Exam data nerdery

[noblegiraffe]

I'm fairly sure that there are other nerds on this site so I thought I'd post some stuff I'd collected in case anyone else is interested. Also, if you see something in the data, maybe we could chat about it.

First offering is this widget from Ofqual. You can look at the grade distribution for various subjects, or you can see how grades in one subject affects grades in another subject (the link between maths grade and computer science grade is quite pronounced, for example).

https://analytics.ofqual.gov.uk/apps/GCSE/9to1/

What I noticed is that the grade distribution for English language is weird. And there are far fewer top grades awarded than for Maths. Why? (This is with the resit data stripped out). It's the same cohort that sits both so it's not about prior attainment.

In terms of reading, rather than have the fiction piece, they could get students to read texts and look for inconsistencies in order to discern between real and fake news and therefore become more savvy readers.

The cynics amongst us would suggest that the government would never approve that...

When am I ever going to use this in real life? Goes the eternal cry.

For kids, maths and English GCSE outcomes will be used to decide whether they have a basic level of intelligence in the future. Whether they are 'literate and numerate'. It's a proxy.

That the maths and English GCSEs teach them stuff other than literacy and numeracy and that they may never use those bits of knowledge in real life doesn't change that.

Then you have employers complaining that despite having maths and English GCSE, the kids are neither literate, nor numerate and cannot complete the tasks that they might expect.

Perhaps a separate exam is required - but they tried that! The pilot for the separate functional maths exam that children would need to pass in order to be awarded a grade C at GCSE was binned....because too many children failed.

Oh and don't get me started on the current speaking and listening set up. So much faff and nonsense with recording and mailing on a data stick (FFS!) and it doesn't even count for anything!!!

And when it DID count, we didn't have to record it. Thanks, OFQUAL.

Quite. Did have a moderator visit though and sit in on some tasks and our moderation process. Was actually a really helpful experience. Unlike what happens now.

It's just a bullshit waste of everyone's time now. I'm not afraid to say that I pay it lipservice

Yes what is the point of the language/presentation thing? (Apart from meaning you might not get the raw mark because of crap software!)

Speaking and listening has ALWAYS been part of the curriculum. It has to be taught and assessed in both key stages.

But there was a bit of a furore over the assessment when it was the days of controlled assessment, so - instead of requiring we record them, as we do now - it was removed from the "assessment". It was scrapped as counting part way through an academic year.

So now we have to do and record but it doesn't count.

@Piggywaspushed Crikey 2% get top grades in media GCSE! Is that similar at A level? i think my DD3 will take media as an A level (not offered as a GCSE) as she’s interested in marketing etc. She would definitely struggle with an English A level. I’m now concerned that media is a double edged sword in that she’s unlikely to get a high grade (same as in Eng Lit so fair enough) but would also be viewed as an easy subject and perhaps looked down upon, so there’s no real comparison. Am I making sense?

Sorry, the 2 percent was A level. I think grade 9s are rare at GCSE, but a bit less so!

If yiur DD usbright , committed and works hard she'll do well.

Ironically, in my school this year the largest proportion of top grades were in Lit and media!