AQE Exam Results

AKA3

AQE's approach has been one of silence and I don't think this is likely to change.
The Belfast Telegraph and MLAs haven't engaged in the debate about the validity of the scoring system and ultimately the results, and subsequent school placements. There is a clear conflict of interest as both the politicians in favour of academic selection and the Telegraph have supported AQE.

P6 parents read my earlier posts to get the background and ask your grammar school principal at the information evening how this new assessment tool has been standardised. Don't accept ' a complex statistical equation' as the answer or 'an expert from QUB advised'.

Next year there is a sense that you are likely to get a grade and you are unlikely to get a raw score or standardised score. The grade will be easy to understand but remember it has been derived from a statistical calculation i.e a standardised score. The old 11+ standardised based on historical data, applicable to the 11+.
The issue of the validity of these results has been raised with AQE, the answer repeatedly given by AQE is inadequate, they simply will not outline how on earth they have managed to standardise in this NEW assessment tool.
Stephen Nolan if you are going to take up this story I hope you ask the right questions and have more luck. I feel strongly that the lack of a meaningful response from AQE to very direct questions from myself and other members of this forum points towards an issue with the standardisation process (if interested full details in older postings by me, 5th March , 26th&27th February). I still suspect that they have used historical adjustments that are not transferable.
AQE will now benefit from parents' shift of focus, towards where P7 children will be placed/uniforms and their interest will shift to the current P6 children. Calls for statistics from current P7 parents will diminish and these statistics to my mind would only be of interest if they include an age standardised table & details of how they standardised. They will not give a breakdown by month for scores above 120.
P6 parents use the opportunity to ask the correct question.........................................

kingston_2730

AKA3, I wasn't aware that they are bringing grades back again. If you don't mind can I ask where you got this information? If so, it will make the process so much better for everyone next time around!

beccasmum

I am interested to know why everyone would rather have grades instead of scores? I think that both would be more appropriate because at least then children with the same grade could be distinguished between in a tie break situation. With the old system sometimes kids with higher scores were turned away simply because the school did not know the raw scores and I think if people are complaining this year about kids with lower scores getting in on special intakes then they better realise that with the old ststem the exact same thing happened only we didn't have the facts in front of us. How would you feel if your child was turned away in favour of a lower score with the same grade, would it be ok because you don't know any better. I think this sounds a bit like ignorance is bliss and I for one want to know every detail. Roll on Saturday and the final outcome, only thing is my son who is going into P6 in September will have the joy of putting me through all this fun again. Ahhh!!

KATHYBEAR

Bonno totally agree with you on this, when my daughter opened the letter and got a score of 112 she cried and cried as she thought this was a terrible score as she was not in that top group! Like you we subsequently found out this was an excellent score, but i feel the damage had been done by then. My girl is also an older child and i would love to know how she was penalised for this!
The aqe is useless- i feel it is awful that i paid money and know sod all except for a number!! Roll on saturday.

neveranymoney

As this week DRAGS on, I think I'm actually going slightly mad. Smaller child is off nursery today and that in itself is enough to drive anyone clean bonkers (as I type, he is gawping out of the living room window looking for the 'Tesco man' and harping as to his whereabouts - the poor child doesn't realise mummy is doing busy and important things on the computer) I have to say, I'm really not filled with confidence this morning, the majority of scores listed here are definitely higher than my daughters, last night I geared her up for Carrick grammar, Victoria or Downshire, I really can't see there being a different outcome. God damn you, AQE, was the score of 100 really the average?? Will we ever know??? And while I'm at it, where did the primary principals get the info that the scores were in seemingly better quintile ranges than AQE published??? Grrrr Argggh!!!

newtownabbey_mum

AKA3 wrote: »

AQE's approach has been one of silence and I don't think this is likely to change.
The Belfast Telegraph and MLAs haven't engaged in the debate about the validity of the scoring system and ultimately the results, and subsequent school placements. There is a clear conflict of interest as both the politicians in favour of academic selection and the Telegraph have supported AQE.

P6 parents read my earlier posts to get the background and ask your grammar school principal at the information evening how this new assessment tool has been standardised. Don't accept ' a complex statistical equation' as the answer or 'an expert from QUB advised'.

