2021 External Examinations & Pupil Grading/Assessment

Summary

The request sought internal correspondence and submissions regarding 2021 external examinations and grading during the pandemic, to which the authority responded with partial information including a document outlining concerns about CAIE exam arrangements and exemptions.

Key Facts

• The Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) opposed CAIE examinations for Summer 2021 due to significant learning loss from lockdowns.
• Ramsey Grammar School teachers expressed anxiety about student preparedness for exams after 10 weeks of online learning.
• Concerns were raised about inequality between subjects, as sciences had practical exemptions while geography, business, and economics did not.
• The response highlighted risks of norm-referencing grade boundaries when the student sample size is significantly reduced or altered.
• The authority agreed to wait for an Ofqual announcement before issuing communications due to a lack of clarity on exam arrangements.

Data Disclosed

• 2021
• 29th January 2021
• 1 December 2020
• 10 weeks
• 15%
• Year 11
• Year 13

Original Request

Further to the invitation for stakeholders to contribute to the Ofqual 'Consultation on how GCSE, AS and A Level grades should be awarded in summer 2021' which closed on 29th January 2021, I seek the following information: a. Those submissions made as part of the consultation process from any area of the DESC including the Secondary Schools; b. Internal correspondence between all areas of the DESC regarding the awarding of 2021 grades for both Ofqual and non-Ofqual regulated examinations; c. All correspondence sent to CAIE (and responses to the same) which relates to the impact of Covid-19 on educational matters in the Isle of Man (e.g. notification of school closure for the circuit breaker lockdown) during the current academic year; d. All correspondence sent to and received from CAIE regarding plans for sitting their 2021 examinations and potential alternative assessment arrangements; e. All DESC internal correspondence (including e-mails, ministerial or political member briefings, extracts from meeting minutes etc), relating to the sitting of 2021 CAIE external exams and issues regarding the assessment of the same. For d and e above I only seek such information dated from 1 December 2020 to the date of this request.

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

1. Exams Summer 2021

As there was still a lack of clarity on exams for the summer 2021 it was agreed to wait until Ofqual make an announcement before issuing any comms.

