Update on Validation Process
Applications
- Another busy round of applications from colleges and universities to become validated under the Toolkit.
- The validation panel which previously met in May were impressed with some of the full applications they approved during the last round and congratulated many of the applications for their examples of good practice. From this round there was 1 college and 3 universities who became validated - in addition there were several annual revalidations.
- As a result of the previous round of applications there are 21 colleges validated however 4 of which are currently on hold due to staff changes and 15 universities are validated.
- We are now on Round 8 of the full application process and Round 4 of the annual updates. The validation panel which is meeting this afternoon will be discussed 3 full applications and 15 annual updates.
Evaluation of the pilot of the Toolkit
- As you will be aware at the November 2007 meeting of the DSSG there was agreement that the Scottish Government should arrange for a secondee to undertake an evaluation of the pilot of the Toolkit.
- Following a lengthy advertising and interview process Vit Novotny, from Equality Forward, started his secondment to the Scottish Government on 14th July 2008.
- Vit is being assisted on the evaluation project by Laura Worku and Mick Doherty Higher Education & Learner Support Division, Scottish Government.
- Vit has established a Research Advisory Group (RAG) for the evaluation. The membership of this panel includes:
Evaluation Project team - Vit Novotny, Mick Doherty & Laura Worku
Euan Dick, Analytical Services Division, SG
Joan Howell, Adam Smith College
Shona Robertson, Glasgow University
Kathleen Robertson, Victoria Beattie, from Higher Education & Learner Support Division, Scottish Government (SG)
- The panel have so far met on one occasion and have approved the project initiation document and the project plan.
- The purpose of the project is to firstly, to evaluate whether the pilot has met its intended policy outcomes, which include:
1. reducing waiting times for students between application for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and receiving support
2. increasing the capacity of the sector to assess students for DSA
3. introducing an equitable process for institutions to become authorised to carry out DSA assessments
4. improving the quality and consistency of approach to DSA assessments across Scottish universities and colleges
5. improving the student experience of DSA assessments
Secondly, and time permitting, to suggest future policy options in order to achieve the intended policy outcomes
- The key activities involved are firstly, to evaluate policy outcomes as follows:
1. compare waiting times before and after the introduction of the Toolkit
2. establish how the capacity of the sector to assess has changed, including the number of institutions authorised to carry out assessments
3. form a view on the equity of the validation process, including from interviews with assessors and other stakeholders - and including the clarity of guidance provided to institutions applying for validation
4. determine the extent to which the framework of quality indicators offers a suitable structure to measure quality and consistency, including from interviews with assessors and other stakeholders
5. form a view on student experience of DSA assessments, including from student feedback forms collected by institutions and relevant SAAS surveys
Secondly, and time permitting, to work with stakeholders on suggestions for future policy options
- Data have been obtained from SAAS concerning numbers of student applications for DSA in recent years as well as waiting times.
- Several interviews with those active in developing the Toolkit have been undertaken.
- The next key activities will be to undertake face-to-face interviews with four institutions to test drive the questionnaire. After the questionnaire has been piloted, a survey (probably web-based) of Scottish colleges and universities will be undertaken.