January 21, 2010

Guidance for Commissioners of Evaluation of Education

January 21, 2010

This document draws upon the advice and guidance of members of the Taskforce Expert Group on Research who have actively participated in commissioning, and undertaking, evaluations of programmes and activities.  It is a guide that is especially relevant to organisations that fund projects designed to improve the educational experience of young people, aged 5 to 19, through initiatives […]

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December 21, 2009

Defining Effective Employer Engagement

December 21, 2009

The 2008 report of the National Council for Educational Excellence recommended that every school and college should have an effective partnership with employers. Without a clear understanding of what is meant by ‘effective’ employer engagement, it will not be possible for the Taskforce, working with partners, to benchmark current practice and assess if new initiatives, […]

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June 22, 2009

Implementation of the 14-19 Reforms, Including the Introduction of Diplomas: An Evaluation of Progress in the First Year of the Introduction of 14-19 Diplomas, 2008/09 in the Context of Wider 14-19 Reforms

June 22, 2009

A report by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) This report is based on visits to 66 schools and colleges and interviews with young people, teachers and employers involved in the first year of teaching of the 14-19 Diplomas. The Diploma curriculum includes a significant proportion of work-related learning. Employers […]

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June 22, 2009

Composition Matters: Multi-Context Informal Mentoring Networks for Low-Income Urban Adolescent Girls Pursuing Healthcare Careers

June 22, 2009

An article by Packard, B.W., Kim, G.J., Sicley, M., and Piontkowski, S., in Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 17:2, pp 187-200 Packard et al investigate the way in which mentoring networks influence teenage girls in choosing healthcare as a potential career. The authors find that girls who are from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit greatly from […]

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June 22, 2009

Corporate Investment to Increase Interest in Mathematics, Science and Technology: A General Analysis for the Volvo Group

June 22, 2009

A report by Nicholas Tengelin (Chalmers University of Technology), commissioned by the Volvo Group This report reviews and analyses an extensive range of data sources and studies to assess the extent of and reasons for the impending reduction in Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) graduates (and therefore the recruitment pool) in Europe. Eurostat and OECD […]

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June 22, 2009

Informal Mentors and Education: Complementary or Compensatory Resources?

June 22, 2009

A report by Lance D. Erickson, Steve McDonald and Glen H. Elder, Jr. Sociology of Education 82: 344-67 This article gives findings from a study of the effect of informal mentoring on the educational attainment of adolescents and relates this to inequalities in socio-economic background and personal, interactional and environmental resources upon which young people […]

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June 21, 2009

Evaluation of the Key Stage 4 Engagement Programme: Key Messages

June 21, 2009

A report by York Consulting (Georgina Cowen and Marianne Burgess), commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (now the Department for Education) This report presents the results of a two-year national evaluation of the Key Stage 4 Engagement Programme (KS4EP). The programme is a response to a call from the 14-19 Education and […]

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June 19, 2009

Time to Read – A Ten Year Review

June 19, 2009

A report by Michael Arlow, commissioned by Business in the Community The Time to Read programme recruits volunteers from business to give children from deprived backgrounds one-to-one help with literacy skills. This review uses several evaluations and surveys to assess whether the programme has made a contribution to the development of children. The report brings […]

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June 19, 2009

The Employability Challenge

June 19, 2009

A report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills UKCES assesses the current state of research on employability skills, identifies existing good practice, advises on how to develop these skills in schools and makes detailed recommendations for the involvement of employers. The conclusions of this report rest upon a combination of site visits, telephone […]

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April 22, 2009

Young People Omnibus: Wave 15 – A Research Study on Work-Related Learning Among 11-16 Year Olds on Behalf of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)

April 22, 2009

A report by Ipsos MORI, commissioned by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) This study aimed to discover what kind of work-related learning (WRL) pupils were receiving in English schools; how they perceived different types of WRL; which pupil categories learners thought should be taught about jobs and working life (e.g. all pupils, those leaving […]

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