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Evaluation & Tracking

Overview

At HEAT, we provide systems, data and tools enabling our members to evaluate the work they are doing to mitigate risks to equality of opportunity in higher education, ensuring it is evidence-based. We support our members to meet the requirements of regulatory bodies and fulfil their social/civic mission(s).

Icon of a clipboard and pen, representing HEAT's evaluation planning tools and features.

We provide our membership with practical solutions to help them operationalise and systematise all parts of the evaluation process, as shown in stages one to four in the diagram below.

HEAT Evaluation Diagram, encompassing the HEAT Service with four stages going clockwise: 1. Plan - Interventions & Evaluations, 2. Target -Schools/Colleges & Select Participants & Comparators, 3. Record & Monitor - Activities, Participants & Comparators, 4. Analyse Impact - Short, Medium & Long Term Outcomes. A information box follows each stage of the diagram. Plan: Create Consistent Activity coding lists for future evaluation reporting, Build theories of change and link them to delivery data to ensure they are followed through. Target: Identify target schools/colleges based on learner data and Activity coverage, Identify learners based on their characteristics. Record & Monitor: Streamline data capture to efficiently create Activity and Student records, Monitor data collection of participants and comparator/control groups. Analyse Impact: Report short and medium term outcomes, Report long term outcomes through the HEAT Track, Contribute to HEAT's Aggregate Research.
HEAT's Evaluation Diagram
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Evaluation Support

Using HEAT to Evaluate your Access and Participation Plan

How HEAT can support you to manage and evaluate your APP Activities and meet the regulatory guidance recommended by the Office for Students.

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The HEAT Track

To support members with the final step of evaluation, Analysing Impact, we work with external agencies to track individuals longitudinally, yielding rich data on their educational outcomes. The HEAT Track provides insight into the whole student lifecycle, from school exam attainment through to higher education progression and subsequent graduation and employment.

The tracking diagram below illustrates the educational datasets through which HEAT tracks individuals, including the range of agencies through which the data are accessed. All HEAT members enjoy access to data and reporting from the HEAT Track, as shown below.

HEAT Tracking Diagram, featuring four different data and dashboards offered for members to track the student journey through education. Left to right: Key Stage 4 (GCSE) Data & Dashboard, Key Stage 5 (A-level & equivalent) Data & Dashboard, Higher Education Data & Dashboard, and the Contextualised Higher Education Entry Data & Dashboard. Students apply to HE via UCAS between Key Stage 5 Data & Dashboard, and the Higher Education Data & Dashboard, and this data is not available on the database. The KS4, KS5, and Contextualised HE Entry Data and Dashboards contain underlying datasets that are available at User-defined Activity-level, and the Higher Education/HESA Data and Dashboard contains an underlying dataset that is available at Student-level.
The HEAT Tracking Diagram, featuring the data and dashboards offered to members to track the student lifecycle through education.
Thumbnail for the Your Information and Why We Need It (Consent Animation) video, featuring a student climbing a staircase of books. play
Student Information

Informing Students and Individuals about HEAT and Tracking

The HEAT Service supports members to track individuals and explore the impact of activities and interventions on school exam attainment, higher education progression and employment outcomes.

Our video explains this process through the student’s experience, and HEAT members can use this animation to inform students of the data needed for tracking and what is done with this information. An alternative version with captions is also available.

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The Evaluation Cycle

Discover more about Evaluation & Tracking

Learn more about the different stages of the evaluation process, and how HEAT provides tools and features to help members capture and link this data.

Planning

Build theories of change setting out the intended outcomes and impacts of activities or interventions, and then link them to delivery data to ensure these plans are followed through.

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Targeting

Identify target schools and colleges based on comprehensive data which profiles learner characteristics, and collaborate with members to share data and reduce gaps in coverage.

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Recording & Monitoring

Streamline data capture for activities and interventions, track the counterfactual and monitor progress towards objectives and targets.

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Analysing Impact

Track individuals and explore the impact of activities and interventions on school exam attainment, higher education progression and employment outcomes.

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