What is SPA?

1. An overview of the use of contextual data in admissionsProgression and Data Event, London, 2 May 2012Janet Graham, Director of SPA

2. What is SPA? • SPA - the Supporting Professionalism in Admissions Programme • Established in 2006 following the Schwartz Report, Fair Admissions to Higher Education 2004 • Small team, with over 75 years strategic, policy • and practical experience between us in the HE • admissions sector • UK’s independent and objective voice on HE • admissions, reporting to the SPA Steering • Group

3. What is Fair Admissions and Access? • Getting more disadvantaged students into top universities? Supporting the most able but least likely to apply? • Yes, but that’s only part of the issue • Raising aspirations and encouraging and supporting all students with potential to aim higher for an HE course that is right for them at an institution that can provide what they need, when they need it - full-time, part-time, flexible or distance learning etc • Schwartz Report: “Equal opportunity for all individuals, regardless of background, to gain admission to a course suited to their ability and aspirations.”

4. What is Fair Admissions? Schwartz principles for fair admissions: • be transparent • enable institutions to select students who are able to complete the course as judged by their achievements and their potential • strive to use assessment methods that are reliable and valid • seek to minimise barriers to applicants • be professional in every respect and underpinned by appropriate institutional structures and processes

5. How is contextual data used? • for widening participation – to target aspiration raising • to inform the decision as to which applicants to interview • to inform admissions decision making to enable the “best students” to be admitted and retained (as defined by the HEI) • to identify applicants who may need additional learner support or practical advice during their application process, transition or when registered as a student • to help assess applicants for financial/ in-kind support – scholarships and bursaries • for statistical and qualitative monitoring and reporting purposes

6. A definition: What is contextual data use in admissions? • Data used by universities and colleges which puts attainment in the context of the circumstances in which it has been obtained; currently mainly educational, geo-demographic and socio-economic background data. • Self-declared e.g. in application: applicant been in care, illness, looks after others, disability. Extenuating circumstances • Increasingly ‘hard data’ from publicly available data sources - e.g. DfE, HEFCE, and other administrations and some via UCAS • Commercially available data e.g. ACORN or MOSAIC • Contextual information: interviews, auditions, portfolio, admissions tests

7. Initial basket of data for HEIs, free, via UCAS • Socio-Economic Background • % of students entitled to free school meals and for Scotland % registered, by Local Authority • % of students entitled to EMA (not England) • Lives in a low progression to higher education neighbourhood (POLAR 2) • All being supplied by UCAS for 2012 at time of application, if universities and colleges sign up to take it. • This is work in progress. • Educational Background • School performance: % of students achieving 5 A*-C GCSE including English/Welsh and maths (or equivalent SCQF level 4 in Scotland) • Average school “best 8” GCSE performance (England and Wales) and equivalent SCQF level 4 in Scotland • Average (mean) of QCA points per A level (England and Wales) and per student - or average points score Highers equivalent Basket of Data

8. What data do HEIs use/ would like to use?

9. What are the quality issues? • UK wide coverage wanted, but increasing differences round UK • Data from public sources e.g. From DfE, relies on good data reporting each term in the School Census by schools and Individualised Learner Records by Sixth Forms and FE colleges • Independent schools: annual data set – not as detailed; IGCSE –schools come out as poor performers on GCSE • What about applicants with other pre-HE qualifications, or mature students/ those not at school or college? • Ageing data sets e.g. POLAR 2 (POLAR 2.1 soon??) • Are HE IT systems supporting contextual data use/ via UCAS? • UCAS Apply – not as easy as might be to provide school/ qualification data, mandatory fields? UCAS changes mooted for future • UCAS data matching improved, but still issues

10. SPA survey: Contextual data use past, present and future The full question: “When deciding whether or not to make an offer to applicants who otherwise meet your academic criteria”

11. SPA contextual data research project • The institutional research base is detailed, but typically is by individual institutions. This gives a fragmented view of the HE sector. • Sector-wide overview of the use, purposes, methodologies and value of contextual data - consistent description and assessment of the practices in 17 UK HE providers • Identify successful examples of contextual data use and highlight new and innovative practice and ideas • SPA recommendations about data use and methodologies that could be adapted by HEIs across the sector • Research report published on SPA website 20 February 2012 • www.spa.ac.uk/contextual-data/contextual_data_research_project.html

12. Why are institutions using contextual data? • Institutions are choosing to use contextual data to widen participation and maintain excellence. • The SPA report highlights the extensive research in this area: socio-economic background, where you live, type of school attended; subject choice can all impact on attainment and therefore progression to higher education.   • ‘Intelligence’ alone is not the only causal factor behind different patterns of attainment and education progression. • The use of contextual data in the admissions process is used to mitigate these factors by identifying those who ‘merit’ a place using a wider range of indicators than attainment alone.

13. What are institutions using? • University B • Residential Postcode • Deprived postcode - defined by the 5 most socio-economically deprived deciles within MOSAIC • Care Status Whether an applicant has been in care/looked after for more than three months. • Prior Education • Below average school performance at ‘A’ level. (For entry to the University in 2012 the below average in England is 770) • - One overall WP flag is generated automatically by either of two sub flags: care status or deprived postcode. • University A • Residential Postcode LPN – based on POLAR2 data to indicate applicant from low progression area. • Socio-economic background – using ACORN data groups 4 and 5. • Care Status Whether an applicant has been in care/looked after for more than three months. • Prior Education • GCSE and A/AS level performance. • Low school progression to the University. • Activity Participation Whether an applicant has completed an Access Scheme.

