National Evaluation of Aimhigher

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National Evaluation of Aimhigher

• Jemma Henderson HEFCE

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Content of Presentation

• Definitions Monitoring, Evaluation
• National Evaluation of Aimhigher
• What is covered?
• Partnerships
• What is required, what you may wish to do, and
  what is not required?
• Timings communication of findings from national
  Evaluation
• What now?

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Definitions

• Monitoring What has changed?
• Accountability
• Measures impact of targeted activities
• Informing on going work
• Evaluation What works, for whom, under what
  circumstances?
• Inform funding decisions (policy)
• Good practices (practitioners)

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What will the National Evaluation cover?

• Area Studies
• Survey of HEIs, FECs private providers
• (3) Data-linking and data analysis
• (4)Tracking students into Higher Education

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Area Studies (1)

• 5 8 selected nationally
• Cover various
• area types incl. rural coastal
• target groups e.g. work-based learners, private
  training providers.
• Approx 4 will take place in 2005, the rest in
  2006

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Area Studies (2)

• Key Questions
• How is the programme operating on the ground and
  how can it improve the effectiveness of widening
  participation policies?
• How do the different stakeholders work together
  in different areas?
• Which activities and combination of activities
  are perceived to be effective, in what
  circumstances, and for which target groups?

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Survey of HEIs, FECs private providers (1)

• Builds on previous surveys
• Sample used to reduce burden on institutions
• In summer 2005, reporting in December 2005

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Survey of HEIs, FECs private providers (2)

• Key Questions
• What WP strategies and activities do institutions
  adopt in relation to the recruitment, admissions
  and retention of students from disadvantaged
  backgrounds and how have these changed over time?
  
• How central have WP activities become to
  institutions?
• Do the different types of institutions adopt
  different strategies and if so, why?
• For private training providers, has there been
  any change in student recruitment and admissions
  to now include students they would not normally
  target?
• To what extent have changes in recruitment,
  admissions and retention strategies been the
  direct result of AH?

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Data-linking and analysis (1)

• To investigate the progression to HE of those
  through data analysis and data linking, including
  a study of the progression of post-16 year olds
  through vocational qualifications into HE
• These databases include the National Pupil
  Database (NPD), the National Information System
  for Vocational Qualifications (NISVQ), the
  Individual Learner Record (ILR), UCAS, HESA.

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Data-linking and analysis (2)

• Key Questions
• What is the progression rate for different target
  groups over time and for different geographical
  areas?
• What is the national attainment at key stage 3,
  4, 5/equivalent and how has it changed over the
  duration of AH?
• What academic and vocational qualifications do
  young people take and how has this changed over
  time?
• What percentage of pupils apply to HE, through
  which routes, which kinds of institutions do they
  apply to, which subjects, and how does this
  compare with the patterns of entry.

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Tracking students into HE (1)
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Tracking students into HE (2)

• Key Questions
• What is the impact of different activities and
  combination of activities on young peoples
  awareness of, and attitudes and aspirations to
  HE, and on education attainment and progression?
  
• How have these changed since the AHEC programme
  started in 2001/02 and how are they changing over
  the next few years under the unified AH
  programme.
• What is the impact of the programme on the Gifted
  Talented cohort, and the WP cohort?
• Which 18 students progress to HE, how is this
  correlated with changes in awareness, attitudes,
  aspirations and attainment?
• What pre-entry qualifications do they have, what
  routes do they take to HE, which institutions do
  they apply to and enter,?
• What is their experience of HE particularly WP
  recruitment, admission and retention activities?

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How does the National Evaluation fit in with the
work of the partnerships?

• In parallel with work of partnerships - avoid
  duplication of work/effort.
• Building on work of partnerships - 2-way
  communication between areas/regions national
  evaluators
• Managed by an evaluation steering group members
  from Aimhigher regions.

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Monitoring Evaluation What is required from
partnerships?

• Monitor
• Complete and return the monitoring form by 16th
  September 2005
• Monitor against impact targets
• Evaluation
• Optional but most areas are doing evaluation (we
  would particularly recommend the evaluation of
  work based learners)

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Monitoring Evaluation What partnerships may
wish to do? (1)

• Their own, local evaluation
• Small-scale, targeting specific group/location.
• To engage with local and regional LSC networks as
  AH partnerships could benefit
• As the LSC has detailed, local information of the
  post-16 sector excluding HE, by institution.
• From using the pool of intelligence research
  which LSC has developed
• Strategic Area Reviews (StARs)
• Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs)
• By collaborating with local LSC networks on
  certain projects
• e.g. surveys to FECs which local LSC networks
  already do.

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Monitoring Evaluation What partnerships may
wish to do?(2)

• Once we have commissioned consultants, we will be
  seeking volunteers for the Area Studies
• Communicate your findings from your local
  evaluations, so that they can be brought together
  with the national findings

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Monitoring Evaluation What is not required
from partnerships?

• Evaluation in the form of
• Large-scale tracking surveys
• Complex data-linking

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When will the National Evaluation findings be
available to partnerships?

• Plan to disseminate findings as soon as we or
  partnerships have them
• Communicate further in Spring 2006 e.g. through
  bulletin, seminar

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National Evaluation Contacts for Further
Information

• HEFCE
• Fiona Reid - f.reid_at_hefce.ac.uk
• Jemma Henderson j.henderson_at_hefce.ac.uk
• DfES
• Stella Mascarenhas-Keyes - stella.mascarenhas-keye
  s_at_dfes.gsi.gov.uk
• LSC
• Padmini Patel-Fenton - padmini.patel-fenton_at_lsc.go
  v.uk