Incident 86: Coding Errors in Leaving Certificate Grading Algorithm Caused Inaccurate Scores in Ireland
Entities
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Taxonomy DetailsFull Description
In fall 2020, Ireland’s Department of Education announced that two errors had been found in the algorithm used to calculate students’ Leaving Certificate exam grades. The exams, normally held in person, were replaced with an algorithmically generated score in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to errors in the calculation, more than 6,000 students received grades lower than they should have, while approximately 8,000 received higher marks. The Department of Education has announced that students whose grades were incorrectly inflated will not be denied admission to third-tier universities.
Short Description
In fall 2020, Ireland’s Department of Education announced that errors in the algorithm used to calculate students’ Leaving Certificate exam grades resulted in thousands of inaccurate scores.
Severity
Minor
Harm Type
Harm to social or political systems
AI System Description
Ireland's Department of Education and Skills algorithmic internal model for projecting student's final exam scores.
System Developer
Irish Department of Education and Skills
Sector of Deployment
Education
Relevant AI functions
Cognition
AI Techniques
machine learning
AI Applications
statistical projection
Location
Ireland
Named Entities
Irish Department of Education and Skills, Norma Foley
Technology Purveyor
Irish Department of Education and Skills
Beginning Date
2020-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
Ending Date
2020-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
Near Miss
Harm caused
Intent
Accident
Lives Lost
No
Data Inputs
student's class and exam grades
Incident Reports
Reports Timeline
- View the original report at its source
- View the report at the Internet Archive
This week it emerged that a problem was discovered with the Leaving Certificate calculated grades system which means thousands of students will have their results upgraded. But what happened?
What is an algorithm?
It’s code that makes decis…
- View the original report at its source
- View the report at the Internet Archive
August, following the grading algorithm debacle in the UK, I wrote a column wondering if perhaps this unfortunate event might prove a critical tipping point for public trust in the almighty algorithm.
This new generation in the UK, about to…
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