Download - Latin American Experience with Enhancing Quality and Measuring Quality South Asia Regional Conference on Education Quality New Delhi, India October 24-26,

Latin American Experience with Latin American Experience with Enhancing Quality and Measuring Enhancing Quality and Measuring QualityQuality

South Asia Regional Conference on Education QualityNew Delhi, India

October 24-26, 2007

Eduardo VelezSector Manager for EducationHuman Development SectorLatin America and the Caribbean

Current Situation in Latin AmericaCurrent Situation in Latin AmericaAssessment SystemsAssessment Systems

- Most countries have at least an incipient national assessment system based on standardized student achievement test, periodically applied to samples or all students of certain key grades in core academic subjects.- Some countries have sub-national assessments systems-Most have participated in one or more international text--A few countries and sub-national entities have been producing school- and system-report cards

Report CardsReport Cards

-Various models-Different variables-Different processes-All lead to focusing on outcomes, some give more space for consideration of processes-All promote improvement and accountability among various stakeholders-

Assessment Systems. What kinds Assessment Systems. What kinds of results are found? of results are found?

-Lower than expected-Huge differences in averages between rural and urban population, public and private schools, poor and non-poor, indigenous and non-indigenous populations-Increasingly small, if any, differences between girls and boys.-Slow change in outcomes

Assessment Systems. What kinds of Assessment Systems. What kinds of results are found? Positive resultsresults are found? Positive results

The following are important inputs: school climate, high expectations, principal’s leadership and permanence, homework, peer effects, educational materials, teacher’s satisfaction and knowledge of subject matter, active pedagogy, parents’ SES and participation, use of classroom assessment as a pedagogical tool, Time on homework, interest in subject, student perception of relationship with teacher, understanding that science & math associated w/ better job opportunities & future financial security, Mother’s education, home educational resources, assessment systems, school autonomy (process and human resources), less influence from unions, …….. just like everywhere else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Assessment Systems. What kinds Assessment Systems. What kinds of results are found? Negative of results are found? Negative

resultsresults

The following characteristics have a negative impact: -Memorization, rote learning-Mother’s employment-Number of siblings-High student-teacher ratio-Frontal teaching method-Technology has mixed results

Assessment Systems & Report Assessment Systems & Report Cards. Big challenge. Cards. Big challenge.

Quality of Education is the challenge

It should take 2 to 3 (at very most) grades to learn to read. If it is taking 4 to 6, are systems working at about 50% effectiveness?Poorest 53 countries spend $16 billion on primary education, are they “wasting” $8 billion of it?

International ComparisonsInternational Comparisons

PISA 2000: Math Scores & Dispersion

ISR

ARG

ROMBUL

BEL

GRC

PER

DEU

ALB

RUS

LIE

LVA

CHE

POL

NZL

USACZE

HUN

BRA

MKD

SWE

CHL

HKG

AUT

GBR

NO

LUX

AUS

PRTITA

ESP

FRA

NLDJPN

DNK

CAN

ISL

IRL

IDN

THA

MEX

KORFIN

Mean

Score

Dispersion

200

400

600

280240 340 380 420

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380

Dispersion

Sc

ore

MEX

Finland

IDN

Thailand

Tunisia

Serbia

Uruguay

BZL

TUR

Greece

Belgium

US

Italy

HK

GermanyIreland

Canada

Latvia

Macao

Korea

NLD

RUSPurtugal

JPN

CZK

AUS

HUN

SWEIcelandDEN

POL

ESP

SwitNZD

NOR

Austria

FRAFRA

PISA 2003: Math Scores & DispersionPISA 2003: Math Scores & Dispersion

Assessment and AccountabilityAssessment and AccountabilityThe Uruguay Experience (1)The Uruguay Experience (1)

Participation, consensus building and face to face discussion with teachers, principals, and supervisors (sample, all schools get results, all teachers can apply the test to their students, and can compare with national results)


In-service teacher training as the first consequence of the assessment (starting with assessments’ results, voluntary and collective --involves the teacher team of a school--, exchange of experience with other teams, all year round—once a fortnight; participants receive 20% of salary; schools in poor areas are priority; focus on how to teach; and emphasis on practical activities in the classroom)


Evidence on the impact-70% of teachers support national assessment-70.2% read MOE’s publications-55% changed teaching and evaluating practices-78% apply school based assessment

“When MOE appeared I had a brick in each hand.. Little by little they convinced us.. Now it is a valuable experience. We have changed our practice”

Evolución de resultados por contexto - Lenguaje en porcentajes de alumnos suficientes

51,4

46,7

37,1

54,8

60,8

48,5

66,4

62,3

58,4

75,5

73,970,2

87,7

88,085,4

66,5

61,6

57,1

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Muy Desfav. Desfavorable Medio