RE: CAIE Examinations 2021: Rationale for our concerns The leadership group at felt that we wanted to more fully explain the rationale for our position in opposition to CAIE examinations in Summer 2021 as it is our position which is partly responsible for the assertion that, as an island, we are only ‘broadly in agreement’ with CAIE holding such examinations. Our current Year 11 and Year 13 students will have had at least 10 weeks of online learning over their GCSE or A-level courses. This equates to over 15% of the two year course that has been affected by lockdowns. This is a significant amount of time which has been compromised and the steps taken by CAIE to mitigate this loss of time is neither representative of our situation nor does it provide equality between schools or subjects. Furthermore subject leaders and teachers at Ramsey Grammar School have broadly requested that we challenge CAIE on the processes as they are anxious about the preparedness of students for examinations in the summer. Exemptions from Examinations https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/603764-covid-19-exemptions-for-march-and-june- 2021.pdf The link above lists exemptions from modules for which schools can apply. We have spoken to subjects potentially affected by the exemptions. Our geography department will be taking up the offer of removing the coursework examination from IGCSE, if we manage to justify this exemption. They have not started this course and it will aid in narrowing the amount of work to be completed. However many other geography departments will not be able to do this, they will be doing the field work project or will have interleaved the coursework examination work into their schemes to a point that not doing this examination might be detrimental to student results.
Our science department complete the alternative to practical paper which is not on the exemption list whereas the practical papers are. They are automatically at a disadvantage when compared to students who do not have to sit this component and therefore have less content to prepare for. We have also interleaved preparation for the alternative to practical paper in our schemes meaning the content that we will have issues delivering is elsewhere.
We also have concerns that some subjects have exemptions and other do not. If there was parity between subjects at each level before these exemptions surely this equality has now disappeared. There are no exemptions for A-level geography, business studies or economics whereas sciences now are no longer required to complete the practical element. How can subjects be expected to deliver a full curriculum in 15% less time? In fact many of our subjects believe that the content that they have as yet not covered due to the decrease in face-to-face lesson time is the most difficult area of their subject. This would suggest that some students who previously would have achieved top grades will not this year. Grade Boundaries Cambridge assure us that the majority of schools wish to sit their IGCSE examinations this summer, but how many will be physically able to? This is a significant unknown that will affect the results of our students with the exact numbers of the students involved in the norm data set unknown. In CAIE examinations raw grade boundaries can fluctuate significantly. This is, at least, partially due to the norm referencing of examination results.
The main question to consider here is, what happens when the sample is significantly changed in make-up and size? In this situation norm referencing can produce wildly fluctuating results which bear no comparison to the results of previous years.
This happened with the Midyis and Yellis testing. As State schools in the UK moved away from these tests and their sample size became smaller we had increasingly spurious results, particularly for those students who find it difficult to engage with education. This is the region of results we are most concerned about, the majority of IGCSE schools are selective schools with students targeting A-B. Any reduction in number of students who are at the lower end of attainment in the norm reference reckoning could make significant changes to outcomes for our students. Worldwide Concern about the Parity of IGCSE and GCSE Examinations https://www.change.org/p/christine-%C3%B6zden-cancel-international-a-level-igcse- exams?redirect=false https://www.tes.com/news/igcse-alevel-gcse-exams-confusion-international-students-schools Above is a petition signed by 25,000 people requesting CAIE cancel their examinations this summer and an article comparing IGCSE and GCSE examination methodology, it is worth reading the rationale of both articles. There is also a significant and growing twitter campaign for these examinations to be cancelled. Students and teachers are questioning how can there be equality between the different systems run by GCSE and IGCSE qualifications, indeed Ofqual has similar concerns.
https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2019/04/04/some-facts-about-international-gcses/ In short we have significant concerns that our students will be negatively impacted by this decision. We query why CAIE are so keen to run these examinations? We would expect that decisions are based on a desire for fairness for all students and would hope that it is not in order for CAIE to position themselves as the exam board who deliver, even in a pandemic. Conclusion It is understandable that in these times we look for the familiar. Examinations are tried and tested historically and ‘we know what we are getting’. However we argue that we do not know what we are getting. We are concerned that there will not be the parity between previous years’ results due to an alternative data set and that results are not comparable between subjects or schools due to exemptions. We are most worried our students will lose out in comparison to those sitting GCSE examinations and also in comparison to previous years. Examinations are not the safety net that we consider them to be because there is so much that is unknown in the current situation. We are worried about students at the A-A end due to loss of curriculum time and at the C-E grades due to altering entry profiles. Our experience of the other options last year have made us wary, however examinations are not a fair option in the current situation and we would wish to reflect this in our narrative with CAIE. For these reasons we have presented to DESC the argument that we need to push for an alternative to examinations and for CAIE to make a form of Centre Assessed Grades available to Isle of Man students for 2021.

Leadership Group.

Updates 20th January 2021

Board Detail Ofqual Consultation Only relevant to us in respect of BTEC, AS and A Levels • A student’s grade in a subject will be based on their teacher’s assessment of the standard at which they are performing based on areas of content they have studied • Teachers will draw on a range of evidence of a student’s work in making their final assessment • The final assessment will be made towards the end of the academic year, at about the time students would have taken their exams. Results submitted in June. Dates to be confirmed. • It is proposed that papers may be sat at home if necessary. • Exam boards will provide guidance and training, and make available a set of papers for teachers to use with their students as part of their assessment. (It looks like teachers might be able to choose the questions completed). • External and internal QA proposed. • For vocational qualifications, a revised version of the regulatory framework will be created to allow awarding organisations to continue to offer adapted assessments and to award qualifications where exams have not taken place and learners have not been able to complete all other assessments • It is proposed that for all students, including those who are studying independently or who are home educated, will get a grade. Consider anyone that you are aware of not taking a ‘conventional’ route. Do you have sufficient evidence to provide a grade? • It is proposed that students will be able to appeal their grade. As a result, evidence must be robust. • Ofqual propose no moderation for NEA. • Possibility that results days will be brought forward. • Consultation is open and will be until 29th January. Feel free to have your say. JCQ announcement • JCQ have released a letter relating to the completion of NEA. WJEC • Have now moved to centre-determined approach. Initial information sent to relevant staff. CIE Exams still going ahead. • Additional exemptions added. Keep checking the secure site. • Encouraging schools to enter students for all components if possible • No reduction in content • This could get very complex so plan ahead. What component adjustments/exemptions might you apply for? Other information • BTEC updates – please read! In order to facilitate continued assessment remotely centres are now able to apply reduced assessment to internally assessed mandatory units.
• BTEC running briefings and sector surgeries you can sign up to. • Keep checking exam board website and contact them with queries. Pick their brains!

