Measurement of early learning under the SDGs

• In Event: Universal Learning Scale: Conceptual feasible, operational doable?

Proposal

Objectives: Measurement of learning is central to the Sustainable Development Goals for education, both in early primary (grade 2/3) and in early childhood (under the age of 5) (IAEG 2016). Of particular concern is the ability of global measurement approaches to reflect the social and linguistic differences of a diverse range of societies, including traditionally marginalized groups (Bartlett, Dowd & Jonason 2015; Wagner 2016). This paper relies on literacy and mathematics assessment data to answer the following question: can results from non-equated national assessments be used to report against global goals?

Perspective: The authors’ perspective comes from experience in supporting ministries of education to better understand and improve the learning outcomes of their youngest citizens. As practitioner-researchers engaged in supporting governments to design and administer assessments, we rely on the best available research to inform the selection of measurement approaches (Gove and Dubeck forthcoming). We recognize that assessment is a means to an end (improving learning outcomes), not an end in itself, and is a useful tool for system improvement (Crouch and DeStefano 2015).

Methods: For primary-level skills, this paper relies on nationally representative data collected in 20 low and middle income countries since 2010. For the early childhood measures, we rely on data collected in Laos, Mongolia, Madagascar and Tanzania in 2015 and 2016. For both sets of data we generate age profiles for understanding when children acquire particular foundation skills.

Results: Using results from the Monitoring Early Learning Quality and Outcomes (MELQO) and Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Assessment (EGRA and EGMA) tools, we create learning trajectory profiles based on the age of the subjects. For EGRA/EGMA we use these profiles to report on the percentage of children meeting national-level benchmarks, which could inform SDG Indicator 4.1.1(a). For MELQO we create age profiles to examine the distribution of skills by age and language group to propose country specific cut scores for the percentage of children developmentally on track (SDG Indicator 4.2.1).

Significance: Defining what is developmentally on track or proficient is fraught. Measuring the percentage of children above a cut score requires agreement on what that cut score means, and then periodic, nationally representative assessment. For early childhood this implies some household measurement, since few countries have universal preprimary enrollment.

Another key challenge is variation in outcomes across contexts. Differences in culture, including expectations regarding timing of acquisition of skills and relative value of some skills over others, varies in important ways across countries.

This global variation in the timing and nature of early skills acquisition, while challenging from a measurement perspective, also presents an important opportunity. The reporting requirements allow for countries to set their own standards and then measure and report on the percentage of children reaching that standard. Country-driven measurement and standard setting, derived from approaches that meet international expectations for quality, can have an important influence on policy and practice. How best to balance national measurement priorities with the need for global metrics is a critical challenge of the SDG measurement framework.

References

Bartlett, L., Dowd, A. J., & Jonason, C. (2015). Problematizing early grade reading: Should the post-2015 agenda treasure what is measured? International Journal of Educational Development, 40, 308-314.
Crouch, L., & DeStefano, J. (2015). A practical approach to in-country systems research. Retrieved from: http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/pdf/outputs/RISE/14_Crouch-DeStefano.pdf
Dubeck, M. M., & Gove, A. (2015). The early grade reading assessment (EGRA): Its theoretical foundation, purpose, and limitations. International Journal of Educational Development, 40, 315‒322.
Gove, A. & Dubeck, M.M. (forthcoming). Assess reading early to inform instruction, improve quality, and realize possibilities. Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2016. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Inter-Agency and Expert Group (IAEG) (2016). Report of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/47th-session/documents/2016-2-IAEG-SDGs-E.pdf
Wagner, D. A. (2016). Learning, literacy and sustainable development: Inclusion, vulnerability, and the SDGs.

Authors

• Amber K Gove, RTI International

• Simon King, RTI International

• Abbie Raikes, University of Nebraska, Public Health and Buffett Early Childhood Institute