Junior Cert Results

kronsich

Hey

What did you make of the results today? Ours seemed surprisingly good, especially in my subject (science). I couldn't see any difference in the standard between our kids this year and last. However, we had only eight A grades last year and twenty seven this year. No fails. Kids that failed mocks and should have done OL ended up with Bs in the JC!

I was at the correcting conference last year and there was uproar over the paper. Did they inflate the grades this year?

RealJohn

We're not supposed to discuss that, remember?

2011abc

Kronsich PM sent

Inspector Coptoor

Reasonably happy with results.

The A national average was 11%, was 25% in my class.
No fails and all but 1 scored A-C.

No major surprises but the "naked" Bs are annoying for The kids who you just know are on the A/B borderline

kronsich

Well last year we had over 70% getting a B grade. This year, those at B standard seem to have been given the A.

Does someone just make the call at the correcting conference?

kronsich

Don't get me wrong, it was like Christmas Day in work today! Kids and teachers were delighted. Just have some great kids in third year now who deserve a fair chance of getting an A grade in the summer and I don't want some correction curve spoiling their chances.

Inspector Coptoor

The curve grates on my nerves.
I wish they'd do away with it and mark it straight.

vamos!

Don't teach science but my results (German and French) were very good and almost exactly as I predicted. I feel that one student who got a B will be disappointed but 3 got As who I would have tipped for Bs so it all works out. The borderline B/A grade is tough but students need to know that they are not assured an A grade at Leaving Cert level.. I really dislike the talk here about people being brought up. We all know the curve is there but commenting on the marking conference on a public forum that can be read by parents and students is unwise. Grades are generally well-deserved and can be appealed if they are way off teacher and student expectations.

spurious

There seems to be widespread misunderstanding what the purpose of the bell curve adjustments are. Mostly among students, but it seems here too.

It is very difficult to set any exam year after year that is exactly the same difficulty as ones that have gone before. Allowing for that is the purpose of the curve, not to do anyone out of grades, or inflate them for that matter.

If the top x% for the past few years have been awarded an A and you are in the top x%, you will get your A, even if the exam that year was much more difficult than the previous years and your actual marks have you at a B. Similarly if 70% of candidates score an A grade on a very easy paper, then all but the x% will be brought down to lower grades.

Raspberry Fileds

spurious wrote: »

There seems to be widespread misunderstanding what the purpose of the bell curve adjustments are. Mostly among students, but it seems here too.

It is very difficult to set any exam year after year that is exactly the same difficulty as ones that have gone before. Allowing for that is the purpose of the curve, not to do anyone out of grades, or inflate them for that matter.

If the top x% for the past few years have been awarded an A and you are in the top x%, you will get your A, even if the exam that year was much more difficult than the previous years and your actual marks have you at a B. Similarly if 70% of candidates score an A grade on a very easy paper, then all but the x% will be brought down to lower grades.

Just to emphasise, the challenge is to set a paper that differentiates students across all grades.

It is also a way of controlling grade-inflation (something that was endemic in GCSEs until this year).

That said, I'm sure most teachers would agree that the MS adjustments can sometimes be dubious.