FAQs Learner Responsive Qualification Success Rates

Question 1: When will the QSR and MLP reports be published? 

Answer:  
Learner Responsive qualification success rates and minimum level of performance reports are published to the following schedule in 2010/11: 
QSR report publication:    15th December 2011
MLP report publication:    15th December 2011

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Question  2: When is the 2010/11 Learner Responsive Methodology available? 

Answer:
This was published on the Data Service website in July 2011.

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Question  3: Where can I find out more details on the processing of the ILR data?

Answer:
A detailed description of how the ILR data is processed to create the data set used for qualification success rate and MLP reporting is included in the Learner Responsive QSR Technical Specification

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Question  4: Why can I not open my zip file? 

Answer:
Providers who encounter this problem should ask their IT team for advice as they will need to have an appropriate zip tool installed for them to be able to open the file. The Data Service can provide a link to free software:
 http://www.winzip.com/trialpay.htm.

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Question  5: Which of my submitted ILR files have you used to produce the QSR and MLP reports? 

Answer:
There is a footer on each page of the reports that shows details of the last submitted ILR file that has been used.   

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Question  6: Why do I have a QSR report but not a MLP Report? 

Answer:
If providers only have a QSR report it is because they only deliver qualifications which are not included in MLP. Qualifications which are excluded from a MLP report, but reported on in the QSR reports, are Key Skills, Functional Skills and AS levels 

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Question  7: What is the difference between success rates on the QSR report and the MLP Report (for 2010/11 data)? 

Answer:
QSR reports show success rates based on the number of aims achieved divided by the number of aims started.  The MLP reports use a weighted success rate which takes into account the number of guided learning hours in each aim.  

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Question  8: What is a ‘start’? 

Answer:
A ‘start’ is a learning aim that is planned to end in the year and the learner: -
• has not transferred within the provider
• is funded by the YPLA or the Skills Funding Agency
• Is not under 16 at the start of learning, and
• did not withdraw in the first six weeks

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Question  9: What is the qualifying period  ‘6 Week Rule’? 

Answer:
Aims where the learner did not complete the qualifying period for the aim are excluded. The qualifying periods are six weeks for long qualifications, two weeks for short qualifications and one day for very short qualifications.
Aims for long programmes (greater than 24 weeks) where the learner has withdrawn within 6 weeks of starting and where no funding payment has been made, are excluded from the QSR / MLP calculations. 
Programme length is calculated using Actual Start Date (A27) and Planned End Date (A28) 
Length of stay is calculated using Actual Start Date (A27) and Actual End Date (A31).

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Question  10: How does the matching process work? 

Answer:
The matching process matches a provider's final F05 / LR05 submissions from 2006/07 through to 2010/11. It tries to match using a combination of L01 (provider number), L03 (learner number), and A09 (aim reference) together with the following combinations in the following sequence:
• A27 (start date), A28 (planned end date), A31 (actual end date)
• A27, A28
• A27, ExpectedEndYr, A31
• A27, ExpectedEndYr
For aims prior to 2007/08 the following combinations are used
• StartYear, ExpectedEndYr, A31
• StartYear, ExpectedEndYr
Once matched the processing disregards the prior year's record and uses the latest record. 

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Question 11: Why do I seem to have duplicate records in my data?  

Answer:
The success rate methodology matches across year by matching on L01, L03, A09, A27, and the expected end year. 
If you amended any of these details across years then this can result in multiple records which will be counted.
Please refer to the Data Extract supplied with your QSR report for details of all the records used to calculate your success rates.

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Question 12: How is the success rate calculated? 

Answer:
The success rate is the number of aims achieved divided by the number of aims started multiplied by 100.

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Question 13:  How is the achievement rate calculated? 

Answer:
The achievement rate is the number of aims achieved divided by the number of aims completed multiplied by 100.

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Question  14: How is the retention rate calculated? 

Answer:
The retention rate is the number of aims completed divided by the number of aims started multiplied by 100.

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Question  15: What qualifications are not included?

Answer:
The Learner Responsive QSR Methodology and the Learner Responsive QSR Technical Specification list the excluded qualifications and aims.
Key Skills and Functional Skills are excluded from all reports except 2 (Headline Actual Performance - including Functional Skills), 15 (Success Rates for all Key Skills Qualifications by Age and and Level) and 16 (Success Rates for all Functional Skills by Age and and Level).

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Question  16: How many different provider type groupings are there within Learner Responsive?

Answer: 
There are five provider type groupings in the LR QSR Reports.  These are:
• General FE College incl Tertiary
• Other Public Funded i.e LA's and HE
• Private Sector Public Funded
• Sixth form college
• Special colleges (Agriculture and horticulture & Art, design and performing arts), Specialist Designated College

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Question  17: How does the 2010/11 Learner Responsive Methodology affect the calculation of success rates for the International Baccalaureate ('IB') qualification?

Answer:
In general programme aims, such as those for Programme Led Pathways & Diplomas, will continue to be excluded from success rate calculations. However, in the case of the International Baccalaureate, individual components are not recorded in the ILR, so the overall programme aim of the International Baccalaureate will be the one used in the success rate calculation.
This situation remains unchanged from 2009/10.

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Question  18: How can I reconcile my MI system against the QSR data? 

Answer:
The CSV file contained within your QSR zip file details all the records used in the production of your 2010/11 success rates. The guidance note included within the zip file details how to query this file.

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