Specific Considerations

Answering through Irish

In the case of students who are entered to take their examinations through Irish, the teacher should base her/his estimate of the student’s likely mark on the assumption that the bonus that is applicable for answering the written paper through Irish is included in the estimate. It is anticipated that most teachers who are teaching through Irish will have internalised and taken account of the impact of the bonus when making their initial judgements, so that no explicit calculation of the bonus will be needed. Nevertheless, if any teacher is unsure how the bonus applies in their subject, information is available on www.examinations.ie.

Fairness and equity

As noted in Section 3 of this Guide, principles of equity, fairness and objectivity are paramount in the SEC Accredited Grades system. Teachers should do their best to remain alert to possible sources of unconscious bias that might affect the estimates, including for example a student’s decision to take the examination. Research shows that teacher estimates of student performance may be affected by the teacher’s experience and perceptions of the student’s classroom behaviour, or their knowledge about a student’s socio-economic or family background. By being alert to this source of unconscious bias, teachers can focus objectively on information that is clearly about attainment in the subject and not about other factors.

If there is a real or perceived conflict of interest involved in giving an estimated mark to a particular student (such as a close relative) in a teacher’s class, the teacher will draw the attention of the principal to this. There will be additional oversight by a nominated teacher and/or deputy principal in such cases. If the conflict of interest arises for a principal who is teaching the student, she/he will so advise the deputy principal.

Reasonable accommodations for students with special educational needs

Where any reasonable accommodation has been approved for any student (such as a reader or scribe), the teacher will base the estimate of the student’s likely performance on the assumption that this accommodation would have been available. Since accommodations are intended to reflect students’ normal way of working in class, this should not require any special intervention beyond the teacher’s existing understanding of how the student gets on with the relevant supports in place.

Students who are new to the class or school

If a student has joined the class from another class in the school, the teacher will consult with the previous teacher (if possible) and get whatever relevant records they have. If the student has joined the class from another school, and if the length of time is such that the teacher considers he/she does not have enough evidence to make a sound judgement, he/she should consult with school management about acquiring additional information from the student’s previous school. It may not be possible to get this, in which case the teacher will still need to make the best judgement he/she can on the information available.

Repeat Students

If a student is repeating in the school, having previously been enrolled in that school for their first sitting of the Leaving Certificate, evidence of achievement from both cycles should be considered, but particular weight should be given to the student’s work and level of achievement during the repeat year. If the student was a Leaving Certificate student in 2020, teachers should exercise great care in using evidence of learning from the period of school closure in 2020. If the student has a different teacher during the repeat year from the one he/she previously had, arrangements should be made to ensure that the most recent teacher (who will be making the estimate) is in a position to consult with the previous one and has access to any necessary documentation.

If the student was previously enrolled in a different school, the same procedures as described above in respect of students new to the school apply.

Students studying individual subjects out of school and students studying entirely out of school

The SEC Accredited Grades process will seek to make accredited grades available to as many students as possible, including students who are studying one or more subjects outside of school and those studying entirely out of school. For these candidates, robust evidence will have to be available on which an estimated mark may be based. In some cases, it may not be possible to provide estimated marks and/or SEC Accredited Grades to candidates, but every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate as many students as possible.

Further details of the processes to enable these candidates to seek an Accredited Grade will be provided as soon as possible.

Read the complete text version of A Guide to State Examinations and Accredited Grades for Leaving Certificate 2021 or download a pdf copy below: