Evaluation and Monitoring
Evaluation of the impact of Aimhigher and widening participation outreach programmes on learner attainment and progression
HEFCE has appointed the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to undertake evaluative research into the contribution that Aimhigher and outreach initiatives to widen participation in higher education institutions (HEIs), are making to learner attainment and progression.
The resulting research will be based on:
- data about the outcomes for participants in Aimhigher/widening participation programmes
- evidence based professional judgment of head teachers and senior teachers with responsibility for school improvement
- evidence based judgement of learners who have been engaged in Aimhigher activities.
The work will take place in three stages. In the first stage researchers will work with four to six Aimhigher Partnerships (and collaborating HEIs, schools and colleges) to analyse and assess data that is collected, making recommendations where appropriate. In the second stage researchers will be asked to draw conclusions about where significant impact has been made. A final analysis will need to be on a sufficient scale to give a robust evaluation of the whole Aimhigher programme.
Reports to HEFCE will be anticipated for stage one by the end of 2008, for stage two in the Spring 2009, for stage three in the Autumn 2010.
For more information about previous NFER WP research please visit their website.
HEFCE has agreed with UCAS that Aimhigher partnerships and higher education institutions can access UCAS data which can be used to inform local widening participation activity. The data gives an overview of the pattern of applications, acceptances and progression in the local Aimhigher Area. To access this data partnerships need to apply to UCAS. More information about the UCAS data and the pro forma letter to UCAS for release of applicant data can be found in the following document:
UCAS data information & pro forma to UCAS
Guidance 'shopping list'
To view HEFCE’s evaluation guidance shopping list, detailing all the key resources to help partnerships and HEIs with evaluation, please view the below document:
Evaluation guidance shopping list
Monitoring for Aimhigher Area Partnerships
Area partnerships must submit their annual monitoring reports by 30 September each year. For 2008-09, HEFCE is developing a new monitoring template which will enable us to give detailed information to a variety of audiences about the breadth of activities that are being supported by Aimhigher on a national scale. This was piloted with a number of Aimhigher partnerships in 2007-08; however, there is no formal requirement to adopt the new format until 2008-09. Both the new and old 2007-08 monitoring templates are available below.
Aimhigher Area Monitoring Template (new format; optional for 2007-08)
Further Guidance on Evaluation Planning for Aimhigher partnerships
Area Partnerships were required to put in place an evaluation plan by the end of the 2007-08 academic year, taking account of the further guidance that HEFCE sent to partnerships on the 23rd of April, the toolkit provided by the Centre for the Study of Education and Training (CSET) Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University and guidance provided by the Aimhigher Evidence Good Practice Group .
While HEFCE asked partnerships to provide an evaluation plan by the end of July 2008 they understand that the plan will be flexible and may change as partnerships develop. The plans will be used as a gauge of where partnerships are currently and HEFCE will share them with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) that they have commissioned to implement new evaluative work looking at the programme on a national scale.
The further guidance on evaluation planning, issued by HEFCE, is divided into two sections, a summary of what is required in respect of participant data, data on outcomes for participants, and the evaluative questions and processes that link them. Secondly, there is a template that can be used to write (or revise, or develop) an evaluation plan. An annex is also attached which gives a brief discussion of the issues that have led us to this guidance/template.
If you would like more information about Aimhigher evaluation and monitoring, please contact Helen Blencowe at HEFCE on 0117 931 7115 or email h.blencowe@hefce.ac.uk.