Networking Group - JCs General

[00skyblue00]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2100202\" time=\"1678055332\" user_id=\"35251:

1)

From Secondary 1 onwards,

any examinable subject that compute your L1R5, and if the individual subject were to fall into
B4, C5, C6 range -

then,
the red light alarm signal automatically is turned on, flickering.

The class Form Tr / subject Teachers will tell their students to ... buck up.
If gotten a B4, don't improve to B3, then if not careful, the next round tests (exam) can possibly slip or spiral downwards into a ... C5.

So,
all Sec 1 students in Trimester 1 onwards, already know what to expect, since they have already been briefed by Teachers in school.

Why, from Trimester 1 onwards ?

Because

Sec 1 Term 2 already conducted
WA (Weighted Assessments), isn't it ?
And

Sec 1 students will get back their marked WA2 scripts / test results, for every of their examinable 7 or 8 subjects, which they had sat for.

So,
from Sec 1 onwards,
once start Secondary school life, students already know

what exactly constitute
( A1 to F9 ) score range, per single L1R5 examinable subject.

00skyblue00,
Do u have a child in Secondary school ? If Yes, u can ask them what's (A1 to F9). Your child will know.


2)

You mentioned, trying to rationalise
Why remove mid year exam ?

Because

Students from as young as Primary 5 onwards, some of them, have sadly ended up in tragedy. If u google, newspaper reports in the past on this, will surface. One of these unfortunate tragedy happened in Maha Bodhi primary school before, at P5.

Another sad tragedy was from River Valley High, an IP school.
After this incident,
the ex (former) Principal from River Valley couldn't take it anymore, hence requested to get out of this school.


As mental stress is on the rise,
MOE try to reduce stress for teenagers in academic studies. Hence, removed mid year exam & substituted by byte sized, manageable 2 to 3 chapters / topics tests called Termly WA (Weighted Assessments)


Example
=======

For Sec 1 Term2 Lower Secondary,

maybe test only Total 3 chapters, for Sec 1 subject called General Science -

Tests, possibly include :-

1) Cells , the Basic Unit of Life
( one chapter or Topic, taken from the Biology section )

This topic, \"Cells\" is not new.
Students have studied before at P6, in PSLE Science.


2) the Ray model of Light
( one chapter or Topic, taken from the Physics section )

Again, this topic \"Light\" is also not new.
Students have studied before, in PSLE Science last time.


3) Model of Matter - Atoms & Molecule
( one chapter or Topic, taken from the Chemistry section )


So,
are the mini byte sized tests more manageable, easier to handle now ?


Only tests 2 or 3 chapters,
and start off by testing with familiar topics like (Cells + Light),
something which u are familiar with, because had studied before in primary school at P6,
so as to
ease u in gradually,
into Secondary 1 school life.

Thanks for sharing so much.
Previously, my questions were using sec level mid year exam as an example for discussion but they are also applicable to JC level too.

If the curriculum for one level is one full academic year, what are our expectations of mid year exam? Is mid yr exam half content but full exam length? Or the same format and length as EOY exam. If latter, is it even reasonable to expect students to do well, not alert alarm, when the curriculum has not been completed in class?

[sushi88]

phtthp\" post_id=\"2100262\" time=\"1678088406\" user_id=\"35251:

This 2023 Sec 4 level Secondary school is weird. Even the Principal, VPs also \"bo chap\". The Maths HOD, class Teacher also \"bo chap\". Terrible school, isn't it?
Ya, but it does exist, and these students are in \"Express\" stream.

Is just a typical O-level Secondary school, with both Express & Normal stream, inside.

====================

Mod,

can move these elsewhere. Thanks

You have piqued my curiosity on its weirdness. At this point, it is still hard to conclude that the school is terrible because in the big picture, passing rate for \"O\" in 2022 is 99.8% and \"N\" levels NA (99.5%) NT(98.0%)
Should this school get an interview? Maybe there is something we can learn from this school? Seems so chill and yet still can contribute to high % passes for national exams and planning to deliver again? :scratchhead: :idea:

[sushi88]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2100264\" time=\"1678090844\" user_id=\"143605:

Thanks for sharing so much.
Previously, my questions were using sec level mid year exam as an example for discussion but they are also applicable to JC level too.

If the curriculum for one level is one full academic year, what are our expectations of mid year exam? Is mid yr exam half content but full exam length? Or the same format and length as EOY exam. If latter, is it even reasonable to expect students to do well, not alert alarm, when the curriculum has not been completed in class?

Mid year exam is typically a reality check for parents/students to test exam stamina for all levels as content will never be completed in teaching. It's a just a checkpoint. There are kids who really have no stamina and they won't tell the adults until it's too late. I know such kids personally.

The sec 4 and JC mid-year exams(short runway) are debatable because they are the last wake-up calls that both parents/students can get before the actual national exam.

