The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has told the exams regulator that it must publish a full breakdown of its A-level grading model to ensure that students from ethnic minority backgrounds or those with disabilities have not been unfairly disadvantaged.
A-level results published yesterday revealed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to have had their teacher-assessed grades downgraded by Ofqual’s standardising algorithm than their wealthier peers.
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A levels 2020:
However, regulator Ofqual said there was “simply no evidence” of bias in the A-level grade calculation process.
But the EHRC has said Ofqual must publish a full breakdown of the differences between teacher-assessed grades and final grades to understand any disparities in downgrading for students from protected groups - such as children with disabilities, or those from ethnic minority backgrounds.
The EHRC added that students should be able to appeal their grades directly - currently, their school must appeal on their behalf.
The pandemic has hit the younger generation hard.
Education has been particularly disrupted, with potentially life-changing consequences for young people, particularly ethnic minority and disabled children, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.#ALevelResults pic.twitter.com/JNTTYbdVxp
- EHRC (@EHRC) August 13, 2020
EHRC chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said: “The pandemic has hit the younger generation hard.
“Education has been particularly disrupted, with potentially life-changing consequences for young people, particularly ethnic minority and disabled children.
Fears of bias in this year’s A-level results
“Many of these children come from disadvantaged backgrounds. If we are going to build back better and not make things worse, it needs to start with our children’s future.
“We have been clear with Ofqual that they must consider the equality impacts of all their actions and mitigate against any potential negative effect on these groups.
“Ofqual should be clear about the impact of the algorithm used in the standardisation model and the steps taken to remove bias, and take into account equality.
“To better understand any disparities for different protected groups, Ofqual must publish a full breakdown of the differences between teacher-assessed grades and the final grade.
“Students who have been downgraded must be able to appeal directly if they believe their grades are unfair. We will continue to discuss this with Ofqual and consider all our powers so that ethnic minority and disabled children, for example, are treated fairly in this process.”
In April, the EHRC said that Ofqual would need to publish an evaluation report on the grading process this year, and that if this revealed “higher-than-average disparities for pupils with protected characteristics, these should be investigated thoroughly, with appropriate remedial action taken”.
It added that students needed a “meaningful and timely route of appeal”.
A spokesperson for Ofqual said: “The process in place for awarding this summer is the fairest possible way of recognising students’ achievements in this exceptional year.
“Over 700,000 grades have been awarded this week, enabling students to move on in their lives despite the cancellation of exams.
“Final data shows that students have not been disadvantaged due to their background by this year’s awarding process, with results for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds and black, ethnic minority or Asian communities in line with previous years.
“We have published in our technical report detailed analyses of results for students with different protected characteristics and from different socioeconomic backgrounds including gender, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, English as an additional language (EAL), socioeconomic status and special educational needs.
“Results for these groups of students are all in line with their results for 2018 and 2019. Analysis of adjustments to centre assessment grades for different groups of students vary across the grade range, reflecting differences in centre predictions, but adjustments for the top-attaining students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are lower on average than for their peers with higher SES [socioeconomic status].
“That’s not to say students from different backgrounds achieve equally well, in any year, and none of us should be complacent while these attainment gaps exist. But we are confident that our standardisation model has not made them any worse this year.”
