Dear Parents/Guardians,
Please see below a message from the Department of Education and Skills (Calculated Grades Executive Office) with information regarding the methods adopted as a result Covid-19;
Dear Principal,
The system of Calculated Grades has been adopted this year as a direct result of Covid-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. It was recognised that a system was required to allow young people to move on with their lives and to progress to work or further or higher education.
A Calculated Grade is a grade that has been provided to students following the combination of information provided by your school about your students’ expected performance in an examination, data relating to the Junior Cycle performance, at an aggregate level, of the Leaving Certificate class of 2020, and national data available in relation to the performance of students in examinations over a period of time.
The system of Calculated Grades had at its heart at all times concern for the students of the Leaving Certificate class of 2020 who completed their second level education under the most unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Through the Calculated Grades process every effort has been made to ensure that the grades students have received are fair and comparable representations of their levels of achievement.
Your school has provided, for each student, for each of their subjects, an estimated mark and a rank order of the student’s place in the class group. Schools will have taken different approaches to providing estimated marks. A process of national standardisation was then applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. . This standardising process happens every year through the examinations marking process and would have happened in 2020 had the Leaving Certificate examinations been run as normal.
The national standardisation process has led to some school estimates staying the same; some being increased and some being reduced. The overall data on school estimated marks showed that there was a very significant rise in estimated grades against what would normally be achieved nationally. This level of grade increase based on the school estimates alone would have been unrealistic. For example, based on the school data alone, there would have been 13.8% H1 grades this year, while in a normal year the figure is 5.8%. Even after the standardisation process the rate of H1s this year is over 9%.
Overall, the results of the 2020 Leaving Certificate are considered to be ahead of the results that would have been achieved had the examinations taken place.
Every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students a possible. The statistical model used was blind to demographic characteristics, either at the level of the student or the school. The standardisation process means that the same standard has been applied uniformly across all schools. This means that anyone using the 2020 Leaving Certificate to make a judgement between two people who hold this certificate, either now or in the future, can place equal value on the same grade in the same subject, without regard to where they went to school.
We appreciate that individual students may be disappointed with their results in certain subjects and that some schools may also be disappointed with their results. This is also the case every year when the Leaving Certificate results are published. It should be noted by schools that there is no facility for a school or class appeal. Appeals will only be accepted from individual students . As you know students may not appeal against the professional judgement of the school about their expected level of performance. It should further be noted that the design of the statistical model and the application of the national standardisation process is also outside of the scope of the appeals process. Results can be changed upwards or downwards on appeal. Some information for students about the appeal process is set out below.
Accessing the Appeals Process
The Calculated Grades student portal will reopen on Monday 14th September at 9.00 am. Students can then access the estimated percentage mark provided on their behalf by your school as well as their final calculated mark. Students will not have access to the subject rank orders at this time.
Students will also have access to an appeals process. This will involve a technical appeal undertaken by administrative staff focused on looking for errors in the transmission of the data through the process. An example of this would be checking whether a mistake has been made in entering the information to any of the systems used in the process. Some other features of the appeal process which should be noted:
* Appeals will be accepted from individual students only.
* Students may not appeal against the professional judgement of the school in providing the estimated percentage marks and class ranking.
* The design of the statistical model and the application of the national standardisation process is outside of the scope of the appeals process.
* There is no appeal fee.
* Results can be changed upwards or downwards on appeal.
* Students have until 5pm on 16 September to submit an appeal.
* Every effort will be made to process appeals as quickly as possible but we are unable at this time to commit to a date for the issue of the appeal results. Students will be notified of this date as soon as possible.
The appeals process will have three stages as follows:
Stage1: Checks will be undertaken on the forms completed by the school and that the information was transferred correctly from the forms to the data collection system
Stage 2: There will be a review to ensure that the data was correctly received and processed through systems used in the national standardisation process.
Data checks will include a check to ensure that the rank order of the class group for the subject and level taken has been preserved in the standardisation process and that students placed on the same school-estimated mark in the same subject and at the same level taken by the school are conferred with the same calculated mark by the Department.
