Any Updates As To When PSLE T-Scores Will Be Scrapped?

[Zappy]

SpartanMum:

The anxiety, confusion and I daresay, even fear is palpable.


4A1 is similar to 4Astar. How many 4Astars are there in each cohort? I believe that it won't be that many. So competition for top schools in the 4 points category may be less intense than 5 or 6 points which I think will be the most intense when it comes to the top schools. This is where the non-citizens will really bear the full brunt...sad but true.

\"MOE explained that the upper ranges are narrower as majority of pupils do well for PSLE. On average, about half the cohort will score AL4 or better. Finer bands at the top will help to differentiate students at these levels... \"

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/e ... e-says-moe

So, if half the students are scoring this AL4, I don't think that competition for the 4 points category may necessarily be less intense.

[Mr.025413Clumsy]

I like how many people out there have assumed that just because of the lower scores for AL1, that there’ll be hundreds of 4s fighting for the top Sec Schools.


I think it’s going to be quite the opposite. Expect many students in the 10-25 range with just a handful in the sub-10 range, and even less in the sub-5 range.

[ammonite]

Technospaz:

I like how many people out there have assumed that just because of the lower scores for AL1, that there'll be hundreds of 4s fighting for the top Sec Schools.


I think it's going to be quite the opposite. Expect many students in the 10-25 range with just a handful in the sub-10 range, and even less in the sub-5 range.

Exactly, I share your thoughts.

At the end of the day, all this \"angst\" just boils down to the desire for kids to go to select schools.

[phtthp]

Technospaz:

I like how many people out there have assumed that just because of the lower scores for AL1, that there'll be hundreds of 4s fighting for the top Sec Schools.


I think it's going to be quite the opposite. Expect many students in the 10-25 range with just a handful in the sub-10 range, and even less in the sub-5 range.

If we refer to the level mean / cohort ,mean, reported in our report card for (P3 to P6) SA1 /SA2 exam results, many students' per subject score for English, Maths, Science, tend to fall into Band 2 (ie. 80 to 84 range)

This is very common
In other words, students achieving AL3 : Is common
AL3 X 4 = 12 points

Thus, 12 points achieved, can be common


For GEP schools, the level mean may be higher, falling into sometimes low Band 1 range (ie. 85 to 89 range). Students from here, it is common to see them achieving AL2

A number may also achieve AL1, particularly for subjects like Maths and Science.
Languages : harder to score AL1, esp for Chinese

[Veyron]

Technospaz:

I like how many people out there have assumed that just because of the lower scores for AL1, that there'll be hundreds of 4s fighting for the top Sec Schools.


I think it's going to be quite the opposite. Expect many students in the 10-25 range with just a handful in the sub-10 range, and even less in the sub-5 range.

If you can find out the equivalent of T-score for 4-pointers, you will be able to guess what will be the pool size of 4 pointers.

[UBKmom]

I felt that this new scoring system is better as it moderate the top score range to a wider band rather than the current system which so precisely define for example above 260 is top 3% of the cohort. In the new system, if you achieved 4 points, you know that you are on par with the smartest although under existing system, the different in T-score might be 10pints and might affect whether you will go RI or RV. With the new scoring system and posting criteria, it will spread more top scorer to other school rather than concentrating in RI/HCI/RGS/HYGH which I hope more 2nd tier schools (TJC, DHS, CHS, VS) will able to close the gap with these big 4.


During the old system where there is no IP and all students are posted through JAE to JC, you see a better spread of top student to probably the top 5 JCs and I felt the gap between the top 5 JCs is not as great as now. With the IP system and the big 4 getting on the top students, RI/HCI is practically running their own race, leaving others far behind. This will in turn create the image of elite school and more parents will want to squeeze their children in at all cost.

I don’t believe all schools are good schools but I believe more schools can be top schools with better distribution of top talents. It is always good to give others under existing system not able to enter the big 4 to have the opportunity to do so and benefit from it. With the intention to change DSA further, I guess MOE is trying to moderate the elitism in the system and to create a fairer system for all, meritocracy is good but not absolute meritocracy. All in all, I guess we are in the right direction.

[ammonite]

phtthp:

If we refer to the level mean / cohort ,mean, reported in our report card for (P3 to P6) SA1 /SA2 exam results, many students' per subject score for English, Maths, Science, tend to fall into Band 2 (ie. 80 to 84 range)


This is very common
...
For GEP schools, the level mean may be higher, falling into sometimes low Band 1 range (ie. 85 to 89 range). Students from here, it is common to see them achieving AL2

This is within a particular school. MOE has to think for the entire population and there is a much greater diversity out there.

[25HMOM]

rains:

Haha, don't mind me but to me, hoping to get an A to get 75-85 is like 自己骗自己. 75 raw score gives you a very different T-score compared to getting 85 as a raw score. But seeing 'A' gives you the comfort of 'for all you know, he's at the 85-mark range'. The new system tells you exactly where he stands and that could be potentially frightening as instead of A (a highly acceptable grade), we now see '3' or '4' (look and sound mediocre) when actually they are essentially the same thing.

On one hand, I think it's stressful bcos now there are specific, narrow ranges of marks to aim for, after we are used to the up-in-the-air and non-transparent grades for the T-score system; on the other, if you see it positively, your child can now truly works on his weak areas to better his own scores rather than worrying if the unknown cohort's average is going to be lower, much lower, higher or much higher than his own scores.

Hi rains, I share the exact sentiments of the highlighted. Hence I would probably push my kid to work harder to avoid the 'mediocre' which I was previously satisfied with, i.e. an A. So is the new system really able to reduce pressure for kids with a parent like me?
Anyway, I rejoice that I don't have any young kid now.

[janet88]

25HMOM:

So is the new system really able to reduce pressure for kids with a parent like me?
Anyway, I rejoice that I don't have any young kid now.

like spartanmum,
i do feel a sense of anxiety for the kids and their parents who would have to face the new banding system. it is worrying.

i am fortunate i do not have any young kids facing the new banding system.

[ChiefKiasu]

Actually, isn’t the new measurement more granular? Previously, achieving Band 1 is easy… just score 80 and above. Now, 80 to 85 will only put you in AL3, or band 3. Knowing parents, you know they are going to be driving kids to get to 1.

Maybe instead of numbers, they should use the credit rating system. A, AA, AAA. That at least gives the connotation that A is good enough, and AAA is just a bit better than A. Ha.