BRIEF GUIDE TO DATA SOURCES: A resource for widening ...

BRIEF GUIDE TO DATA SOURCES:

A resource for widening participation practitioners

Guide to Data Sources

CONTENTS

PREFACE................................................................................................................................ 1 1 Data for Targeting and Monitoring...................................................................................... 2 2 Progression Measures and Take-Up Of Education Especially Higher Education................... 17 3 Further information .......................................................................................................... 24 GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................... 25 Annex One: Approaches to Geographical Referencing Annex Two: Example Participant Monitoring Questionnaire for Young People

Guide to Data Sources

PREFACE

Aims Of The Guide

This brief guide to data sources has been developed primarily by Aimhigher practitioners in order to provide details of some important data sources relevant to the widening participation agenda. The guide will be useful for widening participation practitioners, including those in Universities, who are looking to use data to support the targeting and monitoring of their widening participation activities.

The guide is firstly intended to be an introduction to the key data sources and provide signposting to how different sets of data can be accessed. Secondly, it aims to provide some tips and pitfalls which need to be born in mind when using data for targeting and monitoring widening participation activities.

The guide has been developed by Aimhigher practitioners under the auspices of the Aimhigher Data Network. The intended audience is those engaged in widening participation activities but not familiar with relevant data sources and analysis. There are several sources of data relevant to the area of widening participation but finding these data, understanding what they show and manipulating them in an appropriate way can be confusing to the newcomer. This guide is designed to enable practitioners to benefit from the experience of which Aimhigher partnerships have in using data to improve the effectiveness of interventions in the field.

Structure of the Guide

There are Three sections as follows:

Section One: Gives an overview and sets the context for how data can inform targeting and monitoring of widening participation activities. This section shows how underrepresented groups are defined within the main higher education data sets. This section gives examples of conceptual frameworks which illustrate how the data sources included in the guide could be used to assist in targeting for widening participation interventions at individual and institutional level. It goes on to review some key data sources which can be used to measure inequality and disadvantage. These data sources are mainly contextual and relevant to the definition and identification of underrepresented groups. Particular reference is made to the data for widening participation targeting identified by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Section Two provides a discussion of data related to the take-up of education, especially at higher levels of learning; to some extent these datasets provide information the volume of higher education. This section also provides information on the framework for target setting including key national performance indicators. These indicators tend to use composite data including the sources described in the previous section.

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 Section Three signposts to some additional resources and sources of support.

The Glossary lists and defines some of the most commonly used terms in relation to data on widening participation in higher education.

Appendix One provides a note on geographical referencing, which is important to understand given the fact that data is available at different geographical levels.

1 Data for Targeting and Monitoring

1.1 Background

Aimhigher was tasked with widening participation by helping more people from underrepresented groups to participate successfully in higher education (HE). The case for widening participation is based not only on social justice but also on the needs of the economy for more people with higher levels skills. Whilst the concern over participation in HE can be expressed in terms of the powerful principles of equity and efficiency it is precisely because the numerical differences in participation rates are so large that it becomes an important strand of policy. It is not surprising then that policy and targets will be couched quantitatively, and that assessment of the operation and effectiveness of actions will be judged in numerical terms. Hence, understanding and making appropriate use of data is of key importance.

HEFCE guidance states that as a principle:

'Resources should be targeted at learners with the potential to benefit from higher education who come from under-represented communities. Overwhelmingly these learners are from lower socio-economic groups ... and those from disadvantaged backgrounds who live in areas of relative deprivation where participation in HE is low.1'

In addition, HEFCE guidance asks widening participation practitioners to make sure they include other groups which are under-represented in higher education, specifically as a priority `looked after' children in the care system; people with a disability or a specific learning difficulty.

Widening participation practitioners in universities, Aimhigher partnerships, schools, post-16 and HE providers are encouraged to use a three-stage process to target their provision:

Stage One: area-level targeting (schools, colleges, local communities). This level of targeting is generally appropriate for low intensity activities (eg. `one-off' interventions). This level of targeting often involves `proxy' indicators of social disadvantage without directly identifying individual learners in the target group(s).

