Welcome Jean Blair Director of Operations

Systems Verification Update Fiona Gunn, Quality Strategy Manager

Systems Development Visits 2015 Background: Development visits to all Scotland’s colleges carried out by Quality Enhancement Managers (QEMs) in 2015 Approach agreed by SQA/College Focus Group To support colleges in reviewing and developing their policies and procedures To prepare for the reintroduction of systems verification visits

Systems Development Visits 2015 Used updated QA criteria for 2015-18 A number of specific requirements were new Reports replicated systems verification reports Developmental action points and recommendations only – no required actions No sanctions

Strengths identified in visits Communication on SQA matters Management of external verification Resource management Candidate feedback mechanisms Candidate guidance and support Internal verification procedures

Most common action points Malpractice procedures (new requirements) Partnership arrangements (documentation) Checks on assessment sites owned by others (records – site checklists or equivalent) Conflict of interest procedures - documented Complaints escalation – SQA, SQA Accreditation, SPSO (for non-assessment related matters) Appeals procedures (regulated qualifications) – right of appeal to SQA Accreditation

Most common action points cont. Secure storage of assessments - documented procedures Retention requirements – assessment evidence and records (updated requirements relating to malpractice and appeals) Data management procedures Full coverage of SQA requirements in role of SQA Coordinator, candidate and assessor induction

Systems Verification Strategy on SV going forward developed following consultation on various options Agreed by the SQA/College Focus Group This strategy covers the period of the current QA arrangements 2015-18 A major review of QA is being carried out to determine any changes post 2018

Calendar year 2016 Systems development and consolidation Colleges continue working on action plans from systems development visits. Individual bespoke support provided to colleges from QEMs Still opportunities to ask for specific support SQA developmental support activities in relation to common issues.

Calendar year 2017 Systems verification visits Systems verification visits to all colleges, spread across the calendar year. All visits scheduled well in advance (September 2016) to allow colleges to plan their time and SQA to allocate staff resources. Consultation on best dates through verification planning discussions. Planning meetings will be held well in advance

Systems Verification Criteria All systems criteria will be covered Some criteria can be given Green ratings in advance of visits – based on SQA intelligence (including QV), documentary evidence already seen by QEMs Some criteria may be partially met in advance Visits will be focused on criteria where evidence is not available in advance – particularly where evidence of implementation within the college is required

Sources of information QA web pages www.sqa.org.uk/qualityassurance HN and vocational qualifications pages Systems verification section on left-hand menu Guide to Systems Verification 2015-18 for Centres (updated July 2016)

Sources of information Enhanced guidance on writing procedures: Malpractice (updated definition) Internal assessment appeals Complaints Conflict of interest in assessment Assessment sites (site checklists) Security of assessments Data managements

National Qualifications Update Michelle Sharpe Senior Operations Manager, Liaison Team

Subject Review Reports Broader areas for consideration Key issues Action plan 2016–17 Action plan 2017–18 SQA has been engaging with teachers and lecturers on an ongoing basis, as well as gathering intelligence from the awarding and verification process. As a result of this work, SQA has created subject reports to give lecturers and teachers an insight into our planned incremental changes and further areas of investigation for each subject. Each report identifies the key issues for that subject and an associated action plan. Some of these are around the design and operation of Unit assessment, without compromising the credibility and integrity of the qualification. Mention the 3 assessment approaches: Cut-off score (Maths and Sciences) Assessment standard threshold Holistic Review Reports can be found on subject web pages under the heading Updates and Announcements: www.sqa.org.uk/nqsubjects

Impact of Subject Review Reports? Changes in practice for session 2016–17 Unavoidable temporary misalignment of documents with practice UNLESS we held changes for a year Subject Guidance Note on how Subject Review Report changes will impact on documents — by end of August 2016 (for some subjects only) Changes to documents then occur to usual pattern

