Independent Evaluation Process – Background
What can we learn from the FLaT programme?
All FLaT projects (level 2 funding and above) will be independently evaluated to explore what the project has achieved and how it has impacted on learning and teaching. Where appropriate, evaluations will also focus on the impact of the project within the wider local community.
Who are the evaluation teams?
Currently there is a pool of research teams with relevant school based experience that are eligible to apply to undertake the evaluation of FLaT projects.
What will they do?
The main aim of the evaluation teams is to assess the impact of the projects on learning and teaching, and to identify any emerging trends. To do this the teams will:
- Identify where (and how) projects break down barriers and create a more inclusive learning and teaching environment within the community.
- Consider the impact of the project on areas such as attainment, attendance, motivation, progression and self esteem
- Assess links with local professionals, learning providers, employers, enterprise bodies, voluntary and community organisations.
- Evalute home/school links.
- Use different research methods e.g. face to face and/or telephone interviews, questionnaires and proformas, observation, collection of documentation, focus groups etc. to gather feedback on the project’s impact on the quality of the learning and teaching experience.
How will we know what the results are?
The final reports produced by evaluation teams will provide a comprehensive account of their findings and will contain a summary of the methods used in the evaluation and key outcomes.
An Executive Summary of all evaluation reports will be posted on the FLaT website under ‘Completed Evaluation Reports’ along with links to the full reports.
How will this information be used?
Findings and outcomes will feed into and inform the Executive’s broad future learning and teaching strategy. They will also assist in the sharing of best practice among schools and local authorities.