[senco-forum] Edexcel GCSE Science exams on Monday - help please- SEN element too

Hi Janet

  The new science syllabus seems to me too to be a problem because of the reading level.  It's not just the multiple choice tests, it's the classroom timed assessments as well.

  I (unscientifically) estimated you need to be reading with a standardised score of 95 to access the timed classroom assessments.  You are only allowed a reader if your score is below 85.  Of course, I have only been able to guess this as the papers have to be kept in a secure place.
  Some questions do not seem to be about the science.  How many seed trays does it take to fill a greenhouse, for example.
  The feedback from pupils on the classroom assessment is that they are not about science.  My daughter is in Year 10 and is aiming for an A - she said that it didn't seem to be about what she'd revised.

  I've not talked to the science dept about the multiple choice tests - but I do know they are concerned about the classroom assessments and the multiple choice tests.

  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

Janet Barlow <janet.barlow at talk21.com> wrote:
  Dear All.,
Our yr 10s sat this multi-choice 20 mins exam on Monday - Chem, Phys and Biol.
The Physics teacher has shown me the paper and is worried (and annoyed) about it because:
# to him the higher tier seems an awful lot of reading to do in 20mins (esp Q 30)
# the phrasing of the questions - containing a negative - 'which of these is not important when choosing a new xray machine?'
# the physics itself - e.g. again the xray question - 3 answers are not to do with physics and only 1 is (Q28) and in another question (Q19) about readings on an ammeter and a voltmeter the experiment involves using a faulty meter and working out which of 4 statemenets is the correct suggestion to work out the correct reagings in the table - he felt this was particularly daft as the kids would never be given faulty equipment.
Has anyone any experience of this? Could anyone check with their science depts?
>From a SEN point of view I am anxious about the amount of reading and processing these style of exams have for the kids with literacy difficulties. I'm also concerned about obscure phrasing which causes confusion. Negatives in questions cause such trouble and uncertainty and how often do these kids slide over the little word'not' as they attempt to decode the more difficult ones?
This is the first year of this new syllabus and I want to get any appropriate comments in quick so we can get any of these problems sorted out.
Has anyone got anything that I can use to work out whether there are too many words for the 'average' reader to read in the time - I can do a smog and work out the readability level but that is not what I need here. Is there such a thing?
Yours hopefully,
Janet ( an obvious non-scientist)

Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall