Mapping the impact of educational interventions: A report commissioned by the Education Achievement Service for South East Wales

Abstract

This report addresses impact capture within education systems, with a focus on contexts in which the system, or particular interventions, have been identified as successful in some respect. It was commissioned by the Education Achievement Service for South East Wales, and addressed the following brief: What do the most effective improvement systems use as a frame for impact capture, and how do they map impact to learner outcomes across short, medium and long term assessments of value and impact? Literature relevant to the capture of the impact of educational policies and reforms worldwide was reviewed, and a selection of detailed case studies produced, in relation to the following research questions:  What principles guide impact capture in effective education systems?  What systems/processes exist for impact capture in effective education systems?  What is the relationship between impact capture systems and student learning outcomes?  Is there evidence of short, medium and long term impact on student attainment and outcomes?  Is there evidence of perverse incentives derived from impact capture systems, and how are these mitigated?   Five case studies were produced, describing policies and impact capture/QA systems in Singapore, Australia, Korea, Ontario and Finland.