Minutes of Transitions Reform Steering Group

29th September 2015

Chair – Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General

Attended:

Breda Naughton, Department of Education and Skills

Jim Murray, Institutes of Technology Ireland

Derek O’Byrne, Institutes of Technology Ireland

Lewis Purser, Irish Universities Association

Aidan Farrell, State Examinations Commission

Muiris O’Connor, Higher Education Authority

Padraig Walsh, Quality and Qualifications Ireland

Áine Hyland

Secretary – Hugh Geoghegan, Department of Education and Skills

Apologies:

Mary Doyle, Department of Education and Skills

Neil Ward – Ministerial advisor

Brendan Murphy, Institutes of Technology Ireland

Philip Nolan, Irish Universities Association

BrídUíRiordáin, State Examinations Commission

Tom Boland, Higher Education Authority

Trish O’Brien, Quality and Qualifications Ireland

John Hammond, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

Majella O’Shea, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment

1.Minutes of Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

2.Updates

DES

  • The Chair thanked the Group for their engagement and involvement in the launch of the revised Common Points Scale and noted that the reception had generally been very positive.
  • Regarding Junior Cycle Reform, the TUI had voted to accept the reforms, while ASTI had not. Technical issues raised by the ASTI are to be examined, but implementation of the reforms is to continue.

IUA

  • The IUA and the universities will be engaging with the IGC on the reforms and the joint IUA-IOTI paper has been issued to stakeholders.
  • Continuation of the Transitions Steering Group into the future is very positive. While reform of grades and points is important, the reform of assessment and learning in Senior Cycle is now the key issue for the university sector.
  • TGRUSE will reconvene end-October and will look at issues including broadening entry, matriculation (including subject specific matriculation requirements), and HPAT over the next year or so. Bonus points might be examined later in concert with any reforms to Senior Cycle.

SEC

  • Thenew SEC Board are to discuss the issues arising from the OUCEA Predictability report on 12 October and recommendations will then be developed, in consultation with the NCCA.

IOTI

  • Academic Councils are positive and engaged on the reform of the Common Points Scale.
  • The main issue for the IOT sector now is the scoring of further education and training awards for entry into HE. IOTI presented a discussion paper on this issue to the Group.

Following a discussion of the issues arising from the paper, it was agreed that it would be useful for SOLAS to be asked to nominate a representative to the Group. It was also agreed that this was an issue which the Short-Term Research Group could be asked to scope out, with QQI involvement.

HEA

  • A joint HEA-DES paper on the development of a proposed research project to build an evidence-base for the work of the Group is to be presented to the Data, Evaluation and Research MAC Sub-Committee of the Department on 13 October. The group was informed of the issues addressed in this paper, including the data to be drawn together in the proposed database and the timeframe for the project.

It was agreed that this would be a very useful exercise and that the Sub-Group on Research should be tasked with overseeing the project.

4. Next Meeting

The groupagreed that smaller ad hoc groups, and sub-groups of the Steering Group, would meet to examine specific issues and that the main Transitions Reform Steering Group would then meet every two months or so to share updates.

It was agreed that a meeting of the Steering Group would take place in late November.