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Aligning Learning Inputs to Global Norms (ALIGN) for Minimum Proficiency: Case Studies from Djibouti, Uzbekistan, Nigeria

Thu, March 14, 9:30 to 11:00am, Hyatt Regency Miami, Floor: Third Level, Foster 2

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a commitment to ensure that by 2030, all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes (SDG 4.1). Performance on this goal is reported as the proportion of learners: “(a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex” (M. Gustafsson, 2019, p. 6).

These SDG indicators are based on global research that highlights the critical contribution of foundational skills in reading and mathematics to learners’ overall academic performance (Juel, 1988; Wharton-McDonald et al., 1988; Duncan et al., 2007; Duncan & Magnuson, 2011; Watts et al., 2014; Claessens & Engel, 2013). They also apply research from health and development sectors indicating that foundational skills are essential to reducing social inequality and improving individuals’ social and economic security and well-being (OECD, 2010; UNESCO, 2016).

The recent COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the importance of focusing on foundational skills. Studies show the pandemic has resulted in a 17 percent global increase in the number of ten-year-olds lacking basic skills to 70 million learners in 2021 alone (ONE Campaign, 2021). There is an urgent need to reverse this trend so every learner develops the foundational skills required to participate fully in their community’s social and economic life. That means using evidence-based approaches to identify where resources are most needed, both across countries and within a country, to address learning inequities and ensure that learners are able to demonstrate minimum proficiency levels.

This panel presentation will show how the Align Learning Inputs to Global Norms (ALIGN) for Minimum Proficiency process can help address these needs. The ALIGN process is an evidence-based gap analysis that uses the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) as a reference to determine if a country’s education system will enable learners to meet global norms in reading and mathematics. An ALIGN process focuses on four components: curriculum and standards, teaching and learning materials, teacher training, and assessment. The ALIGN process identifies potential gaps or misalignments in each of these four components and actions to address them.

The ALIGN process was successfully piloted in four countries, Djibouti, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan. (By the time of CIES 2024, we will have two additional pilots underway.)

In Djibouti, the Ministry of Education included the ALIGN process in the education sector plan and in a co-designed activity funded by a donor. The technical assistance partner on the activity used ALIGN to revise the reading curriculum and curriculum standards for grades one to five as well as teaching and learning materials (TLM), teacher training, and assessments. This pilot provides an excellent example of a full ALIGN process.

In Uzbekistan, the ALIGN process was used by an implementing partner to develop new reading and math standards for grades one to four. The GPF, the South Korean national curriculum, and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study served as references to inform this ALIGN process. This pilot provides an excellent example of using multiple references to ensure updated curriculum standards are contextually appropriate and align with the country’s needs and priorities.

In Nigeria, the ALIGN process was used to create a national reading assessment framework that is aligned with the GPF and now serves as a reference for the future revision of state-level curriculum, TLM, teacher training, and assessments. This pilot provides an excellent example of how ALIGN can be used to align standards at the state, national, and international levels and across multiple languages of instruction.

Each of these pilots has shown how ALIGN can be used in a variety of contexts and scenarios. This has enabled us to identify lessons learned and generate key recommendations for implementation, accompanied by a new set of implementation tools. These tools include the ALIGN Help Desk, the ALIGN Readiness Checklist, the ALIGN Planning Guide, facilitation guides for ALIGN workshops, and various monitoring and evaluation forms.

The goals of the roundtable discussion are to 1) educate participants about the ALIGN process and how it can be used to improve student learning outcomes, and to 2) prepare participants to implement ALIGN in their own work. Participants will receive an overview of the ALIGN process and various ALIGN implementation tools and hear from several practitioners who have used the process in different pilot countries.

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