Higher Education Access Tracker
Helping member universities to
target, monitor and evaluate
outreach programmes
Sharon Smith - Director of HEAT project
Email: support@heat.ac.uk,
Visit: www.heat.ac.uk
Higher Education Access Tracker
Session:
 About HEAT
 The Heat track – what is this?
 HEAT track outcomes
 Challenges: analysis and findings for
impact evidence
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
HEAT History

Aimhigher legacy database and datasets

Developed by the sector

Members with common aims:
 Share monitoring and evaluation costs and avoid
duplication
 Share best practice and collaborate in research
 Provide fit for purpose tools and information
Targeting
 Building evidence
Planning
Evaluating
Target
Setting
Monitoring
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
HEAT Outputs
1
Student life
7
cycle
monitoring
Qualitative Research
data collection for a
common evaluation
framework
Database
•
•
6
2
HEAT track: Participant Tracking
• DfE
• Data Service (ILR)
• UCAS
• HESA
HEAT
5
3
Advisory
•
•
•
•
Targeting
4
Delivery planning
planning
Monitoring
Reporting
Evaluation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Data repository
Reporting tool
Datasets
•
•
•
School and college profiles
KS4 and KS5
UCAS applicant
KS4 and KS5 trends
UCAS institution trends
UCAS track
HESA track
Participant profile
Activity delivery
Individual HEI and Collaborative delivery
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
KS4
(DfE)
Input from HEAT HEIs
KS5
(DfE)
Learner
Characteristics
Learner
attitudes
and
aspirations
Learner outreach
engagement
FE
(SFA)
UCAS
HE
(HESA &
SFA)
•Higher than predicted points
•Achieved 3 levels of progress
•Achieved 5 A*-C including
English and Maths
• Achieved 3 A Levels
• Higher than predicted
points
• Achieved Level 3
qualification (including
work-based)
• Applied to HE
• Accepted HE
•HE entry
•HE achievement
•DLHE
•PG study
National context
HEAT track – quantitative measures
for longitudinal analysis
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
Fuzzy matching (HESA)
Linking data without a unique
reference
Names
Surname
Postcode
DOB
Strength
Comment
Y
Y
Y
Y
Very
Y
N
Y
Y
Strong
Possible marriage or parents
divorce
Y
Y
N
Y
Fairly
Strong when names are rare and
distance between postcodes is
small
N
Y
Y
Y
Fairly
Could be twins
Y
Y
Y
N
Weak
Unless birth dates are similar e.g.
day and month swapped or typo
Y
N
N
Y
Weak
Unless names are rare and
distance between postcodes is
small
Y
N
Y
N
Weak
Strong when names are rare and
birth dates are similar
Should be a match
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
Key findings from HEAT track
…Comparing achievement in 2010/11: Percentage of
students awarded 5 A*-C (including English and Maths)…
55%
46%
National Average
68%
HEAT Schools
HEAT Students Average
…Comparing % of 2010/11 students achieving expected
progression from KS2 to KS4 with a focus upon English…
Non-Heat students
…KS4 attainment - capped score…
All students in
HEAT schools
328.3
Non-participants
In HEAT schools
312.1
HEAT
Participants
356.6
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
Key findings from HEAT track
Comparing HEAT YPR to the
national average
[2011/2012]…
…and the value of intensive WP activity…
High intensity activity
37%
National Q1-2 YPR
HEAT Q1-2 YPR
25%
32%
YPR
Success, attainment & employment
destinations…
HEAT participant success rates
HEAT participants
[2007/2013]
Achieved
first degree
Achieved
1st or 2:1
National average
[2006/07]
Achieved
first degree
Achieved
1st or 2:1
84% 64% 82% 65%
42%
YPR
Low intensity activity
Looking at Polar v3 only…
Achieved 1st / 2:1 (HEAT)
Achieved 1st /2:1 (national)
62%
60%
Destinations of HEAT cohort after HE (NS-SEC levels)
Ended up level group 1-3
Moved up from 4-8 to 1-3
79%
77%
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
Evaluation challenges
Meaningful
accurate
data
Longitudinal
PPP
Comparators
and control
groups
Context
 Participant and Activity variation
 Intensity – intensive for one may not be intensive for another
 differing effects and impact depending on the individual
 differing “starting” points for individuals – in terms of social,
cultural and educational capital
 Data evidence has to take into consideration differing capital
baselines (see work of NERUPI at Bath)
 Introducing a HEAT participant classification system
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
HEAT participant classification system
Aspiration?/
Social or Cultural
or Economic
Capital?/
Indicators:
Q1&2 (POLAR)
FSM (DfE)
First Gen. HE (HEI survey)
Acorn Group (CACI)
Survey data (HEI survey)
HEAT Group
1
Low Attainment
Low Aspiration
Academic
Attainment/
Educational
capital
Progression
to HE
Indicators:
KS4 Attainment (DfE)
KS4 position in relation to
school average (DfE)
KS5 Attainment (DfE)
HEAT Group
2
Low Attainment
High Aspiration
HEAT Group
3
Indicator:
Progression data
(HESA)
HEAT Group
4
High Attainment High Attainment
High Aspiration
Low Aspiration
Low Attainment: Those who have not achieved 5 or more GCSE and equivalents at grades A*-C (Level 2) including GCSE English and
Maths. Those below school KS4 average (level to be decided).
Low Aspiration (by proxy): FSM or Q1&2 or First Generation HE or Acorn group (to be decided)
Higher Education Access Tracker Service
We want to hear from you…
 Collaborative research? Specific groups, themes
 Test methodology?
 Common evaluation questions across members
 Please contact Sharon Smith or Anna Anthony on
support@heat.ac.uk