1 HEFCE, Guidance for Aimhigher partnerships and higher education providers: Higher education outreach: targeting disadvantaged learners, May 2007/12

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 Stage Two: learner-level targeting (individuals and groups of individuals). This level of targeting is required for intensive activities offering in-depth and/or ongoing support to individuals or groups. This stage takes data to an individual level and therefore may need data sharing arrangements to be in place. At this stage indicators of disadvantage/under-representation in higher education are often viewed alongside other data relating to individuals such as performance at school/college or predicted grades in exams.

Stage Three: monitoring the effectiveness of targeting procedures. This stage involves checking the effectiveness of the targeting process with reference to the data or by collecting data new data via questionnaires or other means from the participants in the widening participation activities2. Often reference can be made to indicators of disadvantage, particularly those based on postcode. In addition at this stage it is possible to collect additional data to help in the assessment of targeting effectiveness ? for example parental experience of higher education or whether the person considers they have a disability or special need, as well as to probe about any changes in participants' aspirations to progress in education.

In using data for targeting and monitoring the main concern is that resources and activities will be focused on the individuals and groups who have the most need for support and the potential to benefit most.

Rationale for targeting widening participation activity

Aimhigher partnerships and HE providers have only limited resources for widening participation activity. It is therefore essential to target resources where they can have most impact. In seeking maximum value for money, widening participation practitioners will wish to: focus on those groups of learners where we know there are persistently low rates of

participation in HE; seek better coherence for widening participation activities in an area, and build on existing

good practice that delivers results; ensure synergy with other activities to support groups of learners with special learning

needs (such as schemes to support those with disabilities or gifted and talented learners); provide targeted learners with a progressive, differentiated and coherent programme of

activity; improve the data sources to support targeting.

HEFCE, Good practice: Guidance for Aimhigher partnerships and higher education providers, May 2007/12

2 HEFCE, Guidance for Aimhigher partnerships, Updated for the 2008-2011 programme, February 2008/05

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Table 1: Overview of Definitions of Disadvantage and Potential for Higher Education

(Note: see Tables below for links to source datasets and discussion of pros and cons of different

data)

Indicator

Measured by

How used

Resident within the 40% most

Rank of Super Output Area on the Used for Aimhigher and HEI

deprived neighbourhoods in

Index of Multiple (IMD) Deprivation widening participation activities

England

(rank of 13000 or below) allocated

on basis of postcode

Resident within the 25% most

Rank of Super Output Area on the Used by some HEIs to target some

deprived neighbourhoods in

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) institutional level outreach

England

(rank of or below) allocated on

activities, especially community

basis of postcode

based activities (eg. OU).

Child poverty

Index of Deprivation Affecting

Used by some Aimhigher

Children Indicator (Part of IMD)

partnerships instead of IMD rank as

it specifically rates to the local

circumstances of children.

Resident in a `low participation

POLAR2 quintile of geographical

Used in HESA performance

neighbourhood' (with historically ward allocated on basis of postcode indicators for higher education..

low rates of HE progression by

POLAR2 measures the HE

From 2006/07, the LPN definition

young people)

participation rates of people aged was updated to reflect changes in

18 between 2000 and 2004,

patterns of higher education

entering a HE course in a UK HEI or participation since the 1990's. All

GB FE college, aged 18 or 19,

wards have been ranked by their

between academic years 2000/01 young participation rates (according

and 2005/06). Band 1 reflects

to HEFCE's POLAR2 work, based on

participation rates for that quintile higher education participation in the

of young people from the most

early 2000's) and the bottom 20% of

disadvantaged areas. Band 5 reflects wards have been defined as LPNs

participation rates for that quintile (Band 1).

of young people from the most

advantaged areas.

Eligible for Free School Meals

Whether person has made a claim Proxy indicator for disadvantage

(pupils in compulsory education)

for Free School Meals and is

often used comparisons of

assessed as eligible to receive it.

educational attainment and

progression.

