CCEA has announced info on this year’s standardisation process, which involved three statistical models; one for each qualification.
The public education body’s chief executive, Justin Edwards said: “The data supplied by the schools and colleges in June was based on a wide range of evidence including coursework, mock exams, homework and other previous student achievements.
“Once submitted to CCEA it then became our job to standardise that data by using a range of additional evidence such as student prior attainment. In line with every year, standardisation is an essential part of the qualifications process to ensure that every student is treated fairly and that standards are aligned across schools and colleges. The aim is to reflect performances seen in a normal exam series.”
In March 2020, NI’s Minister of Education, Peter Weir announced the cancellation of the summer 2020 examination series as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. CCEA was instructed to implement an alternative awarding process which would involve teacher professional judgement and statistical standardisation models.
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CCEA’s Justin Edwards added that “fairness, maintaining standards and enabling students to progress to further study or employment -have all been key drivers in our work to deliver grades for this summer’s qualifications.”
The models were developed in co-operation with data scientists, academics and assessment specialists, and CCEA said that it was also important that the process aligned with similar processes in England and Wales to ensure consistency of standards.
In a short animation video, CCEA said: "For each level we assigned grades to individual students using the original rank order their school or colleges awarded. After standardisation we carried out a review process. These included subject specialists reviewing every school and college outcome and checking individual grades where the centre assessment grades varied by two or more grades from the grades predicted.
"Our qualification regulator, CEA Regulation also carried out checks and if they believed grades awarded were not a fair representation of the cohort in each subject, they would not approve them and would ask us to revisit the work we’ve done.”
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CCEA added that it is confident in the approach it has taken, and believes the process is “robust and transparent” and is the “best solution under exceptional circumstances.”
Mr Edwards continued: “Every stage has been checked and rechecked. Expert statisticians and education professionals have advised or reviewed and tested every aspect of the process.
“This summer’s grades will have the same value and recognition as those issued previously and in the future thus enabling every student to compete on a level playing field whatever they choose to do next.”
To view the animation, which provides an overview of the Standardisation Process for Summer 2020 Qualifications Grades, visit www.ccea.org.uk/summer-awarding