Next year there is a sense that you are likely to get a grade and you are unlikely to get a raw score or standardised score. The grade will be easy to understand but remember it has been derived from a statistical calculation i.e a standardised score. The old 11+ standardised based on historical data, applicable to the 11+.
The issue of the validity of these results has been raised with AQE, the answer repeatedly given by AQE is inadequate, they simply will not outline how on earth they have managed to standardise in this NEW assessment tool.
Stephen Nolan if you are going to take up this story I hope you ask the right questions and have more luck. I feel strongly that the lack of a meaningful response from AQE to very direct questions from myself and other members of this forum points towards an issue with the standardisation process (if interested full details in older postings by me, 5th March , 26th&27th February). I still suspect that they have used historical adjustments that are not transferable.
AQE will now benefit from parents' shift of focus, towards where P7 children will be placed/uniforms and their interest will shift to the current P6 children. Calls for statistics from current P7 parents will diminish and these statistics to my mind would only be of interest if they include an age standardised table & details of how they standardised. They will not give a breakdown by month for scores above 120.
P6 parents use the opportunity to ask the correct question.........................................

Hi, I contacted the Stephen Nolan show last week and asked them to look into it on our behalf but as yet i havent heard anything from them. Surprised, thought sure they would have helped.

Lisburn_Mum_2

Was talking to Hunter House, they are sending out Welcome Packs to the children allocated places there, they should arrive on Saturday morning! Please Please let there be a welcome pack at my door with the letter from the board.

My daughther got 97.

Good luck everyone!:)

newtownabbey_mum

neveranymoney wrote: »

As this week DRAGS on, I think I'm actually going slightly mad. Smaller child is off nursery today and that in itself is enough to drive anyone clean bonkers (as I type, he is gawping out of the living room window looking for the 'Tesco man' and harping as to his whereabouts - the poor child doesn't realise mummy is doing busy and important things on the computer) I have to say, I'm really not filled with confidence this morning, the majority of scores listed here are definitely higher than my daughters, last night I geared her up for Carrick grammar, Victoria or Downshire, I really can't see there being a different outcome. God damn you, AQE, was the score of 100 really the average?? Will we ever know??? And while I'm at it, where did the primary principals get the info that the scores were in seemingly better quintile ranges than AQE published??? Grrrr Argggh!!!

i dont think AQE are ever going to publish any data re the tests. all i want is to see the papers my daughter sat etc. i do beleive that it is very strange that we have been kept in the dark so much etc. i think either AQE are not going to release any info or they are waiting until after Sat thinking that most people wont be bothered.

kingston_2730

neveranymoney wrote: »

As this week DRAGS on, I think I'm actually going slightly mad. Smaller child is off nursery today and that in itself is enough to drive anyone clean bonkers (as I type, he is gawping out of the living room window looking for the 'Tesco man' and harping as to his whereabouts - the poor child doesn't realise mummy is doing busy and important things on the computer) I have to say, I'm really not filled with confidence this morning, the majority of scores listed here are definitely higher than my daughters, last night I geared her up for Carrick grammar, Victoria or Downshire, I really can't see there being a different outcome. God damn you, AQE, was the score of 100 really the average?? Will we ever know??? And while I'm at it, where did the primary principals get the info that the scores were in seemingly better quintile ranges than AQE published??? Grrrr Argggh!!!

Well it was grammar principles not primary that I heard say that scores were in better quintile ranges than AQE publised. One told me 'they had done their own calculations' and another told me that AQE had purposely published pessimistic info so as not to disappoint parents (his EXACT words)Stay strong neveranymoney your daughter will NOT be going to carrick grammar or downshire. My own belief is its between your first and second choice and I really do believe this. I wish I could pass on more confidence to you as I know how you must be feeling. Please have faith :kisses3:

kingston_2730

newtownabbey_mum wrote: »

i dont think AQE are ever going to publish any data re the tests. all i want is to see the papers my daughter sat etc. i do beleive that it is very strange that we have been kept in the dark so much etc. i think either AQE are not going to release any info or they are waiting until after Sat thinking that most people wont be bothered.

I think you are right. I for one will be bothered though as I have another child that will be going through this in a few years from now.