Ofqual's Roles and Responsibilities

OFQUAL’S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Isabel NisbetActing CEO

UCAS 27 February 2009

Outline

What’s distinctive about Ofqual

The new Bill

Confidence and urban myths

Four themes– Maintaining standards in a time of change – Regulating the new Diplomas – Difficult subjects – Reflecting high levels of attainment

About Ofqual

Independent of Government and QCA

To ensure standards and confidence in qualifications, exams and tests

Launched (in shadow form) in April 08

Legislation in 08-09 session

Meantime distinct part of QCA

How we want to work

Visibly – Summer exams and tests– Areas of legitimate debate – however

uncomfortable– Not just when things go wrong

In collaboration– With users of qualifications and those whom we

regulate– But no regulatory capture

How we want to work

Expertly – Working with the assessment experts– Judgements based on evidence, not headlines

Engaging the public – Learners’ panels, open letters, discussion

papers, blogs, listening…….

Rooting for the learner – Learners’ panels

The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Second reading this week

Clear statutory objectives for Ofqual – Standards– Confidence– Awareness – Efficiency

Independence – Reporting to Parliament

Sharper powers – And we’ll use them if necessary

Statutory role to regulate National Curriculum Tests

Confidence sapping and urban myths

Grade drift – everyone gets As nowadays

“In 1984, 70.1% of candidates passed their A levels and 9.3% were awarded an A grade. This year, two decades on, 96.3% passed, 22.4% achieved the top grade and the controversy over the meaningfulness of these remarkable statistics rages once again in what has become, for everyone involved, a deeply dispiriting ritual” (Chris Woodhead, 2004)

University entrants can’t spell/read/count ….

The flattening graph of high achievement

Changes in proportion gaining two or more A level passes1

2.1

12

.5

12

.5

13

.0

12

.6

12

.6

12

.8

13

.2

13

.4

13

.6

13

.5

13

.2

13

.7

14

.3

14

.9 17

.1 18

.5 20

.6

18

.2

24

.6 26

.1

26

.8

26

.9

30

.0

30

.5 31

.5 33

.0 34

.2

34

.0

34

.4

34

.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

19

75

19

76

19

77

19

78

19

79

19

80

19

81

19

82

19

83

19

84

19

85

19

86

19

87

19

88

19

89

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of

17

ye

ar

old

s

Evidence 1: A levels achieved by comparable students (source: Durham University)

Average A Level grades achieved by students with the same ability (ITDA score = 50%)

19

88

19

89

19

90

19

91

19

92

19

93

19

94

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

A L

ev

el g

rad

e

Biology

English (Lit)

French

Geography

History

Mathematics

weighted avg of 40 subjs

B

C

D

E

Cur

ricul

um 2

000

and

new

Possible explanations

Teaching and learning have improved

Examination performance has improved

The same levels of knowledge and understanding are now easier to demonstrate

Demographic changes have facilitated better performance

Public examinations have changed too much to make valid comparisons possible

The same grade now represents a lower level of ability

Evidence 2: Ofqual standards reviews

Analyse the nature of the requirements different examinations make on students

Compare the levels of performance required for a particular grade

Consider how these two elements relate to each other

Ofqual standards reviews

60 studies carried out since 1998

Most detected no change in standards over time

Notable exceptions:– GCSE history – GCSE and A level music

More to be published next month

We speak as we find

When do grades in two examinations have the same standard?

When they are equally likely to be achieved When they represent equal intellectual demand

Challenges for Ofqual

Carrying forward standards into the:

»new A levels »new GCSEs

Setting appropriate standards in:

»diploma principal learning »projects»functional skills

Fings ain’t wat they used to be (“undergraduates nowadays can’t spell…”)

“On one matter there was almost universal agreement; that among university entrants in general the ability to write English is disappointingly low.” (1960 JMB Annual Report)

“The only point that calls for report is the general weakness of a large proportion of the candidates” (Pure and Applied Mathematics, Higher School Certificate, JMB, 1924)

Maintaining standards in a time of change

Unprecedented change in 14-19 qualifications – 4-unit A-levels– Stretch and challenge – A*– Modular GCSEs- Structural changes in GCSE maths and science – Diplomas– Vocational qualifications and the new vocabulary of the

Qualifications and Credit Framework

More demand for HE/FE from a wider range of students

Ofqual’s role

An independent quality standard which new qualifications have to meet

– Including “alternatives” (IB, pre-U….)

On the front foot to ensure that awarding bodies apply standards consistently and fairly

Close monitoring – intervention if necessary – New ASs

Fairness to learners (the guinea-pigs)

Assurance to users of exam results

Regulating the new Diplomas – Ofqual’s role

Doorkeeper – to accredit specifications that meet our requirements and reject those that don’t

Assurer of the system to bring together students’ attainment to get their award

Monitor of standard-setting– On the front foot – common approach agreed with awarding bodies – On Ofqual's website– Close monitoring of level-setting, awarding and grading against our

requirement– Intervention if necessary

Difficult/easy subjects – Ofqual’s role

To bring together evidence and work for consistency and fairness

Seminar last year involving the advocates for difficult subjects:– MFL– Maths – Physics

No common theoretical base

Ofqual’s studies of groups of cognate subjects

Reflecting high attainment at A level

The need to discriminate

A-level – a changed qualification (2005 White Paper)– “stretch and challenge” – more synoptic assessment – controls on internal assessment

More information for universities (unit grades/marks)

Plus the A*

The A* - Ofqual’s role

A new measure in the context of a changed qualification

Will identify the highest attainers at A2

Ofqual on the front foot with awarding bodies to ensure that the technical approach for awarding A* is fair and consistent

Close monitoring and intervention if necessary

Ofqual will ensure the A* is a fair and reliable measure.

Over to you to decide on how/whether to use

Outline

What’s distinctive about Ofqual

The new Bill

Confidence and urban myths

Four themes– Maintaining standards in a time of change – Regulating the new Diplomas – Difficult subjects – Reflecting high levels of attainment

Conclusions – what Ofqual can do for you

Assure standards and fairness across a range of changing qualifications

Shine a light on the urban myths

Bring together different approaches to difficult problems (e.g. comparability)

Be proactive to ensure that grades are awarded fairly and consistently by awarding bodies

Apply the same high quality standards to Diplomas and vocational qualifications that we do to A levels

What we can’t do

Provide a foolproof single method to select undergraduates – Best predictive indicator still GCSE results

What we can’t do

Provide a foolproof single method to select undergraduates – Best predictive indicator still GCSE results

End all discussion about “dumbing down” for evermore

What we can’t do

Provide a foolproof singe method to select undergraduates – Best predictive indicator still GCSE results

End all discussion about “dumbing down” for evermore

Compare media studies and trigonometry in a methodology that all academics will accept

What we can’t do

Provide a foolproof singe method to select undergraduates – Best predictive indicator still GCSE results

End all discussion about “dumbing down” for evermore

Compare media studies and trigonometry in a methodology that all academics will accept

Teach undergraduates to spell…

Ofqual’s vision

The independent regulator of qualifications and assessments that are

valued and trusted by learners, users and the wider public.