A level briefing presentation, 18 May 2010

Welcome

New A Levels

Briefing Event: 18 May 2010

Welcome

New A Levels

Briefing Event: 18th May 2010

Kathleen Tattersall

Chair and Chief Regulator

Ensuring standards are maintained in A Levels

Dennis Opposs

Director of Standards

Purpose of today

To share with you:

Details of the changes to A levels this summer

What we have already done, and why

Information on how ‘the system’ works

The background to the A* grade and the way it will operate

Our next steps, before summer results

Our plans for further work, after summer results

Principles of good regulation

Accountable

Consistent

Proportionate

Targeted

Transparent

Changes to A levels

6 to 4 units (for most subjects)

Stretch and challenge

Revised, updated and re-packaged content

Changes to coursework

New A* grade

Preparing for 2010

November 2006 – new A* grade agreed

Summer 2007 – new specifications accredited

September 2008 – first teaching of new specifications

January 2009 – first revised AS units assessed

March 2009 – Ofqual open letter about maintaining standards

August 2009 – first revised AS qualification results

January 2010 – first revised A2 units assessed

February 2010 – Ofqual open letter about A*

March 2010 – report on first AS scrutiny monitoring

May 2010 – briefing event for teaching associations

How are A level grades awarded?

Awarding committees for each specification

Script evidence informed by statistical evidence

Grade boundaries set at unit level, unit by unit

A and E set by awarders; B, C, D (and A*) set arithmetically

Raw marks converted to UMS for each unit

UMS for each unit added to give overall grade

Unit 185 UMS

Unit 280 UMS

Unit 375 UMS

Unit 465 UMS

= 305 UMS = B

Raw marks to uniform marks

Why?

Candidates sit units at different times

Level of demand can vary

Raw marks are relative to the level of demand

Uniform marks put all marks on the same scale

For example – 77 raw marks

Unit 1

Grade A boundary

January 2009 78

June 2009 76

The Uniform Mark Scale (UMS)

Used in all unitised qualifications

Converts raw marks to scores on a uniform scale

Controls for relative difficulty of different question papers

Fixed grade boundaries at unit and qualification level

A level Grade

6 units

Max 600 UMS

4 units

Max 400 UMS

2 units

Max 200 UMS

A* 480 (270 at A2)

320(180 at A2)

160(90 at A2)

A 480 320 160

B 420 280 140

C 360 240 120

D 300 200 100

E 240 160 80

The Code of Practice - awarding

Qualitative Evidence Question paper/task and mark scheme for current and previous series Report by principal examiner/moderator including boundary recommendations Archive scripts/work from previous series A sample of current candidate work Any published grade or performance descriptions

Quantitative Evidence Mark distributions for current and previous series Outcomes in previous series Any changes in entry patterns Centres’ estimated grades (at unit level for A level)

Taken from section 6.15 of the GCSE, GCE principal learning and project code of practice, April 2010

Statistical indicators

Based on prior GCSE performance

Give an indication of likely overall outcomes

Similar to predictions from ALIS, ALPS etc used by centres

Already widely used by awarding bodies

For whole cohort, not individual candidates

Take account of differences between awarding bodies’ entries

Provide a reporting mechanism to regulators before results issued– Results reported if outside agreed thresholds– Explanation provided by awarding body– Consideration by regulators– Regulators may ask awarding body to reconsider grade boundaries– Comparison across awarding bodies

Setting appropriate standards - the new A* grade

Cath Jadhav

Head of Qualification Standards

A* grading – the options

In 2007 QCA/DfES consulted on possible approaches1. Award A* on the whole A level qualification2. Award A* on the whole A level qualification with a hurdle at A23. Award A* on A2 units and the A level qualification4. Award A* on a reported aggregated A2 grade and the A level

qualification5. Award A* on the AS and the A level qualifications6. Award A* on AS and A2 units and the AS and A level qualifications7. Decouple AS and A2 and award A* on A2 units and the A2

qualification

A* grading – the agreed method

Option 2 – Award A* on the whole A level qualification with a hurdle at A2

More specifically:

Awarded to candidates who have achieved: – An A grade overall in their A level, and– 90% of the maximum UMS marks at A2

For all A levels

Calculated grade, not judgemental

Even with 100% at AS, a candidate will still need 90% at A2 to achieve an A*

A* examples (4 unit specifications)

Points to note: High UMS scores at AS will not necessarily mean a candidate achieves an A*

grade - candidates will still need 90% at A2 to achieve an A* Some students with grade A will have higher total UMS marks than those who

have achieved an A* if they scored high marks on their AS units

Candidate AS Unit 1

AS Unit 2 A2 Unit 3 A2 Unit 4 Total UMS

A2 UMS Grade

1 90 90 95 92 367 187 A*

2 90 95 92 85 362 177 A

3 90 85 95 92 362 187 A*

4 100 100 95 83 378 178 A

A* examples (6 unit specifications)

Candidate AS Unit 1

AS Unit 2

AS Unit 3

A2 Unit 4

A2 Unit 5

A2 Unit 6

Total UMS

A2 UMS

Grade

1 100 100 100 92 87 82 561 261 A

2 85 85 80 94 91 90 525 275 A*

A* results in summer 2010

Points to consider:

No previous results to compare with

Variations between subjects likely (as at A and E)

Consistency between awarding bodies

Indicators for all subjects, nationally and by awarding body

Indicators for A* grade

Based on same methodology as for A and E

For 2010, based on 2009 data if there had been an A* grade

Next steps, before summer results

Regular meetings with awarding body colleagues

Monitoring awarding body meetings

Review of data from award– After each award– Compare with statistical indicators– Compare across awarding bodies

Meet with awarding bodies once all awards completed

Further work, after summer results

Continue scrutiny monitoring work

Review and report on summer 2010 awards

Continue meetings with awarding bodies

Listen to feedback from stakeholders

Report on first A level scrutiny monitoring in March 2011

In conclusion

Guiding principles this summer

Fairness to all candidates

Consistency across all awarding bodies

Transparency

Isabel Nisbet

Chief Executive

Panel Discussion

Panel Chair: Isabel Nisbet

Kathleen Tattersall, Chair and Chief Regulator

Dennis Opposs, Director of Standards

Cath Jadhav, Head of Qualification Standards

Further information (1)

CCEA www.ccea.org.uk

DCELLS www.wales.gov.uk

Ofqual www.ofqual.gov.uk

Ofqual open letters:

Maintaining standards in new A levels - http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/127/209

New A* grade –

http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/127/217



Further information (2)

Information about UMS

AQA http://web.aqa.org.uk/over/stat_ums.php

CCEA www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/regulation/ accreditation_and_monitoring/ums.asp

Edexcel www.edexcel.com/iwantto/I%20want%20to% 20%20Tasks/UMS-Awarding-Modular-GCE- Qualifications-update-Mar-10.doc

OCR www.ocr.org.uk/learners/ums/

WJEC www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/9462.doc

A level briefing presentation, 18 May 2010

Education

Transcript of A level briefing presentation, 18 May 2010