Stage 3: Students dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeals process can seek further review by Independent Appeal Scrutineers. The Independent Appeals Scrutineers will check to ensure the correct procedures were followed throughout the appeals process.
Stages 1 and 2 will be undertaken on foot of the initial application by the student. Stage 3 will be a separate process which can be invoked by any student dissatisfied by the outcome of stages 1 and 2.
The appeal application can be accessed here.
Students who consider that their case has not been processed correctly can make a complaint to the Ombudsman or, in the case of students under 18 years of age, the Ombudsman for Children.
If, following the appeals process, students remain dissatisfied with the outcome, they will be able to sit the 2020 written Leaving Certificate exams. Subject to health advice, these will begin on 16th November. Further details about these exams will be provided by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) at a later stage. Students who decide to sit the exams will be credited with the higher subject grade achieved between the Calculated Grade and the written exam.
As well as any supports your school may be able to provide to students, a range of other supports is available to students and more information can be found about these on www.gov.ie.
I hope that this email has been of assistance.
Paddy Quinn
Assistant Principal Officer
Calculated Grades Executive Office (CGEO)
Department of Education
A Phríomhoide, a chara
Glacadh le córas na nGrád Ríofa i mbliana go díreach de bharr Covid-19, mar nach bhféadfadh an stát Gnáth-Scrúduithe na hArdteistiméireachta a reáchtáil. Aithníodh go raibh gá le córas a cheadódh do dhaoine óga bogadh ar aghaidh lena saol agus dul ar aghaidh chuig saol na hoibre nó chuig an mbreisoideachas nó chuig an ardoideachas.
Is éard is Grád Ríofa ann ná grád a cuireadh ar fáil do scoláirí ag eascairt as cumasc den eolas a chuir do scoilse ar fáil maidir le feidhmíocht ionchasach do chuid scoláirí i scrúdú, de shonraí a bhain le feidhmíocht rang na hArdteistiméireachta 2020 sa tSraith Shóisearach ar leibhéal comhiomlán, agus de shonraí náisiúnta a bhí ar fáil i dtaca le feidhmíocht scoláirí i scrúduithe thar thréimhse ama.
Bhí cúram na scoláirí i rang na hArdteistiméireachta 2020, ar scoláirí iad a chríochnaigh a gcuid oideachais dara leibhéal i gcúinsí a bhí thar a bheith deacair agus nach bhfacthas roimhe seo, ag croílár chóras na nGrád Ríofa. Rinneadh gach iarracht, trí phróiseas na nGrád Ríofa, a chinntiú gur léirithe atá cóir agus inchomparáide ar a leibhéil ghnóthachtála iad na gráid a fuair scoláirí.
Chuir do scoilse marc measta agus rang-ord maidir le háit an scoláire sa rang ar fáil do gach scoláire, i gcás gach ábhair a bhí á dhéanamh ag an scoláire. Ní hionann an cur chuige a bhí ag gach scoil i leith marcanna measta a sholáthar. Cuireadh próiseas caighdeánaithe náisiúnta i bhfeidhm ansin ar eolas na scoile lena chinntiú go mbeadh na caighdeáin a chur scoileanna aonair i bhfeidhm inchomparáide leis an gcaighdeán náisiúnta. . Tarlaíonn an próiseas caighdeánaithe sin gach bliain trí phróiseas marcála na scrúduithe agus tharlódh sé freisin in 2020 dá mba rud é gur reáchtáladh scrúduithe na hArdteistiméireachta ar an ngnáthbhealach.
Mar thoradh ar an bpróiseas caighdeánaithe náisiúnta, níor tháinig aon athrú ar chuid de na meastacháin scoile, ardaíodh cuid acu agus íslíodh cuid eile. Thaispeáin na sonraí foriomlána maidir leis na marcanna scoilmheasta gur tháinig ardú suntasach ar ghráid mheasta i gcomparáid leis na gráid a bhainfí amach go náisiúnta go hiondúil. Ní bheadh leibhéal an ardaithe ar ghráid a bhí bunaithe ar mheastacháin scoile réadúil. Mar shampla, bunaithe ar shonraí scoileanna amháin, bheadh gráid H1 á bhfáil ag 13.8% de na scoláirí i mbliana, cé gurb é 5.8% an céatadán a mbeadh an grád sin á fháil acu i ngnáthbhliain. Fiú i ndiaidh an phróisis caighdeánaithe tá an ráta H1anna i mbliana os cionn 9%.
