DN Opinion. Grading in the national tests remains

In a letter to the editor on the DN Review (9 may), writes English teacher Sara Bruun to the students ' total weighted provbetyg on the national sample, likely to deceive students and parents. She believes that the amendment to the law which the government introduced in the summer, that the results from the national tests ”and in particular shall be taken into account”, adding further to this misunderstanding.

We at the department of Education understands that this can result in difficulties when the teachers should inform about the test results. Therefore, we want to clarify why we have compensatory provbetyg and what it means to the results from the tests in particular shall be taken into account.

Just as Sara Bruun writes apply the other principles of the grading of how the substrate are weighed together to a score, compared with how the various elements of the test character is weighed. The grading scale is not compensatory for the grades E, C and A. When a teacher put the score at the end of a course or a semester require the student to have shown it, as described in, for example, knowledge requirement for C to grade C to be able to be set.

instead, a compensatory sammanvägningsmodell. This means that a student's weaker performance on some parts of the sample is compensated for by stronger performance in other parts.

If a student failed a sub-test, and C on the other examinations, the student is E in provbetyg. Information on this is available on our website and in lärarmaterialet to the national tests.

This compensatory model is used that students are not placed at a disadvantage because of the temporary circumstances at the time of the test. Ranking to a provbetyg in the national tests therefore needs to follow the principles other than the grading.

have been worse for the individual student if we were to demand to solve all the tasks at a certain level for a single test. Thus, we are well aware of the current issue, but at the same time considers that there is sufficient reason to change the compensatory model.

It may also be worth pointing out that there is an ongoing investigation, as mandated by the government is examining if compensatory element also shall be included in the grading. This is due to the current regulation for grading, for example, can be problematic in cases where students exhibit an uneven kunskapsprofil. Read more about this, see our report ”Evaluation of the new grading and kunskapskravens design”.

the Wording ”special consideration” means that the test results should be an aid in the grading, but not completely control the grade. It means, therefore, that the national tests have a particular role in the grading and that the teacher only can ignore the result if there are special reasons for it.

test character in particular shall be taken into account, but it also means that delprovsresultat as well as the knowledge the learner has demonstrated in the sample's various parts in relation to the requirements provide information that is relevant for the grading. Then take into account the teacher, just as before, all the available information about the pupil's knowledge in relation to the requirements.

the Principal need in their school to follow up on the results of the national tests in particular have been taken into account. To investigate if the discrepancies between the results of the test and the score is justified or not need the president to take the help of the teachers in the analysis. A deviation between the test scores and grades due to a student, for example, has been test character E, but not shown as described in the knowledge requirement for grade E, is, of course, a reasonable deviation.

in Conclusion, it is important for teachers and principals to know the difference in how provbetyg weighed together, compared with the marking and to clearly communicate this to parents and students. It may never be the case that teachers are pressured to put the higher score.