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IB’s grading algorithm is a huge mess
July 16, 2020
In my newest Bloomberg column, I wrote about a boy named Hadrien, interested in studying engineering, whose future has been put in doubt by the International Baccalaureate Organization’s new grading algorithm, which assigns grade in a secret, powerful, and destructive manner. This qualifies it as a “weapons of math destruction:”
This Grading Algorithm Is Failing Students
The International Baccalaureate’s experience offers a cautionary tale.
You can read more of my Bloomberg columns here.
Categories: Uncategorized
mathbabe 
Great!
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Forwarded to a friend who was an IB principal, school founder and, later, trainer. In case this is of use, thought I’d pass on her response. Noting she was 2 years retired, she said: “In addition, the facts she presents are not quite true. The final exams are not 80%, but 50% of the final mark, The teacher’s marked work is 20% and the remaining 30% is from teacher directed compulsory work sent to examiners like I was. I also marked the final exams. The work marked by the teacher entailed a sampling sent to examiners to double check if the teacher is using the criteria accurately. In addition, the teacher submits a predicted grade for all students, and those predicted grades are reviewed by examiners to see if they are consistent, whether high or low.
There were therefore multiple opportunities for kids to do well and do their best work and the final exams are not time sensitive like the A.P. For instance, there are four hours given for two essays to be written in I.B.Engish A, while in A.P. Literature each essay must be developed in 20-35 minutes.
So I am not defending the I.B. as I’m out of the game, but a change in the system due to Covid was bound to have problems and I would bet that there will be a review and remarking done by the IB examiners. Some students do not do as well as they think they will and are disappointed, but the young man mentioned had enough points to receive the IB Diploma.”
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