Downgrading exam results

[Hippee]

Nicola Sturgeon apologises for getting the exam results wrong.

The Scottish exam Authority looked at the results that had been marked by the teachers and downgraded 15% from deprived areas and 6% from affluent areas, but how can this be so? Surely the Authority simply has a name on the paper, not their home address, sure there could be no bias in their review, maybe the bias was originally in the teachers marking that upgraded the children’s marks from the most deprived areas? :ne_nau:

[Felix]

I wondered this :worked_till_5am: and why is there always a presumption that the authority’s downgrade the mark, when it could be that the teacher over inflated the mark? :ne_nau:

[Mary03]

I think this is a very emotive subject as if they downgrade the GCSE this year it makes it have no value but if we don’t lower the grade boundary it is unfair on the thousands of pupils who have had to be self taught throughout lockdown. They can determine the downgrade by the address of the school and it’s current OFSTED rating so that will determine the grade boundary which I think is wrong. :disillusionment:

[Jackie361]

I am waiting for my sons results and as a boy he has not put in the same effort as my daughter would have. No I’m not being sexist it’s a fact in the majority of cases! But he has tried his best without any support through lockdown so I think they need to lower the grade boundary to enable more people to attain their GCSE. Ther are many children that would have gained their qualifications with support in school but without it they won’t do well. Some very disgruntled kids in the next few days :apathy::disgust:

[Tanya]

I see Scotland have made a turn around on the decision and gone with the teachers marks. Like people say, it’s a real tough one, they have really missed out on so much. Jackie361 I wish your Son all the best for his results.

[Fran90]

I think this is a very emotive subject as if they downgrade the GCSE this year it makes it have no value but if we don’t lower the grade boundary it is unfair on the thousands of pupils who have had to be self taught throughout lockdown. They can determine the downgrade by the address of the school and it’s current OFSTED rating so that will determine the grade boundary which I think is wrong. :disillusionment:

Wow, I didn’t realise that, I didn’t think they had any details. But is their a chance of bias marking from the teachers? Surely they know whose work they are marking!

[Ben17]

Wow, I didn’t realise that, I didn’t think they had any details. But is their a chance of bias marking from the teachers? Surely they know whose work they are marking!

The teachers don’t mark it but they propose the grade and could be biased if they don’t like a student. It’s definitely open to corruption of figures!

[Chloe21]

A level results out today, I hope everyone got what they expected. I do think the grade boundary should be lowered as students have had to be self taught and even with online support from their tutor it’s not the same as 1:1 intervention :crushed:

[Westielover]

It seems that once again the poorest are hit the hardest!

Labour has called on ministers to act immediately to sort out an "exams fiasco" in England and stop thousands of A-level students being "betrayed".

It said it was unacceptable that a "flawed system" had led to 280,000 pupils having their marks downgraded.
Sir Keir Starmer said ministers must follow the lead of Scotland and allow teacher assessed marks to be accepted.

But ministers say this risks "grade inflation" and disadvantaged pupils had not been disproportionately affected.
After exams were cancelled due to the pandemic, grades were awarded on the basis on a controversial modelling system - with the key factors being the ranking order of pupils and the previous exam results of schools and colleges.

Anger over 'unfair' A-level results

What's next in the arguments over exam results?

This produced more top grades than has ever been seen before in A-levels - almost 28% getting A* and As - but head teachers have been angry about "unfathomable" individual injustices in the downgrading of some results.

[over the hill]

Why are they talking about the exams results being a fiasco in this country, when students have three options available to them? Use their Mock results, accept the current results or re-sit? Is it possible that some people’s work is worthy of that grade, and that maybe the teacher was bias in their marking? Shouldn’t all marking be done by external companies that have no knowledge of where the papers are from?

[Bumblebee]

There are going to be some very disappointed children next week when GCSE results come out as I think people taking A levels are more passionate and committed to their studying whereas GCSE students are not the same!

[Alf]

I was listening to the news which explained how the exam results worked, which means they are based on the postcode of the school, along with other factors, and I have to say I’m utterly shocked and simply can not understand the process.

Why are marks downgraded based on the postcode of the school? Can anyone explain the reasoning behind this?

[Freespirit]

Why are they talking about the exams results being a fiasco in this country, when students have three options available to them? Use their Mock results, accept the current results or re-sit? Is it possible that some people’s work is worthy of that grade, and that maybe the teacher was bias in their marking? Shouldn’t all marking be done by external companies that have no knowledge of where the papers are from?

The fiasco is the algorithm that was used to grade pupils results. It was based on a postcode lottery, basically if you live in a poorer area it reflected in your result which is completely unfair. The 3 options that were reported to be available have been withdrawn so lots of very disgruntled kids :dejection:

[Emma]

I think it’s absolutely outrageous, who advises these people?

Government could not organise a piss-up in a brewery!

[Ben17]

Excellent news to day that the A Level and GCSE results will be based on teachers expected grades rather be than the algorithm created by a scientist. I’m sure there will still be some kids that will be unhappy though!