Northern Ireland

Find new model of awarding grades without exams, report urges

Public exams have been cancelled for the second year
Public exams have been cancelled for the second year Public exams have been cancelled for the second year

A REVIEW of last summer's grading chaos has suggested a new model be devised this year with exams cancelled again.

An independent report found the alternatives used to award grades in 2020 caused considerable public confidence concerns.

In its review, Deloitte analysed the CCEA exams board's awarding methodology including design, implementation, management and communication.

With no papers taking place, young people were originally given calculated grades based on past performance and teacher predictions.

CCEA then standardised grades to ensure results were not significantly higher than previous years.

Several schools and pupils reported being downgraded significantly.

Education Minister Peter Weir later said the higher predicted grades would be honoured.

A-levels, AS-levels and GCSEs are off for a second year.

While teachers' grades will be used in England, there has been no similar decision in the north.

Deloitte found that at A-level, the CCEA calculated grade was lower than the predicted grades on 10,235 occasions (38.5 per cent).

The approach taken, the report said, highlighted an overall lack of public knowledge, understanding and acceptance of standardisation and led to suspicion and misperception in the use of statistics and how algorithms may be used.

In not being able to share details of the statistical model in advance of results, it added, CCEA drew criticism for a lack of transparency which added to a public sense that there was some ‘mystique’ involved in the process and that pupils would be disadvantaged.

"In the event exams could not proceed in 2021, it would not be in the best interests of candidates, or acceptable to the public, for alternative awarding arrangements to follow exactly those intended in 2020," it added.

The report recognised that the adoption of an alternative awarding approach "was always going to be very difficult to carry through and be universally accepted".

The onset of the pandemic presented a set of circumstances which left CCEA and the minister with the prospect of having to adopt a `least worst' approach.

Mr Weir last night welcomed the report and said it recognised the challenging circumstances.

"There are a number of areas where the report identifies important considerations which will be reflected in the development of alternative awarding arrangements for 2021," he said.

"Students, teachers and parents are waiting to hear about these alternative arrangements and I hope to announce proposals in the coming weeks."

CCEA said the report outlined several lessons, which included the need for continual review, more clarity on the standardisation process and a more appropriate appeals process.

"As an organisation which promotes learning we in turn have taken a number of very useful lessons from the report. Many elements have already been integrated into the contingency planning in which we have been engaged for some months," said CCEA Chairman Trevor Carson.

"Now that the education minister has formally announced the cancellation of exams again for the 2021 academic year we are fully focused on providing alternative arrangements which not only address the issues highlighted in the report, thereby building confidence in the qualifications but which also continue to embrace the overarching principle of fairness for all students."