Ireland Leaving Cert algorithm incorrectly grades students
Occurred: September 2020
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An algorithm wrongly calculated the exam grades of over 14,000 Leaving Certificate exam takers in Ireland, resulting in psychological distress for the students and their families, and a political storm.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland’s Department of Education decided to replace students’ Leaving Certificate exams with an algorithmically generated score. As a result, over 6,000 students received lower grades than they should have, while approximately 8,000 students were awarded higher mark.
The error was identified by Canadian company Polymetrica International, which found a mistake in a single line out of 50,000 lines of code, affecting the grades of around 7,200 students. Students whose grades were incorrectly inflated were threatened with but ulimately not denied admission to Ireland's third-tier universities.
The incident highlighed the importance of rigorous testing and validation in higher-risk algorithmic systems.
Databank
Operator: Department of Education
Developer: Polymetrica International
Country: Ireland
Sector: Education
Purpose: Predict exam results
Technology: Prediction algorithm
Issue: Bias/discrimination - economic; Robustness
Transparency: Governance
System
Research, advocacy
Kelly A. (2021). A tale of two algorithms: The appeal and repeal of calculated grades systems in England and Ireland in 2020
Petition (2020). Cancel the Leaving Cert - for good!
Petition (2020). Scrap the Algorithm for Leaving Cert 2020 Predicted Grades
News, commentary, analysis
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/leaving-cert-why-the-government-deserves-an-f-for-algorithms-1.4374801
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/explainer-why-has-one-line-of-computer-code-caused-such-disruption-to-the-leaving-cert-grades-39580586.html
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1008/1170205-algorithms-leaving-cert-calculated-grades-data/
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/leaving-cert-shows-we-will-have-to-learn-to-live-with-algorithms-1.4349728
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/leaving-cert-2020-grading
https://www.businesspost.ie/education/malcolm-byrne-algorithms-can-do-more-harm-than-good-if-not-checked-for-bias-ccd61c7b
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40034363.html
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/leaving-cert-grades-boost-for-6-100-students-after-algorithm-correction-zkjnd80vv
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/explainer-why-has-one-line-of-computer-code-caused-such-disruption-to-the-leaving-cert-grades-39580586.html
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40059116.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53986003
Page info
Type: Incident
Published: April 2024