However, my view remains, these mid-year mock exams should be optional because different strokes for different people as students cope differently for a national exam.

[00skyblue00]

sushi88\" post_id=\"2100267\" time=\"1678092160\" user_id=\"100857:

Mid year exam is typically a reality check for parents/students to test exam stamina for all levels as content will never be completed in teaching. It's a just a checkpoint. There are kids who really have no stamina and they won't tell the adults until it's too late. I know such kids personally.

The sec 4 and JC mid-year exams(short runway) are debatable because they are the last wake-up calls that both parents/students can get before the actual national exam.

However, my view remains, these mid-year mock exams should be optional because different strokes for different people as students cope differently for a national exam.

Just for the sake of better understanding, how can mid yr exam be a wakeup call in terms of performance? If for example, a student score 60 in mid year, it is supposed to be a below par performance? Or it is considered a good performance since it is only mid year, so expect by year end the student will score above 75 with completed curriculum?
So is this wake up call necessary? Or it is a reasonable measure at mid pt?
Qn is, should mid year be the full EOY format and length?

[sushi88]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2100268\" time=\"1678094473\" user_id=\"143605:

Just for the sake of better understanding, how can mid yr exam be a wakeup call in terms of performance? If for example, a student score 60 in mid year, it is supposed to be a below par performance? Or it is considered a good performance since it is only mid year, so expect by year end the student will score above 75 with completed curriculum?
So is this wake up call necessary? Or it is a reasonable measure at mid pt?
Qn is, should mid year be the full EOY format and length?

Scoring 60 for a mid year paper can have a few evaluation outcomes for some kids:
1. Can't finish the paper? Time management? Stamina?
2. Content concept issue? Establish the weaker topics and fix it?
3. Careless issues? This can certainly be eradicated because types of mistakes can be categorised for corrections to avoid them.
4. For some, it is also to set the right expectations on what to expect and not have unrealistic expectations for the actual exam? Knowing the estimated standard can help determine the next course of action in the education journey.

Actually there are many things that can be inferred from looking at an exam paper's outcome together with some past data as well. However, it is still a choice of the individual because kids are motivated differently.

[jedamum]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2100268\" time=\"1678094473\" user_id=\"143605:

Just for the sake of better understanding, how can mid yr exam be a wakeup call in terms of performance? If for example, a student score 60 in mid year, it is supposed to be a below par performance? Or it is considered a good performance since it is only mid year, so expect by year end the student will score above 75 with completed curriculum?
So is this wake up call necessary? Or it is a reasonable measure at mid pt?
Qn is, should mid year be the full EOY format and length?

Numerical grades r pointless with no reference to how the peers are performing on same paper.
As a parent w kid who scored 60+ in mid yr in a particular subj in sec4/Y4, there was no stress until the teacher informed me that it was a poor grade n mentioned he might go below 60 in next test if nothing was done to address the poor study/writing techniques. Then with the teacher's systematic Jun revision plan, extra hw, remedial n monitoring by both teacher n parent, with no tuition, my kid got a low A1 grade by eoy.

[jedamum]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2100264\" time=\"1678090844\" user_id=\"143605:

Thanks for sharing so much.
Previously, my questions were using sec level mid year exam as an example for discussion but they are also applicable to JC level too.

If the curriculum for one level is one full academic year, what are our expectations of mid year exam? Is mid yr exam half content but full exam length? Or the same format and length as EOY exam. If latter, is it even reasonable to expect students to do well, not alert alarm, when the curriculum has not been completed in class?

Regardless of duration of mid yr exam, the content tested in mid yr is typically up til the topics the teacher has covered (based on my experience). So a 60% grades probably means mastery of 60% of topics covered, 80% equates 80% mastery. Hope that clarifies.

[00skyblue00]

jedamum\" post_id=\"2100290\" time=\"1678105722\" user_id=\"159:

Numerical grades r pointless with no reference to how the peers are performing on same paper.
As a parent w kid who scored 60+ in mid yr in a particular subj in sec4/Y4, there was no stress until the teacher informed me that it was a poor grade n mentioned he might go below 60 in next test if nothing was done to address the poor study/writing techniques. Then with the teacher's systematic Jun revision plan, extra hw, remedial n monitoring by both teacher n parent, with no tuition, my kid got a low A1 grade by eoy.

Was this in recent years? Can PM which sch is this?

[00skyblue00]

Now schs don’t release such info on relative performance anymore. Kids are supposed to try to improve based on own results and targets.

[jedamum]

00skyblue00\" post_id=\"2100294\" time=\"1678107387\" user_id=\"143605:

Was this in recent years? Can PM which sch is this?

Oh? Maybe IP sch n Olevel sch mid yr pp are structured differently? My experience is w IP sch. My apologies. I cannot visualise how a full mid yr paper that tested on topic not taught can be useful.