One in five A-level grades awarded to teenagers this summer could be inaccurate, according to modelling for the exams regulator Ofqual.

Academics fear this year’s emergency marking system, which uses teacher assessment after exams were cancelled because of the coronavirus, will favour “conformist” pupils and penalise “mavericks”, who do better when they sit exams than teachers predict.

Under the arrangements, teachers will rank pupils in order of merit and award grades based on school tests and assignments. The scores will then be “standardised” by exam boards, using schools’ previous results to adjust grading that is too generous or too strict.

Studies carried out for Ofqual to assess the likely accuracy of these arrangements show that only 78% of A-level grades awarded in previous years matched the results predicted by teachers.

The predictions studied were made a few weeks before pupils sat papers in 2013, and were sent to exam boards to help identify any errors behind unexpected results.



The Sunday Times.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news ... -jwwwwbhnp

Predictions made in 2013? Continuous tracking in schools has massively improved over the last 7 years...

There are serious concern over teachers’ assessments. The best way still is exams and delaying uni admissions for few months.

I would say that is well nigh impossible. What would happen to the current year 12's? Yr 13 would be severely oversized for a few months and I doubt many schools would have the physical space or teaching capacity to run 2 yr 13 cohorts for even a short period. There is then the knock on effect of a shortened first year at uni and all the teaching and financial problems that would lead to.

I have a very conscientious yr13 who has kept himself busy and on the ball but I'm sure there are many who haven't opened a book since March, how is asking them to now finish courses and take exams fair?

This year it is what it is and we have to run with it. Whether it was the best decision will be argued about for many years but I think we are now too far down the line to revert back to exams.

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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !

Agree with Mad? It is what it is. It’s not perfect by any means, but neither is the A level system itself.


We don’t even know when the exams could be held yet.
DDs school would definitely not have space as they are taking an extra class this year and it’s possible the new building won’t be finished in September due to work having to stop.

So let children suffer because schools do not have physical space? Teach on-line.

doodles



Are they suffering? The whole cohort is in the same situation yes, some may have got better grades if they had sat exams, but then again they may not, it is an unknown situation. Every year people do better and worse than expected you just can't say what would have happened. We have to deal with the situation we have.

On-line teaching had it's own problems as not all dc have the same level of access to tech.

As a yr 13 parent I say we need to draw a line under what could have been and deal with what is going to happen.

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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !

Seems some are happy with their predicted grades, some think they can’t do better and some think they could do better. First two like the status quo. Last one would like the challenge to perform better.

There is a 4th category. Irrespective of predictions some just think is what it is, there is no perfect way of doing things and so time to try to move on.

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mad?

They likely fall in the first category. Happy with what they got.