A level results day looming

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by ely3857

Perhaps it’s time to remove the chance of a ‘bad day at the office’ and reduce exams for grades and focus more on course work and regular (but much smaller) exams/quizzes.

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That's what they used to do with GCSEs. However, they've moved away from that and back to concentrating on end-of-year exams instead. Which is a pity IMO.

ETA: Given that many teachers used to 'overestimate' how well their students would do, it does make me wonder whether using the teacher's continual assessment of their own students is the best idea? I suspect they would over-assess the course work as well. Which is why GCSEs were still standardised.

[ely3857]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

That's what they used to do with GCSEs. However, they've moved away from that and back to concentrating on end-of-year exams instead. Which is a pity IMO.

ETA: Given that many teachers used to 'overestimate' how well their students would do, it does make me wonder whether using the teacher's continual assessment of their own students is the best idea? I suspect they would over-assess the course work as well. Which is why GCSEs were still standardised.

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Teacher bias can go both ways so only using their (professional) opinion of students abilities would be unfair all round for sure. There still has to be a better way than literally a two hour exam that can make or break you.

[123]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

Technically the two are the same?

This year the centre (school) assessment grade (CAG) is the grade that the teachers at the school predict the student should get.

My DD's predicted grades were the same as the CAGs. It would be a bit weird if the school predicted a different grade to the one it assessed the student should get.

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This isn't the case for everyone, there are loads of examples at our school of kids that had predicted AAA (for their UCAS forms) that then had CAG predictions made of ABB based on the fact their mocks didn't live up to the earlier prediction.

I accept this is a minority but it is still a large number and shouldn't be written off as "a bit weird"

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by 123

This isn't the case for everyone, there are loads of examples at our school of kids that had predicted AAA (for their UCAS forms) that then had CAG predictions made of ABB based on the fact their mocks didn't live up to the earlier prediction.

I accept this is a minority but it is still a large number and shouldn't be written off as "a bit weird"

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Ours was the same ... predicted grades are best predictions on a good day made over a year in advance of the exams. CAG is what the teacher thinks you will actually achieve, were made a few months ago, based on much, much more evidence.

[Ds4ljs]

So can mock grades still be used? Sorry I’m so confused!

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by ely3857

Teacher bias can go both ways so only using their (professional) opinion of students abilities would be unfair all round for sure.

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Although it can go both ways, it seems it mostly goes one way and the majority tend to predict a higher grade.

Originally Posted by 123

This isn't the case for everyone, there are loads of examples at our school of kids that had predicted AAA (for their UCAS forms) that then had CAG predictions made of ABB based on the fact their mocks didn't live up to the earlier prediction.

I accept this is a minority but it is still a large number and shouldn't be written off as "a bit weird"

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Ok, yes, if some mock exams were done after the school submitted the UCAS predicted grades and the teachers used these mock exam results as part of their assessed grades then I can see that there could be a difference.

I know at my DDs school the predicted grades are done when they submit the UCAS form in October/November. So 6 months before the exams.

Again, as the name suggests, predicted grades shouldn't be "best predictions on a good day". They should be what the students is predicted to get - i.e. what the teacher thinks the student will actually achieve.

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by Ds4ljs

So can mock grades still be used? Sorry I’m so confused!

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Don't think so, dd asked school, think no appeals unless a procedural mess-up, only way to improve is to take exam.

[holidaysaver75]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

That's what they used to do with GCSEs. However, they've moved away from that and back to concentrating on end-of-year exams instead. Which is a pity IMO.

ETA: Given that many teachers used to 'overestimate' how well their students would do, it does make me wonder whether using the teacher's continual assessment of their own students is the best idea? I suspect they would over-assess the course work as well. Which is why GCSEs were still standardised.

See more...

Most moderation procedures for centre-assessed coursework are pretty robust and would address bias. I teach, examine and moderate and actually my experience of moderation suggests that there’s more an issue of teachers being harsh than generous (especially at the bottom end).

The benefit of coursework is that it rewards the determined, persistent hard workers who may find exams stressful more than the kids who rest on their laurels and just wing it in the exam.

In many respects, an exam system reflects what we put a value on. Our current system puts a premium on performance in the moment rather than necessarily consistent performance over time.

[caj]

Originally Posted by ely3857

Teacher bias can go both ways so only using their (professional) opinion of students abilities would be unfair all round for sure. There still has to be a better way than literally a two hour exam that can make or break you.

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Isnt that where the strict moderation kick in? Its rate from moderated grades, which happens year in year out anyway are usually 99% accurate. It's a hidden, necessary (and at times tedious) part of a teachers job at every level.

[Ds4ljs]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

Don't think so, dd asked school, think no appeals unless a procedural mess-up, only way to improve is to take exam.

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That may need to be the route we take then as DDs drama mock/coursework/practical were all A*. School grade A as they didn’t want to be accused of over inflation 😡