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Interesting responses to yesterday's @tes article about how GCSE and A Level results will be determined. Some angry that teachers grades will not be respected and others arguing that @ofqual is simply carrying out its procedures as stated from the start. https://www.tes.com/news/GCSE-results-2020-teacher-grades-ignored
To my mind the central issue is not the high proportion of grades which are being adjusted. This was indeed always a possibility once the principle had been established that 'national results this summer will be broadly in line with previous years.' https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/903953/Summer_2020_grades_for_GCSE_AS_and_A_level_Extended_Project_Qualification_27072020.pdf
The issue is that the process is not what was promised, if the @tes article is correct. This is because CAGs are not even being looked at for most students. Instead, a national process of standardisation has led to them being overlooked entirely in cohorts of more than 15.
This is simply not in line with what @ofqual always said. For example, in @ofqual's head of centre declaration, every head had to sign to say they understand that, 'if the profile of grades submitted is substantially different from what might be expected based on my centre’s...
...historical results and the prior attainment of this year’s students, the grades for my centre will be adjusted.' In other words, CAGs will be considered at centre level and adjusted if necessary, not simply as part of a national statistical exercise. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/887018/Summer_2020_Awarding_GCSEs_A_levels_-_Info_for_Heads_of_Centre_22MAY2020.pdf
Also in this @ofqual statement: 'if grading judgements in some schools and colleges appear to be more severe or generous than others, exam boards will adjust the grades of some or all of those students.' Again, grades were to be moderated at centre level. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/how-gcses-as-a-levels-will-be-awarded-in-summer-2020
And it wasn't just @ofqual. In this @educationgovuk press release: 'The exam boards will then combine this information (CAGs) with other relevant data, including prior attainment, and use this information to produce a calculated grade for each student.' https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-details-on-exams-and-grades-announced
If the @tes report is accurate, this @educationgovuk commitment has not been honoured. CAGs have not been combined with other relevant data in arriving at the final result for most students, but have been ignored entirely and grades will be based purely on statistical modelling.
I did not expect or want CAGs simply to be respected, but neither do I think they should be overlooked entirely. I had envisaged a process for each subject in every centre involving the stats being used to set tolerance limits, with adjustments where the CAGs fell outside them.
This would have been in line with the expectation created by the statements quoted above. To fail to even look at CAGs in the case of most students is a massive insult to all the work put in by teachers and will no doubt be of major concern to students about to receive results.
If @ofqual has departed from the original plan, I can guess why, but it needs to be announced honestly, with a clear explanation, and at least an expression of regret that the hours of work on grading were wasted. This is what I would do for colleagues if I had to change plans.
But yesterday's @ofqual response to the @tes report states: 'Final grades this summer will be calculated using both centre assessment grades and a rank order of students provided by the centre. Centre judgements will then be moderated by exam boards.' https://www.gov.uk/government/news/response-to-tes-story-about-centre-assessment-grades
This suggests my initial understanding was correct, and that CAGs will be reviewed at subject level in every centre. This provides some reassurance and suggests the @tes report is inaccurate. I would appreciate explicit clarification from @ofqual if this is indeed the case.
