Transcript Products and Services Portfolio Strategy Take Stock and

The new competitive environment:
How can the use of contextual data aid fair admissions
SPA event 19 June 2012
Janet Graham, Director of SPA
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.”
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.
Government departments, funding councils and some via UCAS

Commercially available data e.g. ACORN or MOSAIC

Contextual information: interviews, auditions, portfolio, admissions tests
Initial basket of data for HEIs, free, via UCAS
Educational Background
 School performance: % of students
achieving 5 A*-C GCSE including
English/Welsh and maths (or
equivalent SCQF level 4 in Scotland)
Socio-Economic Background
 % of students entitled to free school
meals and for Scotland % registered,
by Local Authority
 % of students entitled to EMA (not
England)
 Average school “best 8” GCSE
performance (England and Wales)
of
Lives in a low progression to higher
and equivalent SCQF level 4 Basket
in
Scotland
Data education neighbourhood (POLAR 2)
 Average (mean) of QCA points per
A level (England and Wales) and per All being supplied by UCAS for 2012 at
time of application, if universities and
student - or average points score
colleges sign up to take it.
Highers equivalent
This is work in progress.
How is contextual data used?
 for widening participation – to target aspiration raising
 to inform the decision as to who 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
SPA survey: Contextual data use past, present and future
Within other parts of the admissions
process
When considering applicants in Extra,
Clearing or Adjustment
When considering borderline offer holders
at Confirmation
Future
2011 entry
When assessing admission test results
Past
In deciding which applicants to invite for
interview
When deciding whether or not to make an
offer*
To make lower offers to some applicants
No. of responses
0
5
10
15
20
25
The full question: “When deciding whether or not to make an offer to
applicants who otherwise meet your academic criteria”
30
35
40
45
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.
 The key point is that ‘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.
What does the SPA research tell us?
 Overwhelming agreement of the 17 HE providers that 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.
What does this research tell us?
 Methodologies can be transferable to other institutions for fair
admissions, in line with the SPA principles, but 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 to professionalism within HE
admissions:



its contribution to widening participation strategy and delivery of targets;
consistency of approach in the application of admissions procedures;
targeting of support services and student bursaries.
What are the main recommendations?
 Contextual data use: 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.
What are the main recommendations?
 That institutions, facilitated by SPA, use the report and their own
developing practice to:
•
develop key messages,
•
enhance transparency, be more explicit 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 data and management
information to help better targeting of bursaries, and for tracking,
monitoring and reporting.
 SPA will 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.
Thank you
[email protected] 01242 544891
www.spa.ac.uk