Developing Institutional Capacity for
Learning Assessment
Institutional Structures in India :
An Overview
Institutional Initiatives for
Learning Assessment
Issues for Discussion
Institutional Structures-Govt
NCERT
CRC
SCERT
BRC
DIET
State Initiatives in Assessment
• NCERT conducts National Achievement Survey at Grades 3 , 5
and 8 and recently grade10 every 3 years. Latest in 20102013.
• Survey conducted with help of SCERTs, SIEs for which there
are state/district coordinators .
• Detailed guidelines cum training module is prepared for
quality control.
• Recent improvements include Multiple Test Forms, Item
Response Theory for equivalence of forms;
• States also conduct achievement surveys eg Rajasthan and
Gujarat.
• For CCE a Source book has been prepared by NCERT.
Non State Initiatives
• ASER Center, an NGO has been conducting since 2005 annual
household based surveys by citizens in rural areas in age
group of 5 to 16 in basic reading and maths. About 0 .6 million
children are tested annually across sectors including out of
school.
• ASER has inspired similar surveys in many countries outside
India.
• Education Initiatives has conducted since 2006 multi –state
assessments covering government and private schools in
grade appropriate competencies. Provide benchmarks plus
gaps. With Gujarat government a Diagnostic Assessment
covering 1000 students in grades 3, 5 , 7 and 9 is conducted
annually.
Issues For Discussion
• Some Key Questions:
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Who to assess?
What to assess?
How to assess?
Why Assess?
Issues for Discussion
• Can we discuss Learning Assessment in
isolation from Learning outcomes?
• How do we define learning outcomes? Are our
Basic Assumptions correct?
• (1) School system is anchored on the notion of age
grade progression with assumption all children are
same level. Are they?
• (a) Diversity in ages. (5&4 year olds) (b) Sociolinguistic Diversity .
• Over 100 m children 2+years below grade level!
(ASER) –.
Assumption 2: Inputs =Outcomes?!
• Children not learning because basic facilities are not thereschools, teachers, textbooks etc. What is happening in
classrooms?
• Very little discourse on deeper educational issues on why
students don’t learn.
• Sterile/hostile classrooms, not inclusive.
• Time on task studies show maximum time spent on
copying—no engagement with content.
• Need for recreating ‘emergent literacy’ experiences in
preschool/school like language immersion through
activities, phonemic awareness, vocabulary , pre
mathematical concepts and skills etc.
• Need for understanding of Science of learning –pedagogical
and curricular expectations to be based on these.
Learning Assessment –Lessons
learned
• Learning Levels very low.-NCERT /ASER –higher
order skills not developed.
• Purpose of Assessment &Stakes : Resistance to
large scale surveys because of associated stakes--administrators, teachers, parents….may lead to
large scale manipulation of scores !
• Important to have consensus on large scale
assessment only diagnostic to initiate or validate
a process of educational reform and school
improvement.
• Experts needed to guide this process.
Lessons Learned
• Focus on Early Grades : Foundation for later
learning; yet children faltering..
• Sample based assessment and CCE are mutually
supportive. Former provides health check of
system; latter of individual. Institutional capacity
needs to be strengthened for both.
• Survey results need to be shared with teachers,
principals, administrators and also parents and
community in simple language.
What capacities should be
strengthened?
• Early learning: Need to consolidate learnings on how children
engage with early reading and early maths.
• Tools: Standardized reading assessment tools in different languages
.
• Questions/items: Questions for tapping higher order skills.
• Non academic areas: Assessment in non-academic areas.
• Survey designing: Designing and conducting timely and valid large
scale surveys.
• Data management
• Use of data: Understanding , interpretation and dissemination of
learning data findings.
• Technology as an enabler in Assessment: how do we use it?
Whose Capacities to be
strengthened?
Suggested Activities
• POA for setting of specific and realistic stage wise
not grade wise learning goals—(a) preschool; (b)
grade 2 and © grade 5.
• Review Pre/School and Teacher education curricula
from this perspective of goals, understanding of how
children learn; contextual diversity; integration of
CCE as part of teaching learning cycle.
• Time bound plan to review/develop a system of
annual assessment of stage wise learning goals and
its dissemination.
• Universities to offer certificate /diploma courses on
Science of learning and Assessment.
• Action research based on a field lab concept.