Can any teacher explain to me why John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon keep on talking about 'teacher judgement' when it comes to this year's 'non-exam exams'?
From what I've been led to believe by our Headteacher, the grades that the teachers will give the pupils have to be completely 'evidence based'. Earlier in the year there was talk about basing the grade around 3-4 pieces of selected work (cue sweating over every piece of homework submitted during Lockdown 'just in case' the teacher would be using it as 'evidence') and now there's effectively an exam diet which will go forward as the 'evidence' of their final grade (rather like an actual exam funnily enough)
My child says he was told today by three different teachers that the 'Prelim-Style' assessments he's sitting all this week and some of next week will a) be used as evidence b) not be used as evidence because they'll be doing the 'real' non-exam exams a couple of weeks later and the grades will be based on these c) will be amalgamated with the 'real' non-exam exams and a grade reached by combining the efforts of the two. The teachers seem as baffled and stressed as the kids about it all.
And if they are now using the 'non-exam exams' to arrive at a grade - well that's not 'teacher judgement' - that's teacher's 'marking'. I'm assuming the 'judgement' that goes into the marking is just making sure you give a mark when a mark is due and you do this by referring to a marking guide? Or are there not any marking guides with these 'non-exam exams'.
I think JS and NS are being very disingenuous with the phrase 'teacher judgement'. They seem to imply that there is going to be some sort of judgement going on that is outwith the 'mark' they give for the work produced under these exam conditions. Are they shifting the goal posts? Or are they lying?
My child is doing their best but came back from school saying 'nobody knows what the f**k is going on' apart from the fact that we are going to be doing non-stop tests for the next month or so - with about a week of non-exam time when they will be expected to be in school to try and right all the wrongs that showed up in their 'prelim-style' tests.
Do any teachers on here expect to have to arrive at a Grade based on something more than what mark pupils achieve on the day of their 'final' assessments/tests/papers? I know subjects like Higher English and Higher Music have their Portfolio and Performance evidence already 'banked' but subjects like Maths, Physics, Chemistry, History etc. have no other course work to refer to.
I know I'm going over ground that's already been gone over on here but I can't get over just how crazily confusing things have become. I know it's difficult circumstances and all that but I'd hoped for a bit more...clarity by now?!?