Anyone work for the SQA? Exams and COVID-19

[BeanieBabe]

Does anyone have any insider information from the SQA regarding plans for this year's exams? Nobody seems to have heard anything but surely they're having discussions. Rumour in our school is that they will use prelim results - this would be great in our house but I know many others who wouldn't be happy. Obviously music, drama etc are filming their practicals and subjects with small numbers could easily have the pupils at desks spaced very far apart in the halls. But this would be impossible for other subjects

Thoughts??

Going back a looooong time , I got 34% for my Physics Higher prelim and an A for my actual Higher.

De ja vu for me. I sat my Highers the year the teachers were on strike in selected schools for 6 months plus. Mine was one of the affected schools and there were no on-line resources, distance learning or coursework assessments. We did the exams the same as everyone else and the Appeals process was applied.

Seems much fairer to have everyone in the same boat this time although I would anticipate there will need to be a robust moderation process.

DS problem is nat 5 English prelim .

He did well in RUAE and his Scottish text but really badly in his critical essay ( because he did no work it). Since then he’s done two other essays at home and submitted them to the school. I think they are much better but what do I know - I’m not a teacher !

His teacher is off ( I’m guessing he’s in a vulnerable group ) so they’ve not been marked. And obviously they’ve not had time because they are madly trying to get the portfolios done.

@Prettybird - I’m the same age as you and I’m well impressed you can remember your marks.

( I’m very long term Mner name changing , not a crazy stalker BTW)

That one was easy to remember as it was such an outlier - I remember going and seeing our headmaster in a panic at the thought of failing my Higher. Iirc, I was in the 2nd set (as that had been the one with space in it when I came back from NZ) and our teacher was crap not very good - but after me going to see the headmaster, she pulled her socks up

My overall results are easy to remember

Oh @Lidlfix sending you a virtual hug you and your teaching colleagues do a truly amazing job. Not only are you educating our young people but supporting them through this horrendous time, as a parent I am forever grateful.
I am dreading next week at work as I come into contact with wee toddlers whilst working in the community and they often want to sit on my knee or hug me bye bye but that will be out the window. It breaks my heart but we all have to do the right thing. Regardless of our personal politics we must pull together the politicians have an unenviable task as indeed do we. 💐 for you Lidl.

Sorry posted above in the wrong thread, apologies.

Thanks. Kind words help a lot. I need to get the bell over. Go home and embark on helping DDs put themselves back together

SQA have put out another update.

Looks like they will be marking NAT5 coursework for some subjects and not others, but the course work can be used in teacher grade estimates. Think the courseworks that will be marked will be those that have already been uplifted. Those due for uplift in April/May wont.

Does anyone know which subjects coursework would be marked for?

Higher and Advance Higher coursework will not be marked, but can be used as evidence in teacher grade estimates.

Omg

Only subjects where the uplifts have already taken place. Hence N5 only and not all N5 subjects. Will need to stay offline as my Higher class will be beside themselves just like my DDs. But I thought this would happen .

Not going to tell my dd this she has just finished and about to submit her AH physics project which she has spent ages on. Your poor pupils and Dds @Lidlfix I feel for them and you.

Oh FFS! So my DS bust a gut getting his N5 Art Portfolios in by last Friday which was the school deadline and coincidentally the last day of schools being open and because they’re probably not due to be uplifted till April they’re just going to sit there and not be marked by SQA? And what about the Chemistry, Physics, French, English, Music and English assignments he did? The Music composition deadline again was last Monday in school - it’s all digital, surely that can get marked remotely by someone? I don’t want to bother my Headteacher by asking which of the coursework he’s done has actually been sent/uplifted by SQA but I would so love to know. And I know it’s even tougher for the kids doing Highers and Advanced Highers. Bloody hell. I suppose the teachers can use all the coursework to estimate the grades. Sorry to rant - I know there’s more important things but I was consoling myself that at least some external assessment would be done to make the grades that they get slightly more meaningful.

Google SQA uplift dates and you'll find the documents. N5 kids will proceed to the Highers of their choice- some schools stopped doing N5 in favour of a 2 year higher (eek wonder how they're navigating this) only problem is many kids chance option on strength in N5 results.
I keep repeating these year groups cannot lose out because of this. Which is why doing estimates is a burden I wouldn't wish on anyone

I dont think anyone here would envy a teachers job right now. We are all, at least semi, aware of what you are going through with estimating grades, gathering evidence, continued care of pupils in and out of school and continuing you own classes education. All while putting your own and your families health at higher risk.

Words are not enough to express the gratitude. Any questions are just because we are interested (and a bit worried) and your inputs to the threads are always appreciated.

Thanks . Your awareness and appreciation helps. If I can help I will try if you need any Higher stuff let me know. Not tonight following that bombshell we are having Lidlfam skint Tuesdays

@Lidlfix pour yourself a large one tonight you and every teacher I know deserves one

Lidl raising a glass to you and your hardworking dedicated colleagues

🍷🥂🍸🍹

www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93777.html

Nat5 coursework won't be used and won't be returned too schools. All that work for nothing ☹️

🤭

So does that mean the marks are given entirely by the schools? SQA will not mark anything ?

So basically the SQA will be dropping individual pupils down a grade if they feel that a school's predicted results would be higher than its performance in previous years. I don't know how this can be fair when the SQA knows nothing about the individual pupils!

It seems like a great way of making sure that private school pupils get awarded their 'generous' predicted grades while state school students will get marked down.

We don't know yet. Further instructions are to follow it makes an unpleasant task decidedly unpalatable

@I0NA

The gist of it seems to be that teachers will give predicted grades. However, the SQA will drop borderline pupils down a grade if they feel that a school's predictions are out of line with its performance in previous years.

Such a hard thing to ask teachers to do. Estimate 10 (for example) pupils to get an A. Then rank those 10 from 1-10, knowing 9-10th place could possibly be dropped to a B. How on earth do you choose between who is 8th and who is 9th and more at risk of dropping a grade ☹️

Then do the same again for grade B.

AND find evidence to back it up when you don't even have the assignments they all worked so hard on.