In post-16 education and eligible for In receipt of Educational

Proxy indicator for disadvantage in

income based financial support

Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

post-16 education

(Post-16 learners). The EMA

framework for 2010 applied for

household incomes below ?30,810.

Learners in households with income

below ?20,817 qualified for the

maximum level of support.

Lower socio-economic group

NS-SEC Classes 4, 5, 6 or 7 (4 Small Used for Aimhigher targeting and

household

employers and own account

monitoring (to 2010).

workers; 5 Lower supervisory and HESA performance indicators for

technical occupations; 6 Semi-

higher education.

routine occupations; 7 Routine

occupations)

Young entrants to full-time first

Schools and colleges in the state

HESA widening participation

degree courses from state schools sector (all schools and colleges that indicator

are not classed as independent)

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Indicator Special education needs (pupils in compulsory education) Looked after children

A*-C grades at GCSE (including English and Maths)

Measured by Identified as School Action/School Action Plus or with Statement of Special Educational Needs Could include currently in-care of the local authority (including those with foster parents) or in-care at any time Actual or predicted attainment

HE heritage (parental experience of higher education)

Highest qualification of (both) parents/carers or parent/carer experience of HE level study.

How used Proxy indicator of disability for Aimhigher targeting

Priority group for Aimhigher targeting

Sometimes used as a proxy for young people's potential to progress to higher education Used in Aimhigher learning level monitoring.

1.1.1 Approaches to Area level targeting ? Profile of Schools and Colleges

The chart below shows how a profile for a school or college may be constructed using a set of indicators, drawing on a variety of data sources. This type of institutional profile will help to show whether or not an institution is likely to be an appropriate target for widening participation activities.

Example of Institutional Level Profile

Where practitioners are seeking to prioritise their activities across schools and colleges then the institutional profiling process can enable priority lists to be developed. This could be achieved in a number of ways, for example:

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 Ranking institutions in a list (high to low priority) according to how they score against each of the indicators, or developing a `composite' indicator scoring. The `composite' score could be made up of the scores on the each of the separate indicators, or could be obtained by ranking them on each of the indicators and using the rank position in ach case to provide an overall score.

Agreeing `minimum' levels, or establishing priority `bandings, using the most important indicators. School/colleges may then be grouped according to the figures or within the priority bands.

Some Aimhigher Partnerships have developed very sophisticated frameworks for the collation of comparative data and building up institutional profiles to targeting purposes. Examples include:

The Aimhigher South East Area Partnership schools and colleges planning datasets. The datasets provided student domicile information (LSOA ) for each student in a school or college. LSOA data was gathered to provide a deprivation and HE participation profile of the domicile of each student. Added to student level data was institutional level data such as GCSE attainment and destinations of Year 11 students. It provides a transparent and systematic method for identifying where Aimhigher resources should be directed both at a geographical and institutional level.

Aimhigher LIFE partnership `Ladder' model. This targeting model adopts a three tier approach to prioritizing institutions to work with. Schools are ranked using data such as NS-SEC, IMD and SEN. The top ten schools above each natural % break were then chosen for intensive participation in the LIFE Ladder activities programme.

Further information and links can be found on the Aimhigher practitioner Website aimhigher.ac.uk/practitioner.

1.1.2 Learner Level Targeting

Aimhigher local and regional partnerships have developed customised systems for profiling learners based on a range of data. Usually this include information from the School census held by local authorities/teachers which help to identify those learners who might be able to benefit most from participation in Aimhigher interventions. One key criteria set nationally is used to target areas of relatively deprivation using the Index of Deprivation which is a geographically based measure.

Some Aimhigher partnerships have developed look-up tables which can be used to draw in a range of data from various sources by postcode. Examples include:

the West Midlands Aimhigher Regional Postcode Lookup Tool. The system pulls up a range of data mapped to postcode and LSOA level, and can be used to highlight whether the subject meets a range of different targeting criteria which the user can specify in each case.

Aimhigher South West postcode tool, developed in conjunction with Ansbury (Connexions)

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