[Nicky Pasternak]

31/08/2016 at 3:20 pm

In the NQ Computing Science Review Report published in May 2016, v1.0, it stated that there would be thresholds applied to the number of Assessment Standards required to achieve a Unit pass.

e.g.
N5 ISDD Unit Assessment – The threshold for this Unit will be 6 out of 9 Assessment Standards.

These are listed for all levels from N3 to Advanced Higher.

I am looking at the new revised Unit Assessment Packages issued August 2016 and can see no mention of this in the documents.

I take it that we are able to apply these thresholds to allow us to cut down on the amount of re-assessment that was having to take place?

I would have expected this to be made explicit in the revised Unit assessment Support packages.

[Enrico Vanni]

31/08/2016 at 3:31 pm

I thought it very telling too that there seems to be no mention of these threshholds in the revised N5 and H UASPs, and also that there have been no new N4 UASPs issued by the August deadline, despite the May report.

The problem with applying these threshholds is that theoretically a pupil could for example pass a SD+D unit without actually writing a program because there is no weighting to the outcomes, just any 6 from 9.

I wouldn’t be applying any threshholds until we have clear guidance on the matter as there are consequences that I hope ‘the powers that be’ are taking into consideration.

[Axel Ammann]

01/09/2016 at 2:32 pm

In the Understanding the next steps for session 2016–17 document (dated Aug 2016) it states “We will apply a threshold to the number of Assessment Standards that all candidates must meet to achieve each Unit.”

[Nicky Pasternak]

19/11/2016 at 12:31 pm

I am applying the thresholds this session. It certainly makes a difference in terms of workload for staff and pupils.

As you say, Axel, it has been confirmed by SQA that this is now an active policy.

[Axel Ammann]

21/09/2017 at 8:15 am

All documents concerning the thresholds seem to have disappeared from the SQA website.

Are we suppose to continue to apply them at N4 and Higher?
What about to pupils planning to work only on N5 units and N4 AVU?

[Enrico Vanni]

22/09/2017 at 8:53 am

Although I’ve never heard it officially confirmed (symptomatic of the still-not-fit-for-purpose process of SQA communication), word-of-mouth told me the thresholds have been withdrawn for N4, old N5 units and Higher.

 

It does of course make no objective sense as the workload issues of a teacher working with a class at N4 or Higher are not relieved by giving concessions to a different teacher working with a class at N5, but it appears that in a typical act of SQA ‘give with one hand while taking with the other’ they deemed that removing Unit Assessments from the new N5 courses (a process agreed by the ANQWG of which the SQA were only one minority voice in) was enough concession to reducing teacher and pupil workload in general, so in their opinion the theshholds for N4 and Higher were no longer required thus they exercised what power they had and pulled them.

[Gordon Milne]

22/09/2017 at 9:10 am

My understanding from SQA is that the thresholds are to be maintained. The site is being updated and thresholds written in to the unit assessment specs. This is due to be completed by end September.

[Enrico Vanni]

22/09/2017 at 9:20 am

@Gordon – I hope you are correct.  My conflicting information came from someone working at the SQA in the Technical subjects, but it makes my point about unfit-for-purpose communications valid.  N4 and Higher classes for 2017-18 are in full-swing and teachers and pupils needed this information weeks if not months ago.

 

No doubt if pressed, SQA representatives would make claims about short timescales and ‘other priorities’.  If the information cannot be published in an orderly and timely manner then they need to revise their processes and employ more people to handle it.  Leaving the old documents in place with a note saying they were still valid until such time as revised ones were ready would have made more sense and quelled the rumours, but that itself goes back to a point I made in another thread about new precedents being set for the advance notice of alterations to course content and assessment.  The previous ‘at least one year before courses are due to be delivered’ norm is gone and changes can now be made pretty much on-the-fly.

[derek_s]

05/10/2017 at 9:33 am

Hi all,

I have talked to the SQA about the thresholds published last year.

I have been told that the thresholds stand for this session.

In my communication I specifically quoted the following figures asking if these remained valid:

National 4
• Software Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 4 out of 6 Assessment Standards.
• Information System Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 4 out of 5 Assessment Standards.
• Computing Science Assignment — the threshold for this Unit will be 3 out of 4 Assessment Standards.

National 5
• Software Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 6 out of 8 Assessment Standards.
• Information System Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 6 out of 9 Assessment Standards.

Higher
• Software Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 6 out of 9 Assessment Standards.
• Information System Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 8 out of 11 Assessment Standards.

Advanced Higher
• Software Design and Development — the threshold for this Unit will be 5 out of 7 Assessment Standards.
• Information System Design and Development — the threshold will be 6 out of 9 Assessment Standards.

I was glad to get this confirmation and hopefully this set others minds at ease.
Cheers,
Derek