Linking assessments to a global definition of minimum proficiency using policy linking

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The U.N. 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require countries to report against indicator 4.1.1 – the proportion of students in grades 2/3, end of primary, and end of lower secondary who meet at least a minimum proficiency level in reading and math. Given that not all countries participate in existing international assessments that are built to enable cross-national comparisons of student achievement and countries have their own national assessments that they may want to use as a data source for reporting against a global indicator, a method of linking different assessments to a common scale is needed. Policy linking, also called social moderation, is form of linking different assessments and could be used to link different learning assessments to a global standard of minimum proficiency (Linn, 1993).

The papers in this panel session will provide CIES participants with an overview what policy linking is and how it addresses an unmet need for reporting progress towards global learning goals. The first paper will provide context for why it is necessary to explore methods for reporting against a common, global indicator of minimum proficiency, providing the perspective of a USG agency given its reporting goals and requirements under the READ Act. The second paper will explain how policy linking fits in the broader taxonomy of linking methods and how it differs from statistical linking methods in terms of assumptions and requirements and finally, why it is a method that could meet this unmet need. The third paper will provide a step by step explanation of how policy linking is applied, from the development of a global definition of minimum proficiency to setting cut scores on existing assessments. The fourth paper will discuss the outcomes and recommendations made by participants in the August workshop, including the proposed next steps for piloting the use of policy linking.

The panel presents an opportunity to seek additional feedback from the international development community on the operationalization of policy linking, including recommendations for moving forward.

Linn, R. L. (1993). Linking results of distinct assessments. Applied Measurement in Education, 6, 83-102.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Dana Kelly, Management Systems International (MSI)

Individual Presentations

• Reporting to a Global Standard of Student Proficiency - Melissa Chiappetta, US Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Policy Linking as a Method to Link Assessments - Jeff Davis, MSI

• Applying Policy Linking Method to Link Assessments to a Global Standard - Sean Kelly, MSI; Abdullah Ferdous, MSI

• Operationalizing Policy Linking – Recommendations and Next Steps - Idalia Rodriguez-Morales, Management Systems International; Dana Kelly, Management Systems International (MSI)

Discussant

• Luis Crouch, RTI International