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Right. A wee explainer for anyone who would like to understand why cancelling all the exams in Scotland will cause a massive extra workload for teachers.
Feel free to ignore or read on.
Feel free to ignore or read on.
1. Teachers/departments/faculties will have to write their own assessments for each level based on the national standard and the format of the SQA exams as they stand.
2. Quality assurance will have to take place to ensure that assessments are of an appropriate level.
2. Quality assurance will have to take place to ensure that assessments are of an appropriate level.
3. No, we can't just use past papers or commercially produced ones, as there may be issues of security surrounding these.
4. And we have to write the marking schemes.
5. A process of quality assurance has to be gone through for every level in advance of marking all levels.
4. And we have to write the marking schemes.
5. A process of quality assurance has to be gone through for every level in advance of marking all levels.
6. Number 5. is good practice in any year but, given the time it takes, is usually focused on one particular level not all at once!
7. Standardisation of the marking schemes and approach have to be agreed place in meetings once pupils have attempted a paper to ensure consistency.
7. Standardisation of the marking schemes and approach have to be agreed place in meetings once pupils have attempted a paper to ensure consistency.
8. All those papers then have to be marked.
9. A proportion of all papers have to be moderated and marks agreed upon. But...
10. ...wherever there are issues with teachers not marking to national standard, then this has to be addressed (papers remarked?) before returning them.
9. A proportion of all papers have to be moderated and marks agreed upon. But...
10. ...wherever there are issues with teachers not marking to national standard, then this has to be addressed (papers remarked?) before returning them.
11. Marks have to be analysed and grade boundaries agreed and established.
12. We will certainly be asked to spend time gathering separate evidence together for the SQA to look at.
13. This is likely to happen at least twice for every assessment at every level.
12. We will certainly be asked to spend time gathering separate evidence together for the SQA to look at.
13. This is likely to happen at least twice for every assessment at every level.
14. We have to teach the senior pupils as well!
15. Oh, and we have BGE classes to prep and mark for.
16. And teach!
17. And do all this before the end of May...
18. ...which will mean basically getting (the second or third?) assesments ready & completed before the end of April.
15. Oh, and we have BGE classes to prep and mark for.
16. And teach!
17. And do all this before the end of May...
18. ...which will mean basically getting (the second or third?) assesments ready & completed before the end of April.
19. ...so we have time to standardise, moderate and agree grade boundaries...
20. ... before collating all that evidence and paperwork and handing the SQA whatever it needs.
21. We also won't get study leave, which is often a great time in the year for development work...
20. ... before collating all that evidence and paperwork and handing the SQA whatever it needs.
21. We also won't get study leave, which is often a great time in the year for development work...
22. ...which will have a significant impact on the quality of the curriculum pupils further down the school will experience next year.
23. Basically, we will have less time to teach, the seniors less time to learn and they will effectively sit their "exams" early.
23. Basically, we will have less time to teach, the seniors less time to learn and they will effectively sit their "exams" early.
24. The implications for the administration of Alternative Assessment Arrangements for pupils with learning needs with all these assessments going on are, frankly, mind-blowing!
25. If just one columnist casts doubt on the integrity of results this year... Just one...!
Ends.
25. If just one columnist casts doubt on the integrity of results this year... Just one...!
Ends.
No it doesn't!
I forgot cross-moderation with other schools and the fact that we will have to mark and moderate all the coursework that would usually be externally assessed too!
I forgot cross-moderation with other schools and the fact that we will have to mark and moderate all the coursework that would usually be externally assessed too!
A lot of the above is good practice in a normal year but we would target areas of weakness or where staff need development, not do the whole, flippin' lot!
Feel tired now. Off for a lie down.
Feel tired now. Off for a lie down.
Quick correction: we are not obliged to completely devise our own assessments. We may use the 2021 N5 paper in its entirety, which has been securely released. I got that bit wrong.
Still, my point about it all being loads of work still stands!
Still, my point about it all being loads of work still stands!
