Early Childhood Learning – Learnings from Assessment StudiesSridhar RajagopalanCECED, September 25, 2013

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Our Key Learnings Relevant to Early Learning

1. Assessments are important and a partner2. About Maths Learning levels3. About Language Learning Levels4. Discussing Learning Levels is very important5. Rote learning in elite private schools sets a bad goalpost6. English and Multilingualism7. Higher classes / Board Exams - matter for Early Learning8. Reading for all9. The Science of Learning

About Educational Initiatives

Plus Leading Private Schools across India and abroad

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai

Royal Education Council Bhutan Govt. of Maldives

12 year old company specialising exclusively on Student Assessments and Learning Improvement

"If you learn how to look at data in the right way, you can explain riddles that otherwise might have seemed impossible. Because there is nothing like the sheer power of numbers to scrub away layers of confusion and contradiction“

- S.D. Levitt (Freakonomics)

1. Assessments are important and a partner

“Without feedback from precise measurement, invention is doomed to be rare and erratic. With it, invention becomes commonplace.

- William Rosen - (The Most Powerful Idea in the World)

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Current Reality: Very Low Student Learning Levels

• Problems seen across subjects, across studies and across regions

• India PISA Results

Correctly answered by only 9.3% students

(sample size: 9282)

Class 5Question:Multiply: 346 x 83

Class 5

Less than 50% of class 5 children could write a sentence on

the picture

2. About Maths Learning Levels

In lower classes – students are able to comparatively handle questions that are very ‘straightforward’ and NOT when they are slightly atypical.MathsClass 4

What time is this clock showing?

What time is the clock showing?

____________

Class 4

MathsClass 4

LanguageClass 6 Class 6

71.4%

Write the answer.

70 - 43________________ 49.4%

Kheer is __________ to taste. A. bitter B. sweet C. spicy D. sour

Language

89.6%

Fill the blank with an appropriate word. Question: ………is the book? Answer: It is on the table. 20.9%

72.7% 34.0%

2. Maths Learning Levels (cont’d)

Maths (question read out)

How many kites are there in this picture?

Correctly answered by only 55% class 2 students. Sample size: 10000 students

Subtract 26 from 51

Correctly answered by 25% students of class 4

Students writing does not go beyond the most basic, tried and tested formulaic sentences they probably trained for while in their lower classes

Their writing shows that they are learning language more as a subject and less as a means of natural communication.

The writing has a number of errors in spelling and grammar, and punctuation marks are conspicuous by their absence.