14. What does this research tell us? • Universities and colleges want fair processes and to recognise achievement and potential • Informed professional judgment is essential and appropriate in admissions and contextual data should sit within this context • Contextual data, as a standalone measure, cannot address the social mobility agenda. However, applied robustly and within a holistic process, it can be an effective tool • Case study institutions reported the use of contextual data was effective in a competitive field, identifying the ‘best’ applicants with the greatest potential and likelihood of successful outcomes

15. What does this research tell us? • Methodologies can be transferable to other institutions - should be underpinned by institution-specific research and monitoring; • Data used in admissions varies considerably in line with different institutional character, mission and culture, and is being informed by different drivers relating to these factors; • Added value of contextual data: • its contribution to widening participation strategy and delivery of targets; • consistency of approach in how admissions procedures used; • targeting of support services and student bursaries.

16. What are the main recommendations? • Contextual data: promote as good professional practice in admissions, contributes to a fair, equitable and consistent approach; admissions decision makers have as full a picture as possible of each applicant; • The UK government /agencies address the quality of data as a matter of urgency. Assurance it is robust would encourage more institutions to consider using it.  SPA and others will address this • Greater co-ordination across the various national data sets and that more data from these publicly held data sets should made accessible to the HE sector.  Unique Learner Number? • Link to the work of the Learning Records Service and the HE Information Landscape project, being managed by HESA, which aims to develop a new system that reduces the duplication that currently exists and results in timelier and more relevant data.

17. What are the main recommendations? • That institutions, facilitated by SPA, use the report and their own developing practice to: • develop key messages, • enhance transparency and • promote the positive aspects of contextual data in admissions to key stakeholders: in house, in the HE sector, more widely externally. • Contextual data should be linked to internal management information to help in the better targeting of bursaries and other support, as well as aiding tracking, monitoring and reporting. • SPA continue to facilitate the sharing of current practices and research expertise across the sector, SPA a point of contact for the dissemination of innovative practice and resources in respect of contextual data.

18. What will happen now the report is published? • The report provides a benchmark to support further development of methodologies and practices using contextual data to aid fair admissions • SPA will explore with the relevant UK education departments, HE funders, UCAS, HESA and others as to how • data quality can be developed, crucial for successful use of this data • what other indicators and additional data could be made available. • Impact – tracking and monitoring of applicants as they become students and progress through HE, graduate and gain employment. Role of MIS in HEIs • Analysis of entrants annually against admissions/WP policies for internal monitoring/ policy development • SPA investigating with UCAS the possibility of a longitudinal study.

19. What next? • HEIs - position themselves in new competitive market place while enhancing access for disadvantaged students - looking for balance between number controls and WP as well as looking for efficiencies and new USPs for quality of offering and service • SPA is supporting the sector in the challenges they face in admissions for 2012 and the next few years • SPA Fair Admissions Task and Finish Group – Chaired by Mary Stuart, VC of Lincoln, revisited fair admissions – what does it mean in the new environment and what issues do HE providers need to consider? Report out to HE in May/June. • Contextual data, fair admissions and widening access – briefing day with expert panel - Tuesday 19 June, London seewww.spa.ac.uk

20. Thank youQuestions? Comments?enquiries@spa.ac.uk 01242 544891www.spa.ac.uk

22. Key elements of implementing contextual data use • 1. Evidence Base/ Data/Rationale • Planning policy and processes. Developing a rationale and evidence • Access to appropriate data. Expertise and understanding of the data and issues • Sharing approaches and evidence with other HEIs • Testing out assumptions • 2. Leadership/ Buy in • Senior management engaged • Ensure a shared vision and objectives • Training/briefing • 3. Systems and structures • Setting up forums for discussion, view of contextual data internally? • Mechanisms for agreement on changes to admissions criteria. • Development of systems and processes. • Integration of a contextual flag(s) into application record system

23. Key elements of implementing contextual data use • 4. Methodology – Agree: • Principles: e.g. does a contextual flag lead to the next stage; or an adjusted offer; • Scope: There may be some piloting here; • Data field(s): This will include linked data; • Triggers: Definitions/Threshold(s) and the formula for flagging priority group(s). • Response: How will flagged applicants be treated differently from others? • 5. Informing strategies • Reviewing linkages to widening participation targeting and activities. • Evaluation of contribution to institutional targets. • Follow-up with students – identifying any additional support needs. • 6. Internal Communication • Staff Training • Timely communication to staff • Messages: student-facing staff answering enquiries appropriately.

24. Key elements of implementing contextual data use • 7. External Communication • Timely communication to applicants and advisers • Consistent response to enquiries that is clear • Preparation for media interest and Freedom of Information Act (FOI) requests. • 8. Resources • Resources made available to put in place any changes required. • Most significant – up-skilling staff; sourcing, analysing, processing, and tracking data, joining up widening participation, admissions and student record systems; developing systems and procedures for flagging, monitoring, tracking outcomes, reporting and review. • 9. Monitoring, Tracking & Development • Reviewing applications and offers and making adjustments • Monitoring the impact of the contextual data policy • Updating data fields over time

25. Discussion • Can using contextual data contribute to widening access and progression to HE? • Is there a role for Universities and Colleges to take account of differences in educational and socio-economic background/ experiences? • Does fairness mean treating all applicants the same or differently? • Contextual data and transparency of admissions – are there implications for the advice and guidance schools and colleges give to their students thinking about HE?