Ar an iomlán, meastar go bhfuil na torthaí a baineadh amach in Ardteistiméireacht 2020 chun cinn ar na torthaí a bhainfí amach dá ndéanfaí na scrúduithe.
Rinneadh gach iarracht chun go mbeadh an córas chomh cóir agus ab fhéidir don oiread scoláirí agus ab fhéidir. Bhí an tsamhail staitistiúil a úsáideadh dall ar thréithe déimeagrafacha, ar leibhéal an scoláire nó ar leibhéal na scoile. Ciallaíonn an próiseas caighdeánaithe gur cuireadh an caighdeán céanna i bhfeidhm go haonfhoirmeach ar fud na scoileanna go léir. Ciallaíonn sé sin go bhféadfaidh duine ar bith a mbeidh úsáid á baint aige nó aici as Ardteistiméireacht 2020 ar mhaithe le breithiúnas a dhéanamh idir beirt a bhfuil an teastas sin acu, anois nó amach anseo, an luach céanna a chur ar an ngrád céanna san ábhar céanna, beag beann ar an scoil ar fhreastail siad uirthi.
Aithnímid go mbeidh díomá ar scoláirí aonair lena gcuid torthaí in ábhair áirithe agus go bhféadfadh sé go mbeadh díomá ar roinnt scoileanna freisin lena gcuid torthaí. Is amhlaidh a bhíonn gach bliain nuair a fhoilsítear torthaí na hArdteistiméireachta. Ba cheart go dtabharfadh scoileanna faoi deara nach bhfuil aon áis ann chun achomharc scoile nó ranga a dhéanamh. Is ó scoláirí aonair, agus uathu siúd amháin, a ghlacfar le hachomhairc. Faoi mar is eol duit, ní fhéadfaidh scoláirí achomharc a dhéanamh i gcoinne bhreithiúnas gairmiúil na scoile maidir lena bhfeidhmíocht ionchasach. Ba cheart a tabhairt faoi deara freisin go bhfuil dearadh na samhla staitistiúla agus feidhmiú an phróisis caighdeánaithe náisiúnta taobh amuigh de raon feidhme an phróisis achomharc. Féadfar torthaí a bhogadh suas nó síos mar thoradh ar an achomharc. Tá roinnt eolais do scoláirí maidir leis an bpróiseas achomhairc tugtha thíos.
Rochtain a fháil ar an bPróiseas Achomharc
Athosclófar tairseach na nGrád Ríofa do Scoláirí ar an Luan an 14 Meán Fómhair ar a 9.00 am. Ansin, féadfaidh scoláirí rochtain a fháil ar an marc céatadáin measta a chuir do scoilse ar fáil ar a son chomh maith lena marc ríofa deiridh. Ní bheidh rochtain ag scoláirí ar an rang-ord ag an am seo.
Beidh rochtain ag scoláirí ar phróiseas achomharc freisin. Is achomharc teicniúil, a dtabharfaidh an fhoireann riaracháin faoi, a bheidh i gceist anseo agus beidh sé dírithe ar earráidí i dtarchur na sonraí tríd an gcóras a aimsiú. Sampla de sin is ea seiceáil a dhéanamh an ndearnadh earráid agus an t-eolas á chur isteach ar aon cheann de na córais a úsáideadh sa phróiseas. Roinnt gnéithe eile den phróiseas achomhairc ar cheart iad a thabhairt faoi deara:
* Is ó scoláirí aonair, agus uathu siúd amháin, a ghlacfar le hachomhairc.
