Target grades are made up. They have no validity. Nobody can defend them. They've also helped create a bizarre orthodoxy in which we discuss what grades kids "should get" which is just insane. Just have a think about what nonsense that is. The "grade they should have got "
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Gráinne Hallahan
Essentially, one in five schools giving GCSE target grades to year sevens.
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I did 85kg for 5 reps tonight btw so well on the way to 100kg!!
https://cfey.org/2011/03/so-the-data-says-20-of-my-students-are-under-performing-what-can-i-do-about-it-improving-intervention/
I firmly still believe they’re only used as a stick to beat teachers and leaders with, rather than anything which can meaningfully help the students.
https://kristian-shanks.medium.com/a-rising-tide-carries-all-boats-4e5b571c1992
Education? Achieved a "target". I often find people who know very little overly rely on data.
but I definitely agree that they are over-used, under-understood, and not completely justifiable in all circumstances...
You can reasonably infer the distribution of grades for your cohort, and then apply professional judgement to suggest who might get which of them.
It's like saying "my Excel spreadsheet doesn't make a well-formatted essay"
That doesn't mean Excel isn't any good. It just means you need Clippy.
And you're right. Often, it's not how it's done. Often, it's done by people who don't understand probability or statistics around cohort data and assessment.
Lethal mutation. 100% agreed.
The data is valid.
The cohort level analysis is valid, and evidence based.
Implementing them poorly and using the data for the wrong thing is not valid, and leads to significant problems.
The issue is not with the thing, then, but how it's used. Badly.
1. They should NEVER be used at KS3…we can not box children up before they’ve had a chance to have a go and blossom.
2. They should not be used to decide who does foundation or higher in year 10
They can indicate though that a pupil may be making progress at a lower rate than they are actually capable of - but this would need to be supported by other evidence also.
What? Why? How can we say anyone "should" get anything?
Imagine teaching drama and being told that students have targets based on..um..maybe something to do with an English test they took many years ago or something and also just..vibes y’know..
No, that target is no reflection of how good at French you are.
But yes, it is a reflection of the fact that lower grades are given out in French.
Total guff.
At home: are they completing set HW & regularly doing extension work to demonstrate more hours being put in than minimum. 1/2
2/2