RAW scores for the 11 plus tests in Bucks-anyone used these?

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Funky mum
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Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:14 pm
Location: Thame

RAW scores for the 11 plus tests in Bucks-anyone used these?

Post by Funky mum »

Hi I go to my appeal next Thursday and have asked for raw scores but am not sure what I'll be getting!
Will it be the number of correct answers out of the 80 sat in each paper or will it still be skewed in some way: does anybody know?

My argument is that withour the ''age adjusted score'' my daughter wil have the 121 marks required! She is only 2 marks down and born in February.

Can anybody advise PLEASE???? :roll:
AB
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Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:40 am

Post by AB »

Just passing and caught your post.

Raw scores are the marks out of 80, without any adjustment of any sort whatsover.

Tha age standardised scores have to be used as it is that score that takes into account all the other children's scores in this year's exam against your child's performance..
She is halfway in between the ages (Feb born) so after age adjustments, she is just below the 121 mark.

Hopefully the experts will be along soon to help you use the raw scores as an argument for your case. Good luck.
Etienne
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Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

To be honest, I very much doubt the panel is going to think much of this argument, although the information could perhaps be useful if you are able to point out that your child needed only one more correct answer to qualify.

Better to spend your time focusing on why your daughter was expected to score more highly.
Etienne
Lynsey
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Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:29 pm

Post by Lynsey »

Hi Funky mum,

Last year I appealed on behalf of my son, who scored 120 in Bucks 11+. (His other score was 112, so it wasn't totally as simple as it may appear) I explained to the panel that he sat the first test on the 4th of October and his birthday is on the 4th, although in a different month. I made the point that because the standardisation takes place in blocks of one month he was thus treated as being a whole month older than he actually was, just for the sake of one day!

I managed to say this at the appeal with a rueful smile and in a 'clutching at straws' kind of a way, (any other approach might have come over as preposterous?) but it raised a smile from the panel - and it may have helped...we were successful.

Good luck with your appeal.
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Lynsey's point is more interesting, and was very skilfully put. :D
- but I'm not sure it would have worked unless the rest of her case had been convincing.
Etienne
totpotpink
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:20 pm

Post by totpotpink »

Have to say, I would love some more details on how they standardise the scores against ages. I assume there's not an exact formula as maybe it will take into account how easy / hard the paper was. 11+ score range is from 60 ? to 141. So thats about an 80 range & with 80 questions its about 1 point per correct answer. I guess older children only get .95 & younger ones get 1.05 or something like that ?

Totpot Blue.
Buckscat
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:41 pm

Post by Buckscat »

Not sure if this is going to help you, but my friend has just had an appeal for her son whose birthday is 10th September. She told the panel the school had told her son he only needed 65 to pass. Apparently the LA rep at the hearing said he would have needed 73 to be sure of the 121 pass mark because older children are positively discriminated against - i.e. they have to get extra marks to compensate for being older under the standardisation score. She said the rep was very clued up on scoring and the panel asked him lots of questions about it.

Also - a word of warning using raw scores. One panel member at my friend's appeal seized in particular on her comment of "65 to pass" and said clearly the 1/1 head's grading was wrong as the boy had not felt the need to push himself and get more than 65. She tried to argue but said there was no swaying him after he'd decided on this. Her appeal failed (her son's score was 117). Perhaps proceed with caution is the lesson here?
Thanks

Catherine
Sally-Anne
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Location: Buckinghamshire

Post by Sally-Anne »

Buckscat wrote:Not sure if this is going to help you, but my friend has just had an appeal for her son whose birthday is 10th September. She told the panel the school had told her son he only needed 65 to pass. Apparently the LA rep at the hearing said he would have needed 73 to be sure of the 121 pass mark because older children are positively discriminated against
Well, that is interesting! Someone with a September child who scored 121 made a DPA request to Bucks last year for their child's raw score. The answer was 69/80. :?

If anyone out there has a September-born child who scored exactly 121, it would be useful if you could take the time to make the same request this year. Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

Unless you really understand the process of standardisation, I think raw scores may just take you up the garden path at an Appeal.

Sally-Anne
capers123
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Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:03 pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Post by capers123 »

Buckscat wrote:because older children are positively discriminated against - i.e. they have to get extra marks to compensate for being older under the standardisation score.
The idea of standardisation is to ensure that no-one is discriminated against by reason of age. It is to ensure that children of equal ability/brightness stand get the same standardised score irrespective of age. Each month should produce the same quantity of children passing the exams. Therefore just because an elder child scores a slightly higher score because of their maturity than a younger child, if the younger is brighter then they will get in. It seems quite fair to me.

Personally I have an October birthday, and DD's are in September & December, so I should have a natural bias against standardisation if it could be proved to be unfair.
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Capers
Etienne
Posts: 8978
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2005 6:26 pm

Post by Etienne »

Sally-Anne wrote:I think raw scores may just take you up the garden path at an Appeal.
Absolutely! :roll:
Etienne
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