three scales – the Student Observation Scale (completed by teacher); the Self Esteem Scale (completed by students), and the Student Assessment Scale (completed by an adult with knowledge of the student’s behavior). The user manual provides suggestions concerning scales usage and timing.
How does SETS Use Goals for Measurement?
SETS uses goal setting as one of the measurements for the student evaluation process. Students (working with faculty/staff) set one goal relating to skills or academic achievement and one personal goal at each assessment. Goals are designed to be achievable by the next observation. Achievement levels of the preceding period’s goals are also scored at each assessment. On-screen guidelines are provided to facilitate the setting of clear, attainable goals and for scoring the goals’ attainment.
What is the Purpose of Goal setting within the SETS Context?
Goal setting helps the student in three ways:
- the process helps the student maintain focus
- the goals’ content helps maintain direction
- the process helps students become aware of how they're building upon their previous successes. This incremental series of achievements is a constant reminder of the students’ innate capacities, which encourages and motivates them to higher levels of achievement.
Goal setting helps the teacher maintain clarity of direction, class after class.
REMEMBER: SETS is unconditionally guaranteed! We want you to try it, because we know you'll like it.
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So SETS uses Scales and Goals to Evaluate Students?
Yes. SETS evaluates and tracks student progress utilizing four methods:
- Student self-reported measures of self esteem;
- Student behavior within the classroom as assessed by teacher/mentors
- Student behavior in other life areas as assessed by responsible adults;
- Student attainment of self-determined short-term goals.
How does SETS Support Strengths-based Teaching Methods?
Because SETS highlights student strengths, it allows instructors to develop individualized plans that encourage achievement while minimizing discouragement. It also helps teachers identify student limitations, so they can develop remedial activities and identify and compare the effectiveness of various teaching strategies.
How Much Time do Teachers/Staff Need to Spend on SETS?
Teachers complete their Observations periodically, perhaps every 3-4 months. To be really effective, teachers should spend at least 10 minutes on each student and – if you consider SETS’ potential to help teachers focus in on individual students - they could easily spend more.
Customization
Most users find SETS to be complete, right out of the box. SETS has been described as "World to System", meaning it typically doesn't need refinements to work well in a wide variety of situations. But if you’d like to tweak it – with your own scale or by changing some of the questions – email or give us a call (additional charges will incur).
Technical Support and Contact
SETS users are asked to carefully check the main user manual before emailing us at setshelp@merge-education.com with any questions. SETS’ ease of use is one of the reasons we can offer it so affordably – but we’re always here when you need us. We will do our best to get back to you within 1 business day. If necessary, we will call you to explore your issue.
Pricing
Why is SETS so downright inexpensive compared to other software? A good analogy comes in handy here. Have you ever used equipment that had to be programmed by an expert to fit your use, had lots of options you didn't really need, and a high price to boot? If you have, then you've felt the relief of switching to well-designed instrument that's practical, essential, and decently priced. That's SETS.
The same practical thinking that designed SETS has been used to price it. We really do believe community programs provide an especially valuable service, and we know they often have to scrap like crazy just to keep doing the good they do. Our intention at Merge is to support community programs - this is one of the ways we do it. And this is not just empty rhetoric: as you explore the Merge site, you'll see we value (and promote) authenticity in people and organizations.
Please visit the SETS Pricing page for details.
SETS: Quality Software, Honestly Priced.
Questions? Call us at 484.887.0377 or email us.
Wording for your Grant Proposals
Would you like some wording about SETS you can use in your grant requests? Contact us, we'll be happy to send it to you.
SETS and Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardener’s work conceptualizing some of the diverse ways people learn (Multiple Intelligences, or MI) is closely aligned with the Rossi Teaching Approach.
Merge’s educational approach – which realizes and builds on MI methodology – forms the foundation for SETS. As a result, SETS works well within programs that utilize MI.
Does SETS have a Contact Database?
Yes. SETS maintains all contact information about students, staff, and significant others, and you can print out reports on any or all of these contacts.
How does SETs Provide Program Director Oversight?
SETS simplifies and improves a Program Director’s oversight of teachers and classes in a variety of ways. When a program director reviews a teacher’s student observations, for example, he can determine if the goals the teacher and student have developed are appropriate and attainable and whether or not they are being achieved.
Administrative Oversight?
SETS’ comprehensive management reports help administrators ensure program quality, fidelity to standards, and model coherency. It also helps control costs by reducing paperwork and redundancies.
SETS helps administrators plan for the future by clarifying the results of past and current efforts. They can review and compare different teachers and classes and see where the best results are being achieved. And because SETS measures meaningful benchmarks, administrative oversight can be less arbitrary.
But No One Likes Evaluation!
Because SETS helps teachers focus in on the fundamental points of learning, teachers often see SETS not as a burden but as valuable to their work. And program directors? SETS so simplifies program oversight, they find it a pleasure to use!
Is SETS for Everyone?
If you think standardized testing leaves a lot to be desired – that character is important – and that there are certain fundamental learning points that are prerequisites to real learning, then SETS is particularly right for you. It gives funders everything they want - from foundations to government funders - yet gives you and your staff what you need to optomize your program.
If you simply want to track basic client success and manage your program, SETS is right for you, too!
Last but not least: Merge Education Guarantees SETS!
We offer a no-questions-asked-30-day-unconditional-guarantee. We'll promptly refund your money with a smile if you find SETS not to be as you expected. Just return the SETS software and manuals to us (please use a 'delivery receipt request' so you'll be sure we received it). Why do we do this? Because we want to make it so easy for you to try SETS that you won't even hesitate.