* Ní fhéadfaidh scoláirí achomharc a dhéanamh i gcoinne bhreithiúnas gairmiúil na scoile agus marcanna céatadáin measta agus rang-ord á gcur ar fáil aici.
* Tá dearadh na samhla staitistiúla agus feidhmiú an phróisis caighdeánaithe náisiúnta taobh amuigh de raon feidhme an phróisis achomharc.
* Ní ghearrfar aon táille ar an achomharc.
* Féadfar torthaí a bhogadh suas nó síos mar thoradh ar an achomharc.
* Beidh go dtí 5.pm ar an 16 Meán Fómhair ag scoláirí chun achomharc a chur isteach.
* Déanfar gach iarracht achomhairc a phróiseáil chomh tapa agus is féidir ach ag an am seo nílimid ábalta dáta beacht a thabhairt maidir le heisiúint thorthaí na n-achomharc. Cuirfear an dáta sin in iúl do scoláirí a luaithe agus is féidir.
Beidh trí chéim i gceist sa phróiseas achomharc mar seo a leanas:
Céim 1: Déanfar seiceálacha ar na foirmeacha a chomhlánaigh an scoil agus cinnteofar gur aistríodh an t-eolas sa tslí cheart ó na foirmeacha chuig an córas bailithe sonraí. Céim 2: Déanfar athbhreithniú lena chinntiú gur glacadh leis na sonraí agus gur próiseáladh mar ba cheart iad trí na córais a úsáideadh sa phróiseas caighdeánaithe náisiúnta.
San áireamh sna seiceálacha ar shonraí, beidh seiceáil lena chinntiú gur coinníodh rang-ord an rang-ghrúpa don ábhar agus don leibhéal a glacadh sa phróiseas caighdeánaithe agus gur bhronn an Roinn an marc ríofa céanna ar scoláirí leis an marc scoilmheasta céanna san ábhar céanna.
Céim 3: Féadfaidh scoláirí atá míshásta le toradh an phróisis achomhairc athbhreithniú breise a lorg ó Scrúdanóirí Neamhspleácha Achomhairc. Déanfaidh na Scrúdanóirí Neamhspleácha Achomhairc seiceáil lena chinntiú gur leanadh na nósanna imeachta cearta le linn an phróisis achomharc.
Cuirfear Céim 1 agus Céim 2 i gcrích de bhun an iarratais tosaigh a rinne an scoláire. Próiseas ar leith a bheidh i gceist le Céim 3 agus féadfaidh scoláire ar bith atá míshásta le toradh Chéim 1 agus Chéim 2 í a ghairm.
Is féidir rochtain a fháil ar an iarratas ar achomharc anseo.
Féadfaidh scoláirí a mheasann nach ndearnadh a gcás a phróiseáil i gceart gearán a dhéanamh leis an Ombudsman nó, i gcás scoláirí atá faoi bhun 18 mbliana d’aois, leis an Ombudsman do Leanaí.
Má tá scoláirí míshásta go fóill leis an toradh i ndiaidh an phróisis achomharc, féadfaidh siad scrúduithe scríofa na hArdteistiméireachta in 2020 a dhéanamh. Faoi réir treoir sláinte, cuirfear tús leo siúd ar an 16 Samhain. Cuirfidh Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit (CSS) tuilleadh sonraí faoi na scrúduithe sin ar fáil amach anseo. Má chinneann scoláirí na scrúduithe a dhéanamh, gheobhaidh siad creidiúint don ghrád is airde a baineadh amach san ábhar idir an Grád Ríofa agus an scrúdú scríofa.
Chomh maith le tacaíochtaí ar bith a fhéadfaidh do scoilse a chur ar fáil do scoláirí, tá réimse de thacaíochtaí eile ar fáil do scoláirí agus tá tuilleadh eolais fúthu ar www.gov.ie.
Tá súil agam go raibh an ríomhphost seo mar chabhair duit.
Paddy Quinn
Príomhoifigeach Cúnta
Oifig Fheidhmiúcháin na nGrád Ríofa (OFGR)
An Roinn Oideachais