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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
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| Delay 'likely' for school tables | Delay 'likely' for school tables |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| This year's school "league tables" in England are likely to face delays because of the test marking problems. | This year's school "league tables" in England are likely to face delays because of the test marking problems. |
| Schools Minister Jim Knight said he expected the problems with marking and appeal to push back publication. | Schools Minister Jim Knight said he expected the problems with marking and appeal to push back publication. |
| Provisional figures for national tests suggest 14-year-olds did better in writing and maths this year but less well in reading and science. | Provisional figures for national tests suggest 14-year-olds did better in writing and maths this year but less well in reading and science. |
| A breakdown by local authorities has not been released as up to half the results were missing in some areas. | A breakdown by local authorities has not been released as up to half the results were missing in some areas. |
| The schools minister said he expected the problems with the delivery of the tests to mean that the timetable for publication would have to be pushed back. | |
| Test problems | Test problems |
| "I think it's likely that it won't be published at the same time as last year - because we've got a review process that's open for people to submit for reviews until September," said Mr Knight. | "I think it's likely that it won't be published at the same time as last year - because we've got a review process that's open for people to submit for reviews until September," said Mr Knight. |
| 2008 KEY STAGE 3 RESULTS LEVEL 5 English: 73% (74% last year)Maths: 77% (76%)Science: 71% (73%)LEVEL 6English: 33% (32%)Maths: 57% (56%)Science: 41% (41%) Source: DCSF | 2008 KEY STAGE 3 RESULTS LEVEL 5 English: 73% (74% last year)Maths: 77% (76%)Science: 71% (73%)LEVEL 6English: 33% (32%)Maths: 57% (56%)Science: 41% (41%) Source: DCSF |
| "That inevitably has consequences for the timetable and being able to publish school results." | "That inevitably has consequences for the timetable and being able to publish school results." |
| The league tables for primary schools, based on the Key Stage 2 results, are usually published each December with the Key Stage 3 tables in January. | The league tables for primary schools, based on the Key Stage 2 results, are usually published each December with the Key Stage 3 tables in January. |
| Mr Knight said that this year's results for the tests taken by 14 year olds were "mixed" - with marginal rises and falls across subjects - but he rejected the suggestion that the figures had reached a plateau. | Mr Knight said that this year's results for the tests taken by 14 year olds were "mixed" - with marginal rises and falls across subjects - but he rejected the suggestion that the figures had reached a plateau. |
| However he highlighted how much more difficult it became to push this figure higher - when more than two-thirds of those who had missed the Level 5 target either had special needs or spoke English as a second language. | However he highlighted how much more difficult it became to push this figure higher - when more than two-thirds of those who had missed the Level 5 target either had special needs or spoke English as a second language. |
| "Each extra gain becomes harder to achieve for schools," said Mr Knight. | "Each extra gain becomes harder to achieve for schools," said Mr Knight. |
| There had been a slight fall in English - from 74% to 73% - but within this there had been a fall to 69% in reading. | There had been a slight fall in English - from 74% to 73% - but within this there had been a fall to 69% in reading. |
| 'Boys and books' | 'Boys and books' |
| Mr Knight said that he wanted families to help encourage a love of reading, particularly among boys. | Mr Knight said that he wanted families to help encourage a love of reading, particularly among boys. |
| "It's the classic problem of boys and books," said Mr Knight. A more personalised approach to learning in school, more books aimed at keeping boys' attention and more support from families would help to improve boys' reading skills, he said. | "It's the classic problem of boys and books," said Mr Knight. A more personalised approach to learning in school, more books aimed at keeping boys' attention and more support from families would help to improve boys' reading skills, he said. |
| The National Union of Teachers said the decision not to release the local figures was understandable - but none of the results should have been published in view of the delays and questions over the marking organised this year by private contractor ETS. | The National Union of Teachers said the decision not to release the local figures was understandable - but none of the results should have been published in view of the delays and questions over the marking organised this year by private contractor ETS. |
