University College Cork Access Programme EXTERNAL EVALUATION University College Cork Access Programme EXTERNAL EVALUATION University College Cork Access Programme Evaluation report Cynthia Deane Options Consulting May 2003 Contents Executive summary 1. Introduction p09 1.1 Aims of evaluation p09 1.2 Evaluation methodology p11 2. Outline description of Access programme p13 2.1 Schools programme p14 2.2 Special admissions procedure p29 2.3 Post entry support time p34 2.4 Promotional literature and web site p43 2.5 Staff development p45 3. Feedback from programme participants p50 3.1 Focus group of current Access p50 Programme students 3.2 Questionnaire to current Access students p54 3.3 Interview with group of prospective Access p59 students attending Easter school 3.4 Focus group of principals and teachers p61 from programme linked schools 3.5 Interview with UCC Admissions Officer p68 4. Conclusions and recommendations p72 4.1 Main strengths of the UCC Access Programme p72 4.2 Recommendations for the future p77 Appendices Appendix 1 Schools involved with the Access programme, and the years in which they joined Appendix 2 Special admissions procedure Appendix 3 Questionnaire for students March 2003 Executive Summary This independent evaluation aimed to assess the effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the UCC Access Programme, which has been in operation since 1996. The evaluation focused on the implementation of the project over a three- year period from 1999 to 2002. It is essentially qualitative in nature, including a description of programme activities and feedback from participants. The key outcomes of the Access Programme are described, and issues and options for the future are identified. The UCC Access Programme works with targeted schools together with the wider community to break the cycle of disadvantage and marginalisation that can persist in families and communities for generations. The Programme seeks to support able students within the participating schools to enhance their ability to compete for places in higher education. Since 1996, the programme has expanded significantly from the original nine schools in the Cork City area. It now includes a total of twenty-five schools and further education colleges in Cork city and County, and in Co. Kerry. In summary, the evaluation study found that the programme was very effective in achieving its aims. The main elements of the UCC Access Programme are the schools programme, the special admissions procedure, and post-entry support. Schools programme The wide range of activities within the schools programme are seen as being very successful in making students aware of the opportunities that are available to progress to courses in higher education. The number of participants in all of the activities has greatly increased over the past three years. The feedback from participants is extremely positive. The schools programme is also very effective in promoting an ethos of achievement within participating schools and communities. Special admissions procedure The number of students admitted to UCC under the special admissions procedure has grown from two in 1998 to seventy- eight in 2002. In the two years from 2000 to 2002 alone, the number of admissions doubled. It is significant that students are admitted under this procedure to all faculties in UCC and that the number of available places has been increased each year. In 2002, a total of 172 students were registered under the Access Programme. Post-entry supports The growth in the number of students admitted was accompanied by an expansion in the range and scope of post-entry supports for Access students, which focused on improving the level of retention by ensuring that students were able to progress in their courses. This element of the programme has also been very successful, and feedback from participants is very positive. Conclusions and recommendations The evaluation study concludes that the UCC Access Programme has a number of important key strengths on which it can con- tinue to build for the future. • The report comments in particular on the excellent leadership and management of the programme, which has contributed significantly to the high regard in which it is generally held. • The programme has achieved considerable success in expanding the numbers of students from the designated schools admitted to courses in UCC. • There is a high level of support for the programme among principals and teachers in participating schools. • Participation in the programme has made a significant impact on the lives of students and their families. • Positive relationships have been built with all stakeholders, and the programme has the support of key university personnel. • Access has been mainstreamed as a policy priority in UCC. • The programme has developed good models of practice in student support. For the future, the evaluation study recommends that the UCC Access Programme should • reflect on and consolidate the programme’s success, seeking to ascertain which programme elements are most effective in achieving stated goals • continue to provide the schools programme and post entry support, and to maintain the special admissions procedure • carry out a focused strategic planning exercise to clarify directions and goals for the future • expand activities to include primary schools, by linking closely with the UCC Bridging the Gap project • disseminate and publicise the good practice emerging from the programme • recruit project officers as required to undertake new programme developments. 1. Introduction In 2001-2002 University College Cork completed the fifth year of its Access Programme for School Leavers from Socio- Economic Disadvantaged Backgrounds. The programme was started in 1996 to improve access to, and participation in, higher education relative to socio-economic background, following the recommendations in the HEA Report of the Steering Committee on the Future Development of Higher Education. In 2002, the UCC Access Programme received funding from the Higher Education Authority under the Targeted Initiatives scheme to carry out an external evaluation in the year 2002-2003. The programme team led by Michèle Power, Access Officer comm- issioned the evaluation because it was felt that there was a need to take stock of the progress made by the project to date, and to indicate possible directions for future development. Cynthia Deane, Learning and Development Consultant was engaged by the programme team to undertake the evaluation study. 1.1 Aims of the evaluation The aims of the evaluation were • to assess the effectiveness of the UCC Access Programme • to measure the impact of the programme in terms of its stated goals 09 • to determine the sustainability of the programme, with particular reference to future policy, funding and mainstreaming, both within UCC and at national level. In addition, it was intended that the evaluation of the UCC Access Programme would: • Make explicit the programme goals and evaluate achievement against these goals • Encourage participants to reflect on the process and product aspects of the programme • Facilitate the documentation and analysis of programme outcomes • Provide good examples of practice for dissemination, both within the UCC programme and further afield • Enable the programme to be fully accountable to all of the relevant stakeholders, including the HEA, the University and participants • Serve as a basis for developing the work of the programme in the future. 10 1.2 Evaluation methodology The evaluation focussed on the implementation of the project over a three-year period, from 1999-2002. It incorporated elements of the following qualitative and quantitative methodologies: • desk research • participant observation, using a range of approaches • data collection and analysis. In undertaking the evaluation, the consultant analysed document- ation relating to the programme’s activities in the period from 1999-2002. She obtained feedback from programme participants, including students, teachers, and university staff. In addition, she conducted first-hand observation to complement data gathered: for example, she attended programme events, interviewed participants, and met with focus groups of teachers and students. The evaluation is essentially qualitative in nature, and it was originally intended that it would complement the research project that has been undertaken in parallel with the evaluation study in the current year. The research was initially conceived in largely quantitative terms, whereby it would provide a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the Access programme. 11 However, it was subsequently amended to render it entirely qualitative. The report of the research will be published together with this evaluation, but it should be noted that this evaluation report does not include any comment on the findings of the research. The evaluation is focused entirely on the Access programme as it operates within UCC. There is no attempt to include comparison with similar programmes in other institutions. Such a comparison would undoubtedly be of great interest and relevance in assessing the relative performance of the UCC programme, however it was beyond the scope of the current report to undertake it. This report focuses mainly on describing the key outcomes of the Access programme and on identifying issues and options for the future. Initially, there is an outline of the programme, its processes and its outcomes. There is a summary of the feedback from a range