QCA and Marking

[John Simkin]

Article in today's Guardian is worth reading:

The government's exams watchdog yesterday admitted that a vital checking procedure during the marking of this year's English tests for 14-year-olds was side-stepped in a bid to hit a deadline.

The admission by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority came as a headteachers' union highlighted widespread reports of erratic marking, and 170 schools where about 10,000 pupils sat the tests failed to receive their marks by last week's end-of-term deadline.

A spokesperson for the QCA said: "It is the case that, in getting the results back to schools, some schools didn't have their marks double-checked. That will happen over the summer and they will get a revised mark."

The QCA could not confirm how many schools had been affected, but every secondary school in England has now received a letter explaining the situation.

Headteachers' leaders said that problems were more widespread, and warned that confidence in the system was being seriously compromised.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/sats/story...1268172,00.html