DSA 2017

[Francoise]

Happy70:

I could be wrong, but it sounds like there is no more \"wait and see\" class in RI. Every one now goes into the IP classes.


But it seems that RI will not hesitate to identify the weaker students early on and move them to specially created O level classes. If I'm not wrong, one parent mentioned that she was taken around RI this year (?) by a yr 2 boy who said that he did not do so well in yr 1 and was shifted over to the O level track. I gather, though, that he will have chances to get himself back on the IP track if he does well in yr 2.

This boy went in before RI changes its RPD policy. From what I gathered, all boys will be allocated randomly across different classes in 2018, doesn't matter if the boy enters via academic, leadership or sport.

I also asked if the boy will be asked to leave RI if he cannot catch up with his studies. I was told no and the school will help the boy in every way possible (for e.g. in sports, to cut down on training etc).

[lee_yl]

Happy70:

lee_yl:

[quote=\"Happy70\"]
I could be wrong, but it sounds like there is no more \"wait and see\" class in RI. Every one now goes into the IP classes.

But it seems that RI will not hesitate to identify the weaker students early on and move them to specially created O level classes. If I'm not wrong, one parent mentioned that she was taken around RI this year (?) by a yr 2 boy who said that he did not do so well and yr 1 and was shifted over to the O level track. I gather, though, that he will have chances to get himself back on the IP track if he does well in yr 2.

So O-level and IP tracks in RI around the same pace as well as same curriculum? I always thought that IP students learn at a faster pace. Yr 1/ yr 2 can switch track.

I'm not sure about RI. But in most IP schools, there is a mechanism for students from a non-IP track in that school or students from other schools to transfer in at yr 3. They have to sit for tests and go through interviews and submit their y1 and y2 results. You can read about this from most IP schools' websites.

I would think then that the IP syllabus for the first two years would not be so vastly different from the O level syllabus for the first two years. Otherwise this year 3 IP transfer mechanism won't work[/quote]Ah... I see, so not much difference in yr1/yr2, thanks. I somehow have this impression that students in sec 1 IP are doing sec 2 stuff etc. lol.

I know that for O-level students to switch to IP at end yr 2, it is not easy as only selected few can make it after going thru various tests.

[lee_yl]

Imp75:

lee_yl:

[quote=\"iFirefly\"]
There's no O Level class in RGS.

Thanks!
I susposed all those who DSAed (CCAs, leadership, sports, academic etc) in are doing well.
Or maybe RGS interviewers have good judgment

or the girls may be quietly asked to leave the school.....[/quote]Oh I see... Pity those girls then... :sad:
So different non-dual track IP schools have different policies.
1) RI/NYGH start on demand O'level classes for a few students who cannot make it or
2). NJC, repeat year 3, or
3). RGS, asked to leave quietly

[Yngmng]

Oh I see... Pity those girls then... :sad:

So different non-dual track IP schools have different policies.
1) RI/NYGH start on demand O'level classes for a few students who cannot make it or
2). NJC, repeat year 3, or
3). RGS, asked to leave quietly[/quote]

If the school is not suitable, it is better for them to transfer. I have a JC mate who transfered in year 2 to a second tier JC. She was under a lot of stress then. Fortunately, her parents and school supported the transfer.

[SnoopyMum]

iFirefly:

SnoopyMum:

[quote=\"ShevW\"]If DSA via Sports into RI still need minimum of t score 240/250? I thought just 200 will do?

I guess we need prior knowledge to fully understand this because this is my second round of DSA

1) All IP schools will honour their COs if the DSA kid gets T scores of 200.
2) Prior to 2017, RI Sports Class is another label for RPD. DSA kids who scored T-scores between 200 to 240 will join the Sports Class/RPD. This year, RPD has been removed, so, no more Sports Class. All DSA kids will go through the RP leading to A Level and RI Diploma, unless the kids cannot cope with the RP by end of Year 2.

So, where are the sportsmen (students who DSA via Sports but didn't meet RI COP) placed in, this year? In one class or distributed randomly across different classes?[/quote]They will be randomly distributed across classes so that they can blend in with the cohort. That also means, they have to catch up with all those who go in by the COP.

I think one helpful parent mentioned earlier that there's still segregation between GEP and Mainstream - this bit I am not sure.

[lee_yl]

Oh I see... Pity those girls then... :sad:

So different non-dual track IP schools have different policies.
1) RI/NYGH start on demand O'level classes for a few students who cannot make it or
2). NJC, repeat year 3, or
3). RGS, asked to leave quietly[/quote]

If the school is not suitable, it is better for them to transfer. I have a JC mate who transfered in year 2 to a second tier JC. She was under a lot of stress then. Fortunately, her parents and school supported the transfer.[/quote]

For those who DSAed in earlier, can switch from JC to JC? Need to exit IP track?

[mommyNg]

lee_yl:

Imp75:

[quote=\"lee_yl\"]
Thanks!
I susposed all those who DSAed (CCAs, leadership, sports, academic etc) in are doing well.
Or maybe RGS interviewers have good judgment

or the girls may be quietly asked to leave the school.....

Oh I see... Pity those girls then... :sad:
So different non-dual track IP schools have different policies.
1) RI/NYGH start on demand O'level classes for a few students who cannot make it or
2). NJC, repeat year 3, or
3). RGS, repeat or asked to leave quietly[/quote]I did hear of a case in RGS where a girl was asked to repeat (can't remember which year, either year 3 or year 4).

[lurline]

I know a case from DHS, repeat or leave quietly. It’s quite common esp IP schools w/o O level track.

[SnoopyMum]

This is what I’ve gathered over the years:


1) Cannot cope in IP Y1 - Y4: (a) Transfer to O level for dual track schools to take O level (b) Retain in the same year in IP schools but I think only once/twice, then kid must move out of the school.
2) Cannot cope in IP Y5: Transfer to other JC
3) Cannot cope in DSA only schools such as SST that offer only O Level: Retain/Transfer out of school as schools do not offer Normal Academic stream

This practice is also happening in neighbourhood schools. If a child cannot cope, the child will be retained if s/he doesn’t fail too badly or transferred to the next lower stream. Conversely, if a child does well, s/he can move up. This is the flexibility of our system now.

From the Open House, you would have sensed that if the school will go all the way out to help the struggling child. Some do much more, some do lesser.

[mommyNg]

lee_yl:

For those who DSAed in earlier, can switch from JC to JC? Need to exit IP track?

That's a good question. I think I heard someone said before that there was a case of a girl who DSAed into an IP school (at that time no O level class), couldn't make the min cutoff to promote to IP-JC end of year 4, was not allowed to transfer to another non IP JC (by MOE), and so ended up in poly.

The rationale from MOE then was 1) she DSAed into an IP school, so her commitment is to an IP program, so cannot anyhow transfer to another non-IP JC (and other IP JCs didn't want to take her in due to poor results), and 2) her poor sec sch foundation would mean she would struggle in A levels, so shouldn't transfer to a JC to do A levels.