Stanine grading system is appropriate for BECE placement but needs review – IFEST

The Director of the Institute for Education Studies, Dr Peter Partey Anti, has defended the Stanine grading system used for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as suitable for second-cycle school placement. He explained that this was because the selection and ranking process for senior high schools and technical institutes is inherently a selection exercise.

Dr Anti maintained that while the Stanine system is defensible for placement, it does not necessarily make it the optimal system. He emphasized the need for regular evaluations of the system's effectiveness. Regarding private school concerns about this year's BECE results, Dr Anti stressed that the key issue was whether the Stanine system ranked candidates fairly, accurately, and transparently for placement purposes, rather than whether it accurately measured absolute mastery of the curriculum.

He argued that the system's narrowest grade category, occupied by about four percent of candidates, was intentional and did not inherently indicate unfairness. Dr Anti pointed out that the more critical factors were whether the underlying score distribution was correctly determined, whether grade boundaries were technically sound, and whether candidates were treated consistently.

He also noted that concerns about the Stanine system disadvantaging private school candidates needed empirical evidence to support them. Dr Anti suggested that the debate over the Stanine system also raises questions about whether Ghana's assessment philosophy aligns with its curriculum reforms. He acknowledged that while a standards-based curriculum focuses on individual learner achievement, the Stanine system primarily indicates where learners stand relative to their peers.

He called for greater transparency in the grading process to enhance public confidence in the examination system. Dr Anti recommended publishing the technical basis for grading, engaging with public and private schools, parents, and experts, and conducting periodic independent evaluations of the Stanine system's appropriateness for placement purposes.

He also supported the establishment of an independent assessment oversight or appeals mechanism to handle serious examination complaints and provide an independent avenue for appeals, without interfering with WAEC's examination functions.