Standardized Assessment and School Improvement: A Review of School-Level Mechanisms in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Leading and Addressing the Complexities of School Improvement

Abstract

Increasingly, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are adopting standardized assessments as both a yardstick for monitoring educational equity and as a means of promoting school and system improvement. We conducted a systematic review of research on the impact of national assessments on improving the quality of schools in LMICs. We examine 34 recent studies and reviews of research about the school-level impact of high-stakes tests and low-stakes learning assessments. We use the systematic review methodology of realist synthesis to understand the mechanisms through which national assessments affect the school-level. Our findings have implications not only for LMICs but also for countries like the U.S. where critical questions are being raised about the connections between standardized assessment and school improvement.

Authors

• David H. Eddy-Spicer, University of Virginia

• Frank Perrone, The University of New Mexico

• Melanie Ehren, University College London

• Mukdarut Bangpan, Institute of Education - London