Campaign to make the 2020 Exam Results fairer for the Neurodiverse
Summary
2020 exam results are even more unfair for those who are neuro-diverse and the current appeal system especially unsuitable for them. We’re arguing for neuro-diverse pupils to be able to appeal their individual grades and for the exam boards to ensure condition experts are included in those appeal panels. To support this plea please sign our change.org petition and please donate to help us fund this fight.
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ADHDUK Research Evidence
%
Consider 2020 exam results unfair to students with ADHD
This system [2020 exam grade system] is completely unsupportive of ADHD brains. It does not allow for the unpredictability yet brilliance of a ADHD brain.all.
My particular school didn’t make the mocks an equal playing ground to students with extra requirements
[Not fair] Because they tend to be outliers from the norm and therefore more likely to be caught out be the algorithm.
Inconsistency in grades and performance throughout the school year and in final grades will cause them to be way harder to predict accurately and therefore are very likely to be even more unfair.
I’d expect the predicted grades to be more unfair for students with ADHD. I wasn’t diagnosed until University, but lots of teachers underestimated what I could do – likely because of the intersection of it being a under-performing state school “no one has got an a* in spanish before so I won’t predict you one” and that my undiagnosed ADHD meant that although I was diligent and hardworking, I struggled to pay attention in class, meaning some teachers would think I didn’t care. I ended up doing really well (and have just graduated from Cambridge) but if we were going off what I was predicted (both by my teachers, and by the government looking at my low-achieving postcode to lower average grades) I wouldn’t have made it.
What percentage of teachers do you estimate truly understand the learning challenges ADHD presents?
ADHDUK’s research found that around two thirds of teachers do not understand ADHD. This is a significant issue as teachers can’t be expected to give accurate grade estimates when they don’t understand their pupils properly.
%
Teachers considered to truly understand ADHD
Do you think that teacher’s having a better understanding of ADHD would have had a positive impact on grade estimates for pupils with ADHD?
%
Think that if teachers understood ADHD better they would have increased grade estimates for pupils with ADHD
Do you think the 2020 grading system is going to have a negative impact on the futures of neurologically diverse students?
%
People think there will be a negative impact on neurologically non-typical students
Further Information
You can see and participate in our research survey here
You see our detailed results here.
Additional information on research about teachers’ attitudes to ADHD and other conditions can be found here.