Covid: 'Significant failure' over handling summer exam grades

Last summer's A level results prompted an outcry from students - leading to an independent review

There was a "significant failure" in the way exam bodies in Wales handled awarding student grades in 2020, a report says.

The independent review found there was "too much confidence" in statistical models, and the appeals process in place was inadequate.

Qualifications Wales (QW) said it had learnt many lessons and WJEC exam board will look "in detail" at the findings.

Teaching union UCAC described the report's findings as "scathing".

Its release comes after it was announced this week that teachers will make 2021 grade assessments

The review was ordered by the Welsh Government following the outcry over initial examination results awarded in August for A-level students.

The assessment approach resulted in a "significant breakdown" in trust, says the review

In the weeks after the coronavirus pandemic took hold, formal external exams in Wales were scrapped, with schools asked to provide grade assessments for sixth-form and GCSE pupils.

However, it later emerged 42% of the A-level grades were lower than those submitted by teachers.

In her foreword the report panel's chairwoman Louise Casella, said substantial numbers of young people across Wales "were left feeling bewildered and distressed as they received A level results that bore no relation to their expectation and their abilities".

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The result decision was reversed, and school's predicted grades reinstated, but not before "some learners lost their university place and some were not able to progress as planned in 2020", noted Ms Casella, who is also director of The Open University in Wales.

The review found that QW and the WJEC board would have known the "scale of the outliers" and had "an insight" into the likely number of appeals.

But the bodies failed to fully test "alternative routes or approaches" to the statistical models they used to standardise results.

The review added it was "surprising" QW did not explore additional safeguards, after having being previously warned about, and acknowledging that there were potential problems with the statistical process.

The report said it could not find evidence either WJEC or QW "acknowledged, accepted or anticipated the scale of the issues" nor the risk of unfairness to learners, and that it considered this a "significant failure".

The approach last summer had resulted in a "significant breakdown" in trust between the teaching profession and the regulator and examining body, added the report authors.

It said fairness must now be central to planning for 2021, avoiding automated algorithms to predict individual grades, and developing an appeals process.

Delivering the report, the review panel chair added: "There is now a real opportunity for the education sector of Wales to come together to develop and deliver a qualifications system that puts learners at its heart, not only for the cohort facing qualifications in 2021, but for the longer term."

QW said the review had "some useful findings and recommendations that we are already addressing".

Chair David Jones and Chief Executive Philip Baker said: "We would have welcomed greater engagement with the review panel so there was full consideration of all the issues."

Chief Executive of WJEC Ian Morgan, said he was "disappointed with some aspects of the report" but the exam board would "look in detail at the findings to identify areas where we need to take action to continuously improve as an organisation."

Education Minister Kirsty Williams has already said teachers will assess grades in 2021

Education Minister Kirsty Williams has welcomed the report and how it would help drive how students are graded by teachers and schools this summer.

"It is my sincere hope and expectation that our education system can continue to work together to support the progression of our learners in exam years, both through the delivery of these assessment arrangements and through a wider package of support," she said.

UCAC Deputy General Secretary Rebecca Williams, said the report supported its call for external moderation of grades, to improve fairness to students.

"There are longer-term recommendations, including the need to be more ambitious in terms of reform of qualifications and assessment in relation to the new curriculum, and we look forward to discussing these over the coming months," she said.