Education without Representation: The exclusion of marginalized populations from educational assessment

• In Event: Measurement at the margins: The challenges of assessment at the bottom of the pyramid

Abstract

Donors, countries, and researchers have emphasized the need for data on student learning outcomes around the world, and most especially at the bottom of the pyramid – those countries and populations most in need of education interventions and assistance. However, many large-scale educational assessments systematically exclude certain population groups from measurement due to gender, geography, language, ethnicity, and disability. Thus, many of the most marginalized groups are underrepresented in international and national education data.

This paper will discuss different types of assessments utilized in comparative and international education research in order to understand the specific populations at risk of exclusion, and how exclusion occurs. The implications of exclusions are examined in the light of national and international efforts to address the problem of social and economic exclusion among marginalized populations. For donors and countries aiming to improve services and outcomes among marginalized populations, it is important to be aware of the limitations of the data from large-scale education assessments (LSEAs), and the implications of these limitations for policy and program development. This paper will argue that, while LSEAs and regional assessments may be useful for cross-country comparison of high-level indicators, alternative types of methodologies and assessments may be better suited for identifying and describing marginalized populations.

Authors

• Kathy Buek, University of Pennsylvania

• Jinsol Lee, University of Pennsylvania