AERO Workshop:AERO Workshop:Constructing and Using OUAC and Constructing and Using OUAC and

OCAS DatasetsOCAS Datasets©©

Part 2: OCAS Dataset

AERO Workshop - June 19, 2009

Dr. Robert S. BrownDr. Robert S. BrownOrganizational Development/Organizational Development/

Research and Information ServicesResearch and Information Services

Toronto District School Board Toronto District School Board

Unlike OUAC, OCAS data arrives in an Excel file. The file

‘TDSB_output_2008_App_cycle .xls’ has two Worksheets:

‘Demo’, which has demographic and related data for all

OCAS applicants;

‘Stages’, which has information on applications

There is information in the ‘Stages’ Worksheet on:

a) up to 6 applications (including school applied, type of

program, and specific program),

b) confirmations, and

c) registration.

The OCAS Provincial Dataset FormatThe OCAS Provincial Dataset Format

Next Steps:Next Steps:

Import the ‘Demo’ and ‘Stages’ worksheets into SPSS, and merge them:

1. Open TDSB_output_2008_App_cycle .xls

2. Copy the ‘Stages’ worksheet and paste it into a new Excel spreadsheet.

3. Save the new Excel worksheet under a different name (e.g. Stages.xls).

4. Close both Excel files and start SPSS.

5. Open the two Excel files (SPSS will automatically open the ‘Demo’ Worksheet).

Importing the ‘Demo’ and ‘Stages’ worksheets into SPSS (continued):

6. Save the original file as ‘Demo’ and the new file as ‘Stages’.

7. Run the SPSS syntax file ‘key labels for main file.sps’ on the ‘Demo’ file and ‘key labels for stages file.sps’ on the ‘Stages’ file.

8. Now merge the ‘Stages’ file to ‘Demo’ using the common variable ‘APPN_NUM’ (this is the OCAS Application number for the student).

A few examples of analysis of the OCAS dataset for the 2008 application cycle:

1. Of the 21,430 students connected to the TDSB, 80% (17,104) completed an application such that it could be forwarded to a community college.

STAGESSTAGES

Frequency PercentValid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid 1 17104 79.8 100.0 100.0

Missing System 4326 20.2

Total 21430 100.0

Freq var = stages.Execute.*note stages is a dummy variable of 1 given to all students in the stages file.

2. However, only 9,031 were ‘direct applicants’ applying from

TDSB high schools.

SPSS Syntax: Freq var = current_student.Execute.

APPLICANT CAME DIRECTLY FROM SECONDARY SCHOOL OR NOTAPPLICANT CAME DIRECTLY FROM SECONDARY SCHOOL OR NOT

 Frequency

Percent

Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid Non-Direct 12399 57.9 57.9 57.9

Direct from Secondary School

9031 42.1 42.1 100.0

Total 21430 100.0 100.0  

3. Moreover, of the 9,031, only 7,832 submitted applications to at least one community college.

SPSS Syntax: temporary.select if current_student = 'Y'.FREQUENCIES VARIABLES= stages /FORMAT=DFREQ /ORDER=ANALYSIS.execute.

STAGESSTAGES

 Frequenc

yPercen

tValid

PercentCumulative

Percent

Valid 1 7832 86.7 100.0 100.0

Missing System 1199 13.3

Total 9031 100.0

4. But the reality is that many of those students were ‘active’

students but NOT regular day school students in the TDSB–

they were applying from night school, continuing education,

the virtual school, or had left the TDSB system.

5. When we linked OCAS data to the 2007-8 TDSB dataset,

we found that only 6,003 OCAS applicants were regular day

school students in the 2007-8 school year, of whom 5,203

submitted an application to community colleges (note that

some of these were classified by OUAC as not a current

TDSB student).

To get a table of the colleges that direct applicants accepted

an offer of admission from, use the following syntax:

temporary.select if current_student = 'Y' and CONFIRMED_COLLEGE_CODE ~= " ".FREQUENCIES VARIABLES= CONFIRMED_COLLEGE_CODE /FORMAT=DFREQ /ORDER=ANALYSIS.execute.

Thus, in the TDSB, student applying to community

colleges in the ‘direct transition’ are almost entirely

local: 93% confirmed an offer from George Brown,

Seneca, Centennial, or Humber.

To look at the gender distribution of confirmed areas of

study for ‘direct applicants’, use the following syntax:

temporary.select if current_student = 'Y' and CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA ~= " ".CROSSTABS /TABLES= CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA BY gender /FORMAT= AVALUE TABLES /CELLS= COUNT ROW .execute.

CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA * GENDER CrosstabulationCONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA * GENDER Crosstabulation

 GENDER

TotalF M

CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA APPLIED ARTS Count 1408 746 2154

% within CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA

65.4% 34.6% 100.0%

BUSINESS Count 875 829 1704

% within CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA

51.3% 48.7% 100.0%

HEALTH Count 579 160 739

% within CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA

78.3% 21.7% 100.0%

TECHNOLOGY Count 122 804 926

% within CONFIRMED_STUDY_AREA

13.2% 86.8% 100.0%

Amongst TDSB direct applicants, students confirmed in

areas of Applied Arts and Health are mostly female;

Technology is mostly male; while Business is mixed.

AERO Workshop:AERO Workshop:Constructing and Using OUAC and OCAS Constructing and Using OUAC and OCAS

DatasetsDatasets©©

Part 2: OCAS Dataset

AERO Workshop - June 19, 2009

Dr. Robert S. BrownDr. Robert S. BrownOrganizational Development/Organizational Development/

Research and Information ServicesResearch and Information Services

Toronto District School Board Toronto District School Board

Thank you

R08(Post-SecReport\PPT OCAS DatasetPart2 19June09)ig.3457)