Y6 SPAG test published online

[Arkwright]

Another blunder by the government. The test was published online in error by the test company Pearson. It was published onto the marking website early.

[Katz]

I don't think it possible, to stop some people seeing the paper however this is minimised. Releasing the paper the day before to all markers should not happen.

[Katz]

According to the BBC report 102 markers viewed the paper.

[Pancakeflipper]

Of course people see the exam papers but they have to adhere to strict guidelines.
Not as easy as sticking papers into a safe these days with the internet and social media.

[Hulababy]

The mark schemes should not be published prior to the tests being live - i.e. already sat/currently being sat. That is the way most exam boards work iirr.
However they were published early - which the Government have already labelled a major breach and are having to lay on an investigation into it. Even the Government aren't saying its okay so I am not sure why some people think it is fine and not an issue.
If over 100 markers have accessed the mark scheme early then over 100 markers have also seen the questions - most of these mark schemes have the questions included or a very obvious idea as to what the questions were.
These markers will include y6 teachers, parents, relatives, friends of people who have y6 children, etc. There is no way of knowing how many may have passed the information on, or how far it was leaked. Even if only 1 person passed the information onto 1 child - its a breach.

Therefore, this is a serious breach. This, therefore, means that the results from this years SPaG paper is now unreliable data.

[Hulababy]

Pancake - but they shouldn't be opening those schemes until a given time. Very few people, relatively, get to see mark schemes in advance and there are very strict guidelines over when and how they see them. Obviously these guidelines have been breached this year with this paper. Even the Government have accepted this is the case.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

It isn't fine, and does need to be investigated. But I think banning Pearson from being responsible for any public examination on the back of this is probably an over reaction.

With the best will in the world, human error does occasionally happen.

[Pancakeflipper]

Answer papers are one part of it. Question papers are another.
Both are vulnerable to the authors/the printers/ logistics of transportation/ storage in warehouses and in schools and colleges.

I worked in a college one year and had access to the papers weeks prior to the exams to count them and ensure the right subjects were with the college. So many ways that papers could be in the wrong hands.

Answer papers shouldn't have been given out yet not until the markets have the papers which can't be until the 20th May when SATs sitting ends. That's a cock up.

I still think technology today makes it easier to leak.

[Katz]

From the BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36253697

Pearson apologised for this week's problem, which it said it was investigating.
In a statement the company said: "A small number of markers accessed the paper, although as contracted markers they are bound by confidentiality and have a duty not to share any papers.
"We do not have any evidence that the content of the paper has been compromised."
Pearson's chief executive John Fallon said the company believed 102 markers had seen the paper in the four hours it was available.
Mr Fallon told the BBC the information should have been uploaded to its secure website on Tuesday evening for markers to use, but was instead mistakenly uploaded on Monday evening.
"Unfortunately, in this case we have made a mistake which we are very sorry for," he said.

[Katz]

The paper was available for 4 hours and was presumably accessed by 102 markers - they can't possibly say now how far that might reach.

[TheFallenMadonna]

Markers shouldn't see the answers 'til the exams are sat. But... I understand KS2 SATs aren't even required to be taken all at the same time, so the level of security is necessarily lower than that for a GCSE or A level.

[mrz]

There is a set timetable when KS2 tests should be administered the only exception being children who are absent on the day who may take the test on their return provided they haven't had any access to children who've sat the test.

[Hulababy]

I understand KS2 SATs aren't even required to be taken all at the same time, so the level of security is necessarily lower than that for a GCSE or A level.

At KS1 they can do them at any time during May and not all children have to sit them at the same time, in one go. However, they papers and mark schemes must be kept secure and not accessible to children who haven't sat them yet.

At KS2 they must be sat on the scheduled days. If a child is absent they have a short period of time afterwards to sit them. Think this depends on if they have been in contact with any children who have sat them though.



May 2016

• Key stage 1 testing period.
  Monday 9 May 2016
  

• Key stage 2 English reading test, reading booklet and associated answer booklet.
  

Tuesday 10 May 2016
- Key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test, Paper 1, short answer questions.
- Key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test, Paper 2, spelling.

Wednesday 11 May 2016
- Key stage 2 mathematics, Paper 1 arithmetic test. K
- ey stage 2 mathematics, Paper 2 reasoning.

Thursday 12 May 2016
- Key stage 2 mathematics, Paper 3, reasoning.

Weeks commencing 6 June and 13 June
- Key stage 2 science sampling test period.

Week commencing 13 June
- Phonics screening check week.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I was thinking of the taking it later if absent, which wouldn't happen with a GCSE exam.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I think the increased security for GCSEs and Alevels is probably more to do with the difference in importance between SATs and other qualifications.

It might still be that they end up not using the SPAG results. I assume a decision can only be made on that once they have finished the investigation.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I'm sure it is the reason. However, I'm also assuming that SATs results are as important to a year 6 teacher's progression as GCSEs are to a secondary teacher, so a level playing field is desirable. I wouldn't have thought this breach would have massive implications for that? I suspect they'll be checking the results of the schools associated with the markers who viewed it early.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I think this has happened very quickly and with very short notice between discovering it and the children taking the test. Allowing the test to go ahead was probably the right decision and allows them to take a it of time to decide what they do next.

There are probably a number of options.

• scrapping the test marking totally
  
• giving an indicative mark, but ensuring that the results are considered 'unreliable' and shouldn't be used to make judgements. (probably helps that this is SPAG, not reading or maths)
  
• excluding the results of schools known to be linked to the markers that accessed the mark scheme.

[Feenie]

Very surprised that no one has yet mentioned Nick Gibbs's blunder in the apology speech he gave in the House of Commons today - the picture shows the printed version given beforehand to MPs.


TheDailyMailareabunchofcunts - 'fraid that wasn't an exclamation sentence, since it didn't begin with 'What' or a 'How'. We can blame that on Nick Gibbs too

[titchy]

Feenie

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

I hadn't seen it.

Further proof that the front bench are unable to do the 'basics'.

Sadly I doubt that was typed by him. He may want to check the literacy skills of his staff though.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Forget the spelling mistake a second. I've just noticed the start of the next paragraph.

'Teachers and schools should have confidence in both the content of the test and the processes underpinning the administration of the tests in school.'

Is he having a laugh? He is, I presume, aware of the sheer number of clarifications and corrections that have been made to the administration guidance over the last few months.

[Feenie]

I wouldn't let anything go out in my name unless I had checked it personally, and I would definitely not send out anything unchecked if I was a minister in the dfe who had been continually arsing uo, and was having to apologise in the House of Commons for said cock ups!

Michael Rosen has had a whale of a time with it all today, he's been v funny in a week that is not really very funny at all. My reading guidance on opening my Y2 papers advised me to.check my 6/7 year olds for phones before.they started! I may have snorted quite loudly, they gave me some funny looks.

[Hulababy]

I saw that earlier Feenie and then couldn't find the image again. The official press release seems to have now been corrected.

You would think that if they were sending out a release regarding a(noter) SPaG issue, they would double and triple check the wording, typos and spelling. They should know by now that any errors would be online within minutes. Or, are they now saying, that the odd error isn't that important so long as the overall message comes across???

[Feenie]

Sounds like 'best fit' to me

[Hulababy]

My reading guidance on opening my Y2 papers advised me to.check my 6/7 year olds for phones before.they started!

Ha! Ha! We said the same when we did paper 1 last week. The children probably thought me and the class teacher were losing it!