Calculating Attainment 8 - Answers

Transcription

1 alculating ttainment - nswers The answers to the calculating ttainment exercise are not simply about checking the correct numerical totals have been determined; they hopefully provide snapshots of what might happen in terms of the changing curriculum and impact on the lower and middle attainers of the redistribution of GS point score. The change from eight grades (letters) to nine grades (numbers) produces an increase in the number of points available for high attainers. Instead of 7 and being awarded for and * respectively there is the potential to score between 7 and points. In the 017/01 change from one system to another only the * (point score =.) will increase. It is likely that the point score of higher attainers increases over the next few years particularly as we move from 01 to 017 with the introduction of the numerical scale. Overall the point score will dip quite significantly from 01 to 017 due to middle and lower attainers point scores decreasing due to the reduction in points awarded for certain grades. In 01 grades G to will be worth 1 to points respectively whereas in 017 the same grades will be worth from 1 to points with grades,, and each worth one point less. It s also worth remembering that the new pass grade will be a grade which is equivalent to the top end of a current grade. It is anticipated that this will reduce pass rates by over 0 percentage points; for example, instead of pass rates for nglish and Mathematics being in the mid-high sixties they will be in the low forties. This will also affect the percentage of students achieving a pass in the combined nglish and Mathematics which is likely to be in the high thirties. The exemplar suggests that schools will move towards a greater percentage of students studying acc subjects, in response to the Government seeking to implement 0% of pupils studying the acc, and other subjects will see a decline in numbers. This will present a further recruitment challenge for schools who may, at the same, time also be implementing redundancy procedures or looking to retrain teachers so they can teach a different subject area. Teachers may well vote with their feet at this point. acc pass rates are likely to decrease as a percentage of pupils studying them from 017 as the new Grade pass rate is required in 017 for nglish & Mathematics and 01 for the other acc subjects.

2 Reviewing the Sheets In an attempt to limit errors I approached the exercise in a systematic way looking to identify using a colour coding system which subjects should go in the nglish & basket, the acc asket and the Open basket olour ode nglish & Mathematics acc basket Open basket ommentary The higher of nglish and nglish Literature counts as long as the pupil has been entered for both examinations. The higher will be double counted for the purpose of calculating ttainment. There is no suggestion that the pupil has to attain a grade and so some schools may focus on nglish and enter pupils for nglish Literature with little or no preparation. In 01, Phil isn t entered for nglish Literature and so his nglish grade is only counted once but in other years, despite being ungraded in nglish Literature, his nglish grade is double counted thus increasing his overall ttainment grade. This makes little sense educationally and it may be in future years changes are made so a pupil must attain a grade in both nglish and nglish Literature for the higher to be double counted or that the nglish & nglish Literature grades are added together for the purpose of calculating the ttainment score. In 01 Fatima s nglish Literature score is the higher of the two and so this is double counted whereas in 017 her nglish score is the higher and hence double counted. Mathematics is more straightforward and the point score is simply double counted. Three spaces are included in the acc basket from the list of Science, iology, hemistry,, omputer Science, and (inexplicably R is not considered a humanities subject in terms of the acc) and a Modern or ncient Foreign Language. The highest three are counted and unlike the performance indicator related to attaining the acc it is any three as opposed to two of the Sciences, one from / and a MFL. Note in 01 Phil only has two acc subjects (Sciences) in this basket. The empty one has a negative impact on his ttainment score. gain there are three spaces in the open basket which are taken by the highest remaining point scores from approved qualifications. This may include the lower of nglish qualifications and any acc qualifications not used within the acc basket. Please note in some of the examples it is possible to use another one of the qualifications as opposed to those highlighted as long as they follow the rules above. For example, in 01 Phil could have either the GS R or qualification included in the open basket (I ve highlighted but R is equally valid as they both have a point score of ). Similarly in 01, Simon could have the MFL grade included in the acc basket instead of one of the Sciences which were also grade.

3 GS Summer 01 nglish x = 10 1x x = 1 x7 = 1 x = 1 x = x = 10 R Science/iology * 1x 1x 1x Science/hemistry 1x 1x 1x nglish Literature * x = 1 1x rt esign Technology rama MFL 1x 1x P (GS) Total 7 0 ttainment Grade acc (Y/N) N N N N

4 GS Summer 017 nglish x = 1 x = 10 1x x = 1 x = 10 x = x = 10 R 1x. Science/iology * 1x. Science/hemistry * 1x. nglish Literature 1x x = 10 U x = 1 rt esign Technology 1x. rama 1x. MFL * 1x. P (GS) Total 1.. ttainment Grade.1... acc (Y/N) Y N N N

5 GS Summer 01 nglish 1x x = 10 1x x = 1 x = 10 x = x =10 R 1x. Science/iology 1x 1x Science/hemistry 1x 1x 1x 7 1x nglish Literature x = 1 x = 10 U x =1 rt esign Technology rama 1x. MFL 7 1x P (GS) Total ttainment Grade acc (Y/N) Y N N N

6 GS Summer 01 nglish 1x x =10 1x x = 1 x = 10 x = x = 10 R 7 Science/iology 1x 1x Science/hemistry 1x 1x 1x 1x 1x nglish Literature x = 1 x = 10 U x = 1 rt 1x esign Technology rama MFL 7 1x P (GS) Total 1 ttainment Grade....1 acc (Y/N) Y N N N

7 Notes: