There's absolutely no way the SQA is going to justify not making this information public, so why not just do it now?

https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/93920.html 

I'm told they've been suggesting that this is all just technical detail and people won't be interested. Swing and a miss there. Parents and students are - quite understandably - going to be demanding transparency on this.

And this will cause huge problems. Leaving aside the basic premise (not trusting teachers) they're saying that student grades will be changed based on how other students performed in previous years. And for some that will mean failing when their teacher thought they should pass!

This whole thing has already been badly handled - I'm almost impressed that the SQA was able to make it worse.

So we don't need specific assessment evidence to arrive at our estimates, but if the SQA changes our estimates to keep the statisticians happy then we've to magic it up? And that's going to be a fair process for all involved is it? Unreal.

Ah ha! The guidance is here! https://twitter.com/sqanews/status/1252256613471305728?s=19

Now some of you may read that and think it's a mass of vagaries and contradictions.

I'm honestly trying to get a clear sense of what's actually going on here but this document is a nightmare. And it isn't just me - got school teachers telling me the same thing.

So here are the new bandings that teachers are meant to be using, and even on the face of it this is ridiculous. Are teachers really meant to sit and decide on sub-divisions based on a percentage point either way?

This is the ranking process being imposed to make it easier for the SQA to change students' estimated grades. Paragraph three contradicts itself.

But don't worry because - somehow - it actually gets worse. How the hell does the SQA think teachers and lecturers are going to "discuss and compare evidence" in this sort of way WHEN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES ARE CLOSED?! Or has that detail escaped them somehow?

And there's a final kick at the end, because they want all of this signed off by two teachers (one of whom is the head of dept) and a headteacher BUT STILL AREN'T PREPARED TO TRUST IT.

But don't worry, "Your professional judgement, valued expertise and knowledge of your candidates
are vital"