Planned changes to documents Publication date Documents End of May 2016 Course and Unit Support Notes End of August 2016 Unit Assessment Support Packs End of September 2016 Coursework assessment tasks, specimen question papers and exemplar question papers www.sqa.org.uk/nqsubjectchanges

Planned changes to documents contd. Publication date Documents End of August 2016 *Course Specifications, Course Assessment Specifications, Unit Specifications End of September 2016 *Course and Unit Support Notes This schedule takes into account any necessary changes that are identified as a result of verification activities, the exam diet and feedback received from centres throughout the current session. It is anticipated that additional, critical changes may be identified for some subjects following the grade boundary meetings which take place during the summer months. Where such changes are identified, we will make further updates and publish these documents by the following dates (seen next slide) * Further critical changes only

Recent communications The following documents have been published on www.sqa.org.uk/nqresearch Executive summary of SQA initial evaluation of new National Courses Research and Evidence Report: Internal Unit Assessment in National Courses Research: Fieldwork Visits Research: What does this mean for teachers and lecturers? In addition, Subject Review Reports have been published on the individual subject pages www.sqa.org.uk/nqsubjects

National Qualifications Quality Assurance Update

NQ Quality Assurance The model is the same as previous years Understanding Standards / Nominee Training Internal Verification Prior Verification External Verification

NQ Quality Assurance As in previous years, there will be two rounds of external verification in 2016/17. Round Verification Windows 2017 Assessments covered by Verification Round 1 February Units: National 1-2 National 3-5 Higher and Advanced Higher Round 2 Events : May Visiting: March -May IACCAs: National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Added Value Units: National 4 Individual targeted units: any level

Working Group on Assessment and National Qualifications A review of the quality assurance approach will be completed by October 2016. In 2016/17, SQA will suspend the random sample element of unit verification. In 2016/17, centres may be selected for verification: - when new to delivery - when not accepted in previous year - there will continue to be a proportion of random sampling of IACCAs and Added Value Units in Round 2 Centres may themselves request verification of any unit or course assessment Note: review is underway. Note: ‘random’ selection is an integral part of the qa system. The agreement to suspend this for unit verification for 2016/17 is for one year only. Note: Added Value Units are considered course assessments and are not subject to the agreement to stand down random sampling of units. SQA reserve the right to verify any centre for the new National Qualifications. Centres will be able to ask to have any unit or course assessment this wish to verified in either round of verification. Skills for Work – notification of verification 5th Dec by e-mail

SQA Quality Assurance webpages www.sqa.org.uk/qa 1. Show landing page (reached by this short url) – explain routes for approval requests, and for information and guidance about NQ, and for information and guidance about vocational qualifications. Explain that this section was developed last year to be more streamlined and allow centres to access information about QA quickly. Approvals: show page – route to follow for any required qualification approval for non-auto-approved quals. NQ: show overview page, Prior page, EV page and selection explanation page first page of IV toolkit Explain that information is useful for SQA coordinators, but explains things simply for subject staff Vocational: show overview page including criteria followed sub pages: Prior Qualification Verification Systems verification Development visits Explain difference in IV toolkits Feedback form Loop 11 findings: Refer to efforts to improve pages… and any finding so far.

Partnership Working Colleges CDN SQA Fiona Malone Liaison Manager

Supporting the College Sector Garry Cameron – Delivery Lead, College Development Network

Building on a strong foundation… CDN and SQA have a strong legacy of working in partnership Latest developments strengthen the partnership Joint offer agreed

Partnership working… Resource development Supporting new and existing qualifications Developing the Workforce through vehicle of Curriculum for Excellence Supporting a range of events Webinar programme

Moving forward… Supporting vocationally relevant qualifications in the sector Curriculum development College nominees Webinar programmes Shared event delivery Staff development

Responding to sector needs… Subject Networks Professional Development Network Representation on planning groups CDN Emporium

Thank you SQA You are making a significant contribution to the CDN strategic and operational plan!

Plenary