1. Welcome
Jean Blair
Director of Operations

3. Systems Verification Update
Fiona Gunn,
Quality Strategy Manager

4. 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

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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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
A major review of QA is being carried out to determine any changes post 2018

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. Sources of information
QA web pages
HN and vocational qualifications pages
Systems verification section on left-hand menu
Guide to Systems Verification for Centres
(updated July 2016)

14. 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

15. National Qualifications Update
Michelle Sharpe
Senior Operations Manager, Liaison Team

16. 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:

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Recent communications
The following documents have been published on
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

21. National Qualifications Quality Assurance Update

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

23. 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

24. 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

25. SQA Quality Assurance webpages
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.

26. Partnership Working
Colleges
CDN
SQA
Fiona Malone
Liaison Manager

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

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

29. 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

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

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

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

33. Plenary