national 5s grading

[frasersmummy]

I am a bit confused as to how exactly the national 5s will be graded this year.

The sqa site talks about formal assessment towards the end of the year which seems like an exam just by another name.
But some teachers seem to be saying its constant assessment

Does anyone know for definite ?

Does anyone k

For my subject 2-4 pieces of evidence the emphasis on quality not quantity. In a normal year our course consists of 4 components so that is what we will gather evidence for. We expect that the evidence we use will be generated towards the end of the year and SQA have suggested this too. But we need to also have evidence of learner progression and how we have moderated. There's no way our estimates will just be accepted. We have no way of knowing whose evidence they will look at but they will want to look at not just the pieces we used for estimation but evidence from throughout the year to show how the learner developed and improved toward the final grade. Hope that makes sense.

It's funny but whilst evidence of learner progress is great to demonstrate the value of the teaching as well as the progress of the student, its not really what the exam system and grading is usually about is it?

I mean someone could arrive in the class at Nat 5 A grade level and produce work and complete the normal exam and get an A with very little effort or progression and then that's what grade they would have or should they be marked down for lack of progression? Someone else could arrive in the class at D grade level, work hard, have great teaching and in a normal year achieve a B, but because they've had so much progression do they mean they should get a A instead?

Surely demonstration of progression as good as that is, is irrelevant under our current system which measures achievement?

I agree with Wax, I don't understand this progression thing. Surely the grade a student gets for their Nat 5 should indicate whether/where the student sits against the Nat 5 level, not if they had a long way to go to get there?

Ultimately, surely the purpose of exams is to show colleges, universities but mainly employers the level that someone is capable of so that they are successful employees and in life? Don't get me wrong, knowing that someone is a hard worker is also invaluable, as is information about all sorts of attributes and skills.

This sort of smacks of assessment of teachers more than pupils or its about education service using different measures to show their own success to detract from the falling success in other world tables?

This isn't teacher bashing, I'm sure the vast majority are working hard to progress students within the constraints of the system.

Doesn't look like I was very clear, I wasn't long awake. The looking at progress is part of the verification- checking teachers and processes not pupils. The SQA way of ensuring standards are met and met uniformly.

Ahh that makes sense then Lidl :)

@Lidlfix so will the evidence you use be based on assessments towards the end of the year??

That's what SQA are recommending. Lots of Prelim type exams are being carried out just now (thankfully my dept aren't ) to prepare pupils for the experience and to begin the process of robust moderation. Some schools, some subjects are taking the view that lots of evidence gathered means that they can select the best and it means less of a one off high stakes assessment. Which is true. But the poor S4s are on their knees the wee spuds.

Thanks lidlfix that makes sense. And yes I agree my s4 is completely stressed.