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Explaining the quality score index
The Gleaner, in conjunction with Johnson Survey Research developed the CSEC Quality Scores, which
indicate the different values and levels of mastery pertaining to the three passing grades offered on the exam.
The total average Quality Scores for each type of school, of a possible 4000 – and the QSI (Quality Score
Index) out of a possible 100, for “Traditional”, “Upgraded”, “Technical” and “New” high schools are below. As
we can see, QSIs for all schools and between both exams have this year either remained basically constant, or
shown minor improvement.
Quality Score Index
3 Year Average
3 Year Avg
3 Year Avg
Quality Score
(2012 to 2014)
2012 to 2014
2011 to 2013
Traditional: English
2013
50.3
48.8
Math
1342
33.6
29.6
Upgraded:
English
321
8.0
7.9
Math
135
3.4
2.6
Technical
English
509
12.7
11.3
Math
225
5.6
4.1
New
English
522
12.6
9.9
Math
251
6.3
3.2
In past iterations of this report we would list
the
top-ten performing schools for English and
Mathematics exams; however as would be expected, these top-ten schools remain virtually the same from year
to year, and are all classified as traditional high schools. While such success is indisputably laudable, it also
goes without saying that such institutions benefit from having the most stringent admission procedures
viz.
GSAT scores. In essence, these schools pick from the ‘cream of the crop’, and so their consistent success
simply makes sense.
Whereas in contrast, according to Dr. Alfred Sangster, “By default, the upgraded high schools, with
fewer resources, have the Herculean task of dealing with poor performances, and their scores record this
reality…[whereas] technical high schools suffer from a disadvantage in the school placement system.” It is on
this basis that the current report, as well as the one from last year, has instead implemented a quintile-based
grading system. Each type of school (be it traditional, upgraded, technical or new) has been broken into five
segments on the basis of their QSI and graded with either A, B, C or D, or left ungraded.