How exactly is EESIS calculated?

[TravelMummy]

Reading various threads in various forums, there seems to be some real confusion on how the EEIS cut-off is calculated. The MOE website says it is the top 1/3 of all school pupils going to IP schools. In this forum, it is referred to top 3% of the cohort. While there may be some overlaps, these 2 are not necessarily the same. Currently, apart from the DSA kids, we don't really know who the top 1/3 of these kids going to the IP schools are, and their scores. We don't even know the cut-off points of what the IP schools are. Yet the EEIS cut-off has been confirmed to be 258 this year, according to a conversation with MOE by a forummer. Anyone cares to clarify or shed some light please?

[slmkhoo]

Reading various threads in various forums, there seems to be some real confusion on how the EEIS cut-off is calculated. The MOE website says it is the top 1/3 of all school pupils going to IP schools. In this forum, it is referred to top 3% of the cohort. While there may be some overlaps, these 2 are not necessarily the same. Currently, apart from the DSA kids, we don't really know who the top 1/3 of these kids going to the IP schools are, and their scores. We don't even know the cut-off points of what the IP schools are. Yet the EEIS cut-off has been confirmed to be 258 this year, according to a conversation with MOE by a forummer. Anyone cares to clarify or shed some light please?

I've wondered too. Just a correction - the EESIS is supposed to be for the top third (using PSLE score) of students attending independent schools (not IP). Since the offers are made before school selection and posting, MOE obviously must be offering the EESIS to a larger no. of students as some will not choose to go to independent schools. KSP members have in the past estimated that the students offered EESIS are approximately the top 3%. I guess MOE uses past statistics to estimate how many to offer in order that about a third of independent school students get it. This is my guess, I have no actual knowledge.

[lexis]

i think the figure of 3% was derived by taking the top 1/3 (approx 30%) of the top 10% of cohort. possible?

i was just wondering about the same thing last night, since i'm trying to determine where my ds stands in the cohort.. *headache*

[TravelMummy]

Reading various threads in various forums, there seems to be some real confusion on how the EEIS cut-off is calculated. The MOE website says it is the top 1/3 of all school pupils going to IP schools. In this forum, it is referred to top 3% of the cohort. While there may be some overlaps, these 2 are not necessarily the same. Currently, apart from the DSA kids, we don't really know who the top 1/3 of these kids going to the IP schools are, and their scores. We don't even know the cut-off points of what the IP schools are. Yet the EEIS cut-off has been confirmed to be 258 this year, according to a conversation with MOE by a forummer. Anyone cares to clarify or shed some light please?

I've wondered too. Just a correction - the EESIS is supposed to be for the top third (using PSLE score) of students attending independent schools (not IP). Since the offers are made before school selection and posting, MOE obviously must be offering the EESIS to a larger no. of students as some will not choose to go to independent schools. KSP members have in the past estimated that the students offered EESIS are approximately the top 3%. I guess MOE uses past statistics to estimate how many to offer in order that about a third of independent school students get it. This is my guess, I have no actual knowledge.

Exactly, this is so odd. MOE has to guess the probability of behaviour of kids and their parents to know what they will choose - independent or non-Independent school. Shouldn't they have waited till the S1 process be over and kids allocated their schools to determine the top 1/3? How does it follow that a cut- off point can be established now? Also, how is the GEPper cut-off established, given this years' lowered scores throughout? In my view, there should be more transparency.

[Jennifer]

Knowing whether the child qualifies for scholarship helps some underprivileged families to make a choice now.

My 2009 elder boy was offered, but we did not choose an independent school.

[wonderm]

I was wondering the same.

Could it be that MOE just estimate each year based on distribution of T score and gives each year's EESIS cutoff together with PSLE result? Like Jennifer said, it is very helpful for parents to know about this before making Sec school choices. After all, it is not important to be exact about giving to 1/3 of students who entered IS. This could be the same as for GEP, they say it is offered to top 1% of each cohort, but I don't think MOE changes GEP offered strictly based on this formula. It is an approximation.

The same thoughts could apply to offering to 3rd Language? Maybe 250 is not exactly top 10% of cohort, could also be approximation?

The above are just my thoughts and guesses.

[jetsetter]

Knowing whether the child qualifies for scholarship helps some underprivileged families to make a choice now.

[PiggyLalala]

Could it be moe assumed that all the vacancies in the independent schools would be filled. So 1/3 x the total number of vacancies in all the independent schools = the total numbers of students qualified for the eesis each year and this works out to be approximately 3 percent of the cohort.

[Bungii]

My thought is top 10% means top 10%, top 1% means just top 1%, it is a gauge to ensure the suitability and success rate of the child being offered the specific program.

As far as I know, scholarship eligibility will be evaluated every year. For the first year, it will be base on PSLE result. Jennifer is right. Some families may not send their kids to IP schools because of the high school fees. Some, even though offered EESIS, may not take up, as they projected that the expenses will be quite high, and they do not want the pressure of expecting/hoping for their children to be in the top 1/3 of IPers (not sure if it is across board or per IP school, my guess is the latter) every year.

[hmsg]

My gut feel is there is already a formula worked out based on empirical data... the EESIS min score is probably derived based on this year's T-score performances (differ year to year).

The 1/3 does not equate to 3%. More likely more than that so as to cater for those who already DSA-ed, or opted not to go for IS from past years.

Whatever the case, I support offering EESIS in tandem with the release of PSLE scores so as to give needy family assurances that the financial factor is a minor factor to consider.