SEAIG ScotXed Progress Report May 2004
Progress Report
The following progress report represents an update of progress within the ScotXed programme since the last SEAIG meeting in December 2003.
Personnel changes:
- George Wynne has completed his period of secondment and returned to his post as Depute Head at Duncanrig Secondary School.
- Gus Macdonald has taken over from George and he has been seconded from Braidfield High School where he is Head Teacher.
The ScotXed Unit now comprises:
- Alison Kennedy Programme Manager
- Gus Macdonald Programme Deputy Manager
- Murray Dunlop Programme IT Manager
- Raymond Buckley Programme Support Manager
- Vacancies (2) Programme Support
Strand 1: Phase in the electronic transfer of ScotXed information among education partners.
There are four task groups currently in operation: Implementation (2004); Data Requirements (2005 on); School to School and Unique Pupil Identifier; Benchmarking. All have met recently and their minutes are posted on the ScotXed web-site.
Data exchange documentation has been much improved. Several documents have now been compressed into two: a data specification, which includes data definitions, validations and QA tables; and guidance notes. We are endeavouring through the task groups to improve guidance notes and quality assurance tables. It is also worth noting that currently we are achieving 18 month lead times.
Strand 2: Establish ScotXed processing systems to validate and manage data and publish statistics and information.
ProcXed was used to read and upload data in XML files. We were swamped with difficulties associated with XML files. Feedback has been given to local authorities and MIS developers, and all are working hard to learn from the experience. ProcXed has now been issued to local authorities that requested it. This will allow them to validate their XML files before sending them on to SEED, and provide access to the data itself. We are meeting with some authorities that had particular difficulties.
ScotXchange on the Web is developing well as a data management and publication facility. It is on track to be ready for autumn 2004. The Benchmarking Task Group will be actively involved in determining the information to be published on this web-site (a more detailed report from the Benchmarking Group will be given later).
Strand 3: Establish the use of ScotXed information in evidence based policy making and education decision making at all levels.
We have just completed a pilot of the new STACS outputs. 14 schools were visited and asked to comment on the usefulness of the new reports and to identify staff development needs. The responses were unanimously very positive and it is clear that the new STACS is going to be very well received. Based on comments received from the pilot schools, training materials have been developed and they will be presented at a series of nationwide seminars in June. In addition, a webhelp facility is being prepared and it will be available when the STACS data is released on ScotXchange on the Web in early September.
Strand 4: Promote and communicate the ScotXed programme across Scotland and liaise with other related projects.
The most recent round of regular Forum meetings was held in April and May. There was a very positive atmosphere at these meeting and much useful discussion took place. There is a great commitment to ensuring that the next round of data collections will be better. There were a number of very good presentations on a wide range of topics: Feedback on the 2003 Census Collections; Efficiencies in Data Flows between Careers Scotland and SEED; e-Care; and Analysis of Linked Attainment and Leavers Data by ECSU. The last presentation was particularly well received and many were pleased to see progress from the pain of data collection to the gain of publishing useful statistics.
A number of important recommendations have arisen from the Forum meetings: it was agreed that although the meetings are considered to be useful, two meetings per year are probably sufficient; there is a lot of concern about the way the Data Protection Act is being interpreted within many local authorities and a seminar specifically dedicated to this issue has been requested; and it was strongly felt that it would be useful if ScotXed could improve its links with ADES.
ScotXed is currently endeavouring to facilitate discussions between its partners and UCAS to improve their on-line Web Apply so as to reduce the level of bureaucracy for both pupils and teachers. This would be something of a pilot, for which Scotland is ideas as the SCN can be used as an UPI. ScotXed is also working with NED to look at the MIS implications of the requirement for CSPs under the ASN Bill.
Strand 5: Establish a system for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing the ScotXed programme.
The ScotXed 2003 Annual Review has been prepared in draft form and is with partners for final comments. The review focuses on the issues raised by partners in their responses to the Annual Review Questionnaire: it gives a response and outlines the impact on the Overview Plan. The Annual Review will inform the development of the Overview Plan, and this task should be completed shortly.
It is worth noting that the current structure of the Overview Plan was criticised in the responses to the Annual Review. Some partners found it difficult to comment on a few of the objectives because they felt that the wording was unclear. Consequently, we are in the process of revising the structure to make it easier to follow, and also we are taking the opportunity to update some of the objectives to take cognisance of the progress that has been made. The headings used in this report reflect the proposed new structure, with Strand 2 basically subsumed into Strand 1.