UNICEF Foundational learning module and its alignment with the GPF and MPL

• In Event: Assessing Foundational Skill Proficiency Linked to International Standards

Proposal

UNICEF is creating an assessment to measure reading and math skills in primary grades, aiming to produce valid data for reporting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators 4.1.1a and 4.1.1b. The test should align with the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) standards initiated in 2020 and the agreed SDG minimum proficiency levels (MPL) aligned with it in 2023.

The new Foundational Learning module (FLM 2.0) builds on the MICS Foundational Learning Skills (FLS) module launched in 2016, designed for Grade 2 skills and adopted by 53 surveys in 47 countries. A preliminary assessment in 2020 showed that the FLS module was not entirely aligned with the GPF for Grade 2.

In partnership with UNESCO Institute for Statistics and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2021, UNICEF aimed to improve FLS module alignment with the GPF and develop a similar module for end-of-primary reading and math skills. After a more detailed alignment assessment in early 2022, UNICEF and external specialists supplemented the FLS module with new items to align with Grade 2 GPF standards.

The development of the end-of-primary assessment differed due to the FLS module's inability to measure late grade skills. Consequently, UNICEF considered the possibility of utilizing the work of UIS and ACER to create a suitable measurement tool. A review in fall 2022 suggested the necessity of new items for late primary skills assessment, primarily due to the response format of items and efficiency constraints of the multi-topic MICS survey. The newly developed items, aligned with GPF standards for Grades 4 to 6, mirrored the AMPL-b framework and were shared with the Learning Data Compact partners for review in 2022/2023.

These items underwent qualitative testing in Zambia in May 2023 and are set for further quantitative testing in Nepal later in 2023. The final assessment draft is expected by year-end, subject to testing outcomes and reviewer feedback. However, given recent 2023 developments, such as the release of the Minimum Proficiency Levels (MPLs) for SDG4.1.1 reporting and the new policy linking toolkit, UNICEF must re-evaluate these items and seek external advice before proceeding with the Nepal tests to ensure alignment with SDG reporting requirements.

Authors

• Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Southern Methodist University

• Sakshi Mishra, UNICEF