Favorable Muy Favorable TOTAL PAÍSEVOLUTION OF THE RESULTS BY SOCIAL

CONTEXT

Language, percentage of students achieving an acceptable level Language, percentage of students achieving an acceptable level in the test /Primary 6in the test /Primary 6thth grade grade

Poor ………………………………………Rich

Assessment and AccountabilityAssessment and AccountabilityThe Mexican Experience (1)The Mexican Experience (1)

Increase AutonomyTo improve quality, efforts are needed to move decision-making to the school level, thus increasing school autonomy

Increasing school autonomy can compensate disadvantaged schools

Autonomy can help raise the schooling outcomes of indigenous peoples

School autonomy reinforces the role of homework, learning styles and future value of education

With more autonomy, schools could determine the appropriate mix of technology for their students


Improve AccountabilityAccountability mechanisms can improve school quality

Accountability mechanisms that put people at the center of service provision can go a long way in making services work and improving outcomes

Flexible and wide-ranging accountability mechanisms could encompass various types of services

To improve quality, efforts are needed to move decision-making to the school level, thus increasing school autonomy


Continue learning from the assessmentAssessment testing can be used to inform policy decisions. Analysis of assessments can foster public and civil society involvement in education reform. However, governments must be proactive in encouraging public debate using assessment results. Expand coverage of the national assessments. National and international assessments could be used to inform school reform process

PISA 2003: MathematicsPISA 2003: Mathematics

GreciaDinamarca

Portugal

Colima DF

AguascalientesUruguay Serbia TurquiaTailandia

Mexico

350

400

450

500

Assessment and AccountabilityUsing Early Grade Reading (EGR)

Some start to use it to monitor reading but also to increase involvement of parents and other stakeholders (an accountability mechanism). It is not an alternative to assessment systems. Let’s see some pros and cons.

Math and literacy among 15-year-olds,

or around grade 9 Early-grade reading Closer to labor market in time Can measure skills closer to real competencies Maybe more meaningful to “moneyed” stakeholders (MinFin, cabinet)

Con: a score on a test is not exactly a standard or goal, at least not until the test has gained very wide currency

Measures at time when can remediate More quickly remediable if start now Easier for parents to use for localized accountability Easier to create social movement around it Probably easier to build into teaching strategies

Where are the countries?

Chile, Grade 1: “We expect children to read fluently and with

comprehension. This means that they should be able to:

read, fast enough not to impede comprehension, stories of about 200 words;

identify the type of text read; comprehend literal meaning; and make simple inferences.” (Paraphrase.)

This is measurable, or can lead to something measurable

Peru, Haiti, Honduras

Are there any results (from EGR)?

To early to say. But in Peru there is some evidence that introducing EGR at the school level has a significant return. In six schools in five municipalities in Peru, after six months of introducing EGR the changes were on average 80% and the worst off the school (in terms of education quality) the biggest the impact.

Also in Peru the Government decided to use the results of an assessment system to evaluate its education policy starting with a baseline at the beginning of the Administration.

Some lessons for Assessment PolicySome lessons for Assessment Policy

Assessment Unit must be committed with producing Assessment Unit must be committed with producing materials useful for teachers and with dissemination materials useful for teachers and with dissemination and use of results. (School reports with useful and use of results. (School reports with useful information about their performance and activities)information about their performance and activities)

Technical legitimacy of tests and frameworks is Technical legitimacy of tests and frameworks is crucial crucial

Timely and accurate data to inform policymakingTimely and accurate data to inform policymaking

Unit must be autonomous from political interests Unit must be autonomous from political interests

Importance of detailed planning of actions and Importance of detailed planning of actions and coherent implementationcoherent implementation


You need an assessment strategy, not just You need an assessment strategy, not just to administrate tests… policymakers use the to administrate tests… policymakers use the results of evaluation of existing interventions results of evaluation of existing interventions to inform design and implementation of to inform design and implementation of policiespolicies

A A "teacher-friendly" approach to "teacher-friendly" approach to assessment facilitates its use by teachersassessment facilitates its use by teachers

Articulate dissemination of results with an Articulate dissemination of results with an effective in-service training programeffective in-service training program

Teachers need space and time to meet, Teachers need space and time to meet, study, discuss, try new thingsstudy, discuss, try new things


Autonomy… with support. More Autonomy… with support. More autonomous schools can implement autonomous schools can implement appropriate education policiesappropriate education policies

Accountability. A more accountable system Accountability. A more accountable system will encourage more active participation by will encourage more active participation by parents, teachers, and others, which is key to parents, teachers, and others, which is key to improving learning outcomesimproving learning outcomes

Assessment. A system that is based in Assessment. A system that is based in constant assessment and participation in constant assessment and participation in international benchmarking exercises will international benchmarking exercises will improve cost-effectivenessimprove cost-effectiveness

Download - Latin American Experience with Enhancing Quality and Measuring Quality South Asia Regional Conference on Education Quality New Delhi, India October 24-26,

Top Related