QlikBAM FAQs

What is QlikBAM?

Qlik (pronounced “click”) is the School District of Philadelphia’s Business Intelligence (BI) dashboarding software. Qlik Benchmarking, Analytics & Management (QlikBAM) is a suite of interactive dashboards that allow school and District leaders to track progress at the school, network, and District levels.

What is the difference between QlikBAM, Infinite Campus, and SchoolNet? When should I use each?

Data does not match across systems because the systems show different groups, at different time periods, for different purposes. See the table below to learn more about how these three data sources differ.

Data System Purpose/Use How often is the data refreshed? Who does it show data for? Can authorized users see student names?
Infinite Campus (IC) Student Information and data-entry Throughout the day as new data is entered Students enrolled TODAY Yes
SchoolNet Instructional management and curriculum engine Nightly Students enrolled YESTERDAY Yes
QlikBAM Dashboards Performance management, Progress monitoring, Trend anyalses Monthly or by testing/grade cycle Students who meet the accountability threshold per metric No

What data is currently in QlikBAM?

Dashboard Name Data Description Data Source(s) When is the data refreshed?
Average Growth Index (AGI) AGI values associated with the most recent SPR report State PVAAS files Annually (Winter)
Benchmarks Benchmark tests by subject, cycle, and year Benchmark Test files Few weeks after close of each testing cycle
Climate Matters Attendance, Truancy, Suspension, and Serious Incident data IC and SIMS Monthly (first week of month)
Course Marks & Credits Course marks, credit accumulation, and progress toward on-time grade promotion/graduation IC Grades and Credits Few weeks after close of each grading cycle
District Wide Surveys Survey data at the question and construct level for District and Charter students, parent & guardians, teachers and principals District-wide survey files Annually (early Fall)
Enrollment October 1 Snapshot of student enrollment for District, Charter, and Alternative schools IC Enrollment Annually (early Fall)
PSSA & Keystone PSSA/Keystone results by subject and year State Test files Annually (Summer)
Reading Levels Aimsweb, Independent Reading Growth, and Instructional Reading Levels Aimsweb and IC Grades Few weeks after close of each testing/grading cycle
School Progress Report (SPR) SPR overall, domain, and metric performance by year SPR master files Annually (Winter)

How do I access QlikBAM?

If you are an authorized user, follow these steps:

  1. Log into your SDP Employee Portal.
  2. Click on the Qlik BAM icon to launch the Hub.
  3. Click on the “Academics and Climate” stream on the left-hand side.
  4. Click the application you’d like to open.

How do I use QlikBAM?

We have developed a training “Story” for you in the Climate Matters app. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Climate Matters app from the QlikBAM Hub.
  2. Click on “Stories.”
  3. Click on “QlikBAM Overview (Climate App)” to launch the training “Story.”
  4. Navigate through the slides using your arrow keys or by swiping on a touchscreen.

Where can I find a glossary of QlikBAM terms?

Term Description
App A Qlik application, composed of sheets, stories, and Bookmarks.
Hub A directory display of all of your QlikBAM applications.
Sheet A single, interactive page of a Qlik application.
Story A presentation, which can use interactive data.
Bookmark A way to save a current view on a sheet with your filters.
Dimension An attribute of an individual or school (or other category) in the data. For example, a student’s test score or a school’s learning network.
Measure A value calculated in Qlik. Typically used to summarize a dimension, such as the average test score within a Learning Network.
Alternate Measure or Dimension In some chart (e.g., scatter plots), you may change what is being displayed. Look for a 🔻 symbol, and click to change the measure or dimension.
Filter (verb) To narrow the data you want to review to specific groups, time periods, schools, etc.
Filter Pane A Qlik tool that allows you to select filter values of interest.
Filter Selections Your current selections using filtering tools (like the filter pane). These are displayed in a dark gray bar across the top of the QlikBAM app.
Visualization A tool for analyzing data; includes charts (e.g., bar charts, scatter plots), tables, and numerical representations.
Combo Chart A common type of chart that can represent data as a combination of bars, lines, and circles. The x-axis (horizontal) typically displays a dimension, while the y-axis (vertical) typically displays a measure of that dimension.
KPI Key Performance Indicator. A visualization that shows a high-level summary of important measures of performance. You can find KPI’s on every Overview Sheet within a QlikBAM app.
Drill-down Dimension In some visualizations, data can be displayed at multiple levels, depending on what is selected.