U GRADED STUDENTS
28. Some colleges found that students who were
performing exceedingly well in terms of their examination results
got an unclassified mark for their coursework. Dr McLone said
"There are very few of those. I know there has been a lot
in the press about it, but we did an analysis for QCA, in their
inquiry, and, as you will have seen in that report, there are
actually very few who actually got a U in coursework; and, in
fact, in English, which was the subject which was most under review,
nobody got a U in coursework who got As in the examination, when
you actually analysed the results. So I do not think that there
is actually an issue which goes along with what we are talking
about."[34]
29. The QCA's review of Curriculum 2000, which
was undertaken marginally before the Tomlinson inquiry, had looked
at the reports about students who showed extreme A2 unit profiles:
for example, two grade As and a grade U. OCR had 979 students
with an AAU profile. This was 0.5 % of OCR's total entry. Most
of these candidates were spread across a range of schools and
colleges. In very few schools and colleges were there more than
one of these students. AQA had 769 students with an AAU profile.
This was 0.3 % of AQA's total entry. The QCA concluded that we
should expect a very small percentage of extreme unit profiles
and that uneven or extreme unit profiles did not imply grading
or marking error. Uneven or extreme unit profiles could be expected
because different units commonly assess different aspects of the
subject and some students under or overperform from
unit to unit.[35]
Success in 2002
30. During September and October 2002 there
was great concern that many A level students had been affected
by confusion in the grading process of the new examinations. There
was also concern that the increasing number of students passing
the A2 examinations demonstrated that A levels were getting easier.
However the evidence that was presented to us largely agreed with
the findings of the Tomlinson inquiry. The vast majority of students
who took A2 examinations this year were unaffected by the grading
issues and they can be proud of their achievements. Nothing in
the evidence submitted to the Committee has led us to believe
that it was a lessening of the standards that gave rise to improved
pass rates.
31. Dr McLone reminded us that "a lot of
the students out there have done very well, a lot of the colleges
worked very hard". Curriculum 2000 required a great commitment
from staff in schools and colleges to ensure its effective implementation.
Dr McClone said "there is a good deal of evidence... that
those organisations that spent time with their students, worked
out how they were going to do it over the two years... have actually
done very well".[36]
32. Mr Tomlinson praised the commitment of FE
colleges in adopting the new curriculum, saying that "they
spent an enormous amount of time and effort getting ready for
Curriculum 2000 and ensuring adequate training of staff".
He recognised that schools had different pressures placed on their
resources and therefore he wanted to refrain from being critical.
"There is some evidence that some schools did not participate
in the training for Curriculum 2000".[37]
26 Minister Stephen Twigg - DfES Press Notice 2002/0164. Back
27
Statement by the Rt Hon Estelle Morris - 19 September 2002. Back
28
Evidence the Committee received regarding the public dispute is
detailed in Qq. 327-405, 428-429. Back
29
A Level Standards - interim report, Mike Tomlinson. Back
30
DfES: Tomlinson Report on Outcomes of Review of Alevel Grading
- 14 October 2002. Back
31
Ibid. Back
32
The debate the Committee had with Mr Porkess may be found under:
Qq.408-439. Back
33
Q.484 Back
34
Q.173 Back
35
QCA's Review of A level awarding in 2002, Section: Unit Profiles. Back
36
Q.172 Back
37
Q.494 Back