| The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Dr Mary Bousted, said: "The Key Stage 3 tests are an irrelevance. No one will be interested in the results when young people apply for a job. | The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Dr Mary Bousted, said: "The Key Stage 3 tests are an irrelevance. No one will be interested in the results when young people apply for a job. |
| "In a year when Sats have collapsed under their own weight, cutting the Key Stage 3 tests would be an excellent way to reduce the excessive amount of testing our students face." | "In a year when Sats have collapsed under their own weight, cutting the Key Stage 3 tests would be an excellent way to reduce the excessive amount of testing our students face." |
| Liberal Democrat children spokeswoman Annette Brooke agreed and said the money saved could be used to improve learning. | Liberal Democrat children spokeswoman Annette Brooke agreed and said the money saved could be used to improve learning. |
| She said: "Ministers have once again failed to meet their own targets. After three years of secondary education, thousands of pupils are not reaching the expected level in key subjects. | She said: "Ministers have once again failed to meet their own targets. After three years of secondary education, thousands of pupils are not reaching the expected level in key subjects. |
| "It's a disgrace that on the day the results have been published, many schools will still not yet have received their marked papers." | "It's a disgrace that on the day the results have been published, many schools will still not yet have received their marked papers." |
| Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: "The government continues to miss its modest targets and we are left with the unacceptable position that two out of five 14-year-olds are failing to achieve the necessary grades in reading, writing and maths that they will need to be able to achieve at GCSE." | Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: "The government continues to miss its modest targets and we are left with the unacceptable position that two out of five 14-year-olds are failing to achieve the necessary grades in reading, writing and maths that they will need to be able to achieve at GCSE." |
| Statistical change | Statistical change |
| Statisticians at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which issued the results, say comparisons with previous years are skewed by a change in the marking process. | Statisticians at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which issued the results, say comparisons with previous years are skewed by a change in the marking process. |
| This involved removing the practice known as "borderlining", which involved double checking all the test scripts with marks just below the benchmark level (but not above it), to see if they warranted any extra marks. | This involved removing the practice known as "borderlining", which involved double checking all the test scripts with marks just below the benchmark level (but not above it), to see if they warranted any extra marks. |
| The effect is particularly significant in English, in which the marking is more subjective. | The effect is particularly significant in English, in which the marking is more subjective. |
| The statisticians say removing borderlining is estimated to reduce the percentage achieving Level 5 (the expected minimum level) by 0.9 percentage points in English, 0.2 points in maths and 0.6 points in science. | The statisticians say removing borderlining is estimated to reduce the percentage achieving Level 5 (the expected minimum level) by 0.9 percentage points in English, 0.2 points in maths and 0.6 points in science. |
| At Level 6 the effect is even more pronounced: about 1.6 percentage points in English, 0.3 in maths and 0.9 in science. | At Level 6 the effect is even more pronounced: about 1.6 percentage points in English, 0.3 in maths and 0.9 in science. |
| The figures show that the proportion of children attaining Level 5 in reading, writing, maths and science was 56% - down two percentage points on last year or roughly the amount predicted by the removal of borderlining. | The figures show that the proportion of children attaining Level 5 in reading, writing, maths and science was 56% - down two percentage points on last year or roughly the amount predicted by the removal of borderlining. |
| The DCSF says the results were based on the data available at 25 July. | The DCSF says the results were based on the data available at 25 July. |
| These included 84% of English results and 94% of the maths and science results, deemed to be a robust enough sample to produce reliable national figures. | These included 84% of English results and 94% of the maths and science results, deemed to be a robust enough sample to produce reliable national figures. |
| The tests - popularly known by the misnomer "Sats" - are a measure of children's achievement against targets in Key Stage 3 of the national curriculum, the first three years of secondary schooling in England. | The tests - popularly known by the misnomer "Sats" - are a measure of children's achievement against targets in Key Stage 3 of the national curriculum, the first three years of secondary schooling in England. |
| There is no equivalent publication of test results for other parts of the UK. | There is no equivalent publication of test results for other parts of the UK. |