Lessons Learned and Next Steps for Sustaining and Institutionalizing the ALP Assessment System

• In Event: Sustaining and Institutionalizing Classroom Assessments in Liberia’s Accelerated Learning Program

Proposal

Including multiple stakeholders in the process of improving the assessment practices is an important step in ensuring the quality of assessment implementation. Based on observations and feedback to the placement and completion assessment implementation process in Year 1, the AQE team developed a protocol for focus group discussions and individual interviews with project staff, principals, teachers, and learners. The questions aim to provide a holistic picture of training implementation and delivery, assessment administration and oversight, and experiences delivering and taking the assessments.
The findings from the focus group discussions identified key challenges and areas for improvement in the Year 2 training and assessment materials. Some of these included increased support for assessment oversight, improved training to ensure consistency across the counties, as well as a greater focus on sustaining the assessment system.
The theory of change for AQE hypothesizes that if the ALP regulatory framework is institutionalized, then the safety of the ALP centers will improve as will teachers’ instruction, both leading to more ALP learners transitioning to the formal school system. Thus, the activity has two main result areas: first, that the ALP framework be institutionalized, and second, that eligibility of ALP learners to transition to formal education be increased. Under Result 1, AQE supports the MoE via the technical working group to develop and adopt the national ALP Regulatory Framework. In addition, AQE has designed a training cycle for County Education Officers, District Education Officers, and Parent-Teacher Associations, which include parents of ALP learners and community members. Facilitator trainings are led by master trainers, who are first trained by AQE and then charged with leading workshops. Training topics range from implementation of the AQE curriculum to use of the Teacher Code of Conduct (TCOC) for school-related, gender-based violence prevention and response.

AQE is working to ensure the training modules and materials—as well as the assessments and supporting materials—are presented in a way that is user-friendly and manageable. These materials include the piloted and validated leveled assessments, assessor guides that aim to improve the fidelity of implementation of the assessments and scoring guides that aim to ensure consistent and fair scoring for all assessments. In addition to these materials, AQE is working with members of various levels within the MoE to build capacity to manage the education system by providing support around assessment material management, supervision and certification. The project is also working to ensure that teachers continue to receive the necessary support to administer and score the placement and completion assessments.

Author

• Apollo Nkwake, Education Development Center