people and planet

10
was administered
For global monitoring of in 10 francophone
sub-Saharan
learning, information about
African countries
cultural and linguistic
at grades 2 and 6
context is needed
in language and
mathematics
(PASEC, 2015).
The results showed Burundi outperforming all the other
countries in each grade-subject combination. Only
3% of grade 2 students were in the two lowest levels in
language, while the average was 43% for all 10 countries
(Figure 10.13). While Burundi was the poorest of the 10,
it was the only one where the assessment was in the
national language and language of instruction, not in
French. Such information is essential for interpreting
the results.
CONCLUSION
A recent review of learning assessments concludes
they are ‘an effective and relevant way to judge
that a population is acquiring the basic knowledge
and competencies’ (Muskin, 2016, p. 4). But can
they provide useful and valid information for global
monitoring purposes?
Numerous assessment sources demonstrate technical
obstacles to reporting globally comparable learning
indicators. Solutions will be imperfect and incomplete.
When evaluating options, it is important to choose
one that serves national needs as well as the aim of
global monitoring.
This chapter emphasized the importance of applying
the criteria of inclusivity, efficiency and feasibility. It
underscored the principle that learning assessments
should be considered a public good, delivered in the
broad interest of the people. They should enhance
prospects for improving a broad range of learning
outcomes and reduce student disparity. The recently
established Global Alliance to Monitor Learning, which
aims to harmonize assessment frameworks and
standards and help coordinate capacity-building efforts,
is a welcome initiative. Clear governance mechanisms
are needed to advance global collective action on these
issues (UIS, 2016a).
Globally, the drive to test and assess learning outcomes
has taken root. Most countries are committed to
assessing learning; a surprisingly large percentage
already conduct national assessments or have
participated in cross-national assessments to compare
learning levels with their neighbours or other systems.
And yet most low income countries face enormous
challenges to monitoring learning, in and out of school,
and to committing to act on findings. In such contexts,
many assessment systems are ineffective or of low
quality and attention by government and school leaders
to improve learning outcomes, especially among the
marginalized, is low and unsustained.
One trap to avoid is focusing on a narrow range of
assessed subjects. National curricular policies and
assessment approaches should be well aligned to gain
legitimacy and set the stage for reform. Support for
initial assessments in certain subject domains should
be contingent on sustained future efforts to develop
valid, high quality assessments in other areas, such as
sustainability issues and global citizenship, which are
critical for the larger sustainable development agenda
(see Chapter 16). Knowledge and skills in these and other
areas can and should be assessed.
Countries should not see the need to report against
a global measure as a constraint. They should not be
required to participate in a cross-national assessment.
This is an opportunity for countries to review their
assessment strategies and invest in the approach
that best serves their long-term interests. The next 15
years stand a good chance of driving improvement in
the quality of national assessments, facilitated by the
establishment of an international peer network and
through efficient resource use.
Finally, once a global measure of learning is in place,
it is important to set realistic expectations about the
progress possible by 2030. Evidence from international
assessments suggests that improvement in the
percentage of students reaching minimum proficiency
in reading and mathematics tests is likely to remain
modest during such a short time span (Clarke, 2016).
2016 • GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 203