Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
No mystery algorithm used to grade pupils
NORTHERN Irish pupils will be awarded grades by their teachers using a “moderation” method to eliminate extreme success or failure.
They will not sit exams or be subjected as they were last year to a mystery “algorithm” that slashed 11,000 grades, devastating thousands of children.
But Education Minister Peter Weir has not been able to explain how grades will be arrived at and has handed the responsibilty for grading to CCEA, the examining board at the centre of last Summer’s grades fiasco.
Mr Weir has asked CCEA boss Justin Edwards to “refine” a contingency plan on grading and the Mirror understands grades will be influenced by a number of matters including the results of exams and assessment already completed.
And some children will awarded a percentage “allowance” to their grade to reflect the time spent out of class because of Covid-19.
Mr Weir has written to schools and families about “alternative awarding arrangements” after his announcement on cancelling the 2021 exams.
In August last year, the Minister executed a number of U-turns on pupils’ marks following the grading fiasco created by Justin Edwards and CCEA.
More than 10,000 A-level students saw around 11,000 grades slashed by a basic ratio calculation imposed on them by CCEA, leaving 37% of the results reduced by up to four grades.
Mr Weir was forced to dump the “algorithm” and revert to teacher estimates for A-level grades in his second U-turn on exam’ results in under 24 hours. The full details of the algorithm have still not bene released.
Despite the grading fiasco, CCEA under Mr Edwards’ leadership, was entrusted with the responsibility of 2021’s grading.
And yesterday Mr Weir confirmed that CCEA had been working on a contingency plan following the cancellation of this year’s exams.
Now pupils will have their grades awarded by their teachers with a moderation method employed to ensure no extremes, and the minister said they will not be subjected to any algorithm.
He added: “We are working to put in place as quickly as possible, a robust alternative process to ensure that learners can be awarded grades for their qualifications this summer, to enable them to progress to the next stage of their education, training or employment in the autumn.
“CCEA had begun work on such a process as part of contingency planning and I have now asked for these plans to be refined and detailed advice brought forward as a matter of urgency.”