External Evaluation of the European Baccalaureate (Annexes)

Synoptic
assessment
Marking
Each examiner marks the oral
examination on a scale of 0- 1 0; half
marks are allowed. The final mark will be
the arithmetical average to two decimal
points of the marks awarded. Value 24%
of total.
From the data available it is not possible
to gauge the degree to which synoptic
assessment is employed in the
preliminary mark or in the oral
examination. From a study of the written
examination papers it can be said that the
questions confine themselves to specific
topics and there are no questions that
require a student to use their knowledge
across topic boundaries other than the
use of generic mathematics skills.
Comparison of student work and marking procedures
93
Synoptic assessment is not a stated feature
of the Irish syllabus and an analysis of past
written examinations reveals that questions,
though not titled with a topic, are
predictably on the same topics each year
(for instance, Paper II question 1 is always
on the geometry of the circle). It is
sometimes the case that in the final parts of
some questions the demand is made of the
student that they apply knowledge across
topic boundaries.
An attempt was made to compare student work at this level in both syllabi. Scripts from 12 EB written
examinations taken in 2008 and 15 Irish Leaving Certificate examinations taken in 2007 were reviewed. A
direct comparison of student performance is rendered all but impossible due to the differences both in the
syllabus content and the different focus of assessment in question structure and type. The closest
comparison that can be made is between the compulsory analysis question in the EB and the differential
and integral calculus questions 7 and 8 of Paper I in the Leaving Certificate. A more general comparison
can be made on the degree of mathematical formalism and grammar used by the students and the
general presentation of student reasoning.
It is important to note that the sampling method for the scripts was not known to this author. It is evident
from indications on the EB scripts that they all came from the same school. This presents obvious
methodological difficulties and all that follows must be read in the light of the possibility that the scripts say
as much about a school or even a single teacher as they do about student achievement. From the Irish
scripts it is clear that they come from different schools as the examination centre number is indicated on
the covers. However, at the time of writing it was not known how the sampling frame was constructed.
The scripts do represent a range of achievement based on raw scores. In the case of the EB scripts the
raw scores ranged from 2.1 to 9.7. How this sample spread is related to the spread in the population was
not known. The Irish scripts had scores ranging from 35% to 80%. While population statistics are available
on the percentiles of the population attaining a certain grade level in the Irish Leaving Certificate, it was
not known where the percentage score boundaries for grade levels had been set in 2008. Finally and
curiously, in the case of EB scripts there were no examiners marks on the scripts so it was impossible to
see how, in detail, the examiner had got to the final mark. The Irish scripts were clearly annotated with
achievement marks, negative marks for blunders and slips and attempt marks.
With due regard to all of the caveats that emerge from above, the scripts were rank ordered and some
general comments can be made about the overall quartiles. Once again, however, the attempt to compare
the achievement on the compulsory analysis question 1 on the EB paper and question 6 on Paper 1 of the
Leaving Certificate is hampered by not having the individual question results on the EB scripts. Despite
this, the following may have some legitimacy.
Both questions concerned the procedural application of analysis techniques to standard transcendental
functions. There is no demand in the question for problem solving techniques, translation, modelling or
hypothesis testing. In both sets of scripts, the candidates in the overall upper quartile showed good
competency in applying similar analytical skills. They were capable of differentiating, finding zeros, critical