Exams - 13th January 2021

Board Detail Pearson, OCR, Educas, AQA Gavin Williamson’s announcement on the 6th January applies to all Ofqual exam boards. Exams are cancelled. • Teachers' estimated grades will be used to replace cancelled GCSEs and A-levels in England this summer • The Gov will trust in teachers rather than algorithms • GW has released a letter this morning. He wants Ofqual to consider the use of externally set assessments to support a teacher’s assessment of a student grade. These assessments will be based on the work students have covered. A breadth of evidence should be used to support a grade • Internal and external QA to take place (‘m guessing he means moderation of the grades). Changes to grades will only be made if they cannot be justified/due process has not been followed • Training and support to be offered to teachers in estimating grades, to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently • Possible process of moderation to take place • BTEC exams are able to go ahead in January at the discretion of schools but no further vocational exams beyond February • Will now be a period of consultation SQA • Exams cancelled in Scotland • Teacher assessment to replace externally set and marked exam series for a number of subjects/qualifications. Further detail on this released to centres via secure sites WJEC • Welsh Minister for Education announced the cancellation of GCSE and A level Exams Summer 2021 in Wales on 10/11/20 • On 16th December the Welsh Education Minister provided further details on how the system put in place to replace exams for GCSEs and AS/A levels in 2021 will work. Looks like one internal and one external assessment window • Timeline has been produced and is available on website. Good detail CIE As per yesterday’s, exams are going ahead as that is apparently what the majority of CIE schools want, Watch this space • Covid component adjustments published and covid exemptions available They will need to be applied for. Make sure you are familiar with what is available. That information has gone out and is on the secure website • Encouraging schools to enter students for all components if possible • No reduction in content • This could get very complex so plan ahead. What component adjustments/exemptions might you apply for? Other information • Moderator visits cancelled • Make sure you have signed up to receive all updates and keep a close eye on developments. Things change daily. Don’t get caught out • Keep gathering evidence. Who knows what we be required of us? My feeling is that substantial evidence will be requested if we don’t move to the WJEC model.

Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 1656477 26 February 2021

Dear ###,

We write further to your request which was received on 1 February 2021 and which states: Your request "Further to the invitation for stakeholders to contribute to the Ofqual 'Consultation on how GCSE, AS and A Level grades should be awarded in summer 2021' which closed on 29th January 2021, I seek the following information: a. Those submissions made as part of the consultation process from any area of the DESC including the Secondary Schools; b. Internal correspondence between all areas of the DESC regarding the awarding of 2021 grades for both Ofqual and non-Ofqual regulated examinations; c. All correspondence sent to CAIE (and responses to the same) which relates to the impact of Covid-19 on educational matters in the Isle of Man (e.g. notification of school closure for the circuit breaker lockdown) during the current academic year; d. All correspondence sent to and received from CAIE regarding plans for sitting their 2021 examinations and potential alternative assessment arrangements; e. All DESC internal correspondence (including e-mails, ministerial or political member briefings, extracts from meeting minutes etc), relating to the sitting of 2021 CAIE external exams and issues regarding the assessment of the same. For d and e above I only seek such information dated from 1 December 2020 to the date of this request."

Response Our response to your request is as follows:

Submissions as part of the consultation process Submissions were made to the Ofqual consultation by representatives of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and these were completed using an online form. Not all of these submissions have been saved by the individuals who contributed to the consultation. I have enclosed copies of the information held. Internal DESC correspondence regarding Ofqual and non-Ofqual regulated examinations I have enclosed copies of the information held. Correspondence sent to and received from CAIE relating to the impact of Covid-19 The correspondence sent to and received from CAIE relating to the impact of Covid-19 on educational matters in the Isle of Man during the current academic year is included within the emails being released for part d of your request i.e. correspondence sent to and received from CAIE regarding plans for sitting their 2021 examinations and potential alternative assessment arrangements. Correspondence sent to and received from CAIE regarding 2021 examinations I have enclosed copies of the information held

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