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APPENDIX 3: DATA ON NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

A3.1 The data used for this analysis were provided by the SQA, and consisted of records of entries and awards in national units and courses relating to three national cohorts ¹³ of young people:

• Cohort 1 completed S4 standard grade examinations in 1999, and for these young people we have records based on the subsequent two annual examination diets (2000 and 2001) when those young people who stayed on in education were in the S5 and S6 stages at school, or their college equivalents.
• Cohort 2 completed S4 standard grade in 2000, and for these young people we have records based on the subsequent two annual examination diets (2001 and 2002).
• Cohort 3 completed S4 standard grade in 2001, and for these young people data are restricted (at present) to one subsequent examination diets (2002).

Table A3.1: Cohorts included in the analysis

A3.2 For the evaluation of the East Ayrshire pilot there were two further baseline cohorts derived from the Phase 1 pilot and control samples.

A3.3 Cohort members who attended independent schools or special schools were omitted from the analysis.

National units and courses

A3.4 The data relating to entries and awards in national units and courses are very complex and require careful interpretation. The Higher Still reforms of the post-16 curriculum have created a very flexible system, so that candidates may be taking units, clusters and courses at a number of levels: Access 1-3, Intermediate 1&2, Higher and Advanced Higher. Before the introduction of Higher Still, students in post-compulsory education took modules (which were subsequently transformed into units), Standard Grades, Highers and Certificate of Sixth Year Studies ( CSYS). A limited range of Higher Still units and courses were included in the 2000 examination diet, ¹⁴ so that in 2000 candidates could potentially be studying courses from both the pre-Higher Still and post-Higher Still systems.

A3.5 SQA data is not straightforward. It requires both conceptual and practical development. There is an enormous volume of records relating to units and courses, and considerable manipulation of examination records is needed in order to create appropriate derived variables summarising attainment at student level.

A3.6 The variables used for the analysis have been derived from the following records:

S4: The last year of compulsory schooling
S4 standard grade courses

The first post-S4 year: S5 at school or the college equivalent
Standard grade courses in S5
Higher grade courses (for cohort 1 this included both pre- and post-Higher Still courses)
Intermediate 1 and 2 courses
Access 2 and 3 clusters
Units at Advanced Higher, Higher, Intermediate 1 and 2, and Access 2 and 3.
Unlevelled units.

The second post-S4 year: S6 at school or the college equivalent
Certificate of Sixth Year Studies (cohort 1) and Advanced Higher (cohort 2) courses
Higher grade courses
Intermediate 1 and 2 courses
Access 2 and 3 clusters
Units at Advanced Higher, Higher, Intermediate 1 and 2, and Access 2 and 3.
Unlevelled units.

A3.7 The records include further information that allows us to identify whether these units and courses were taken at school, college or in other provision.

Demographic variables

A3.8 The SQA records include information about sex, date of birth and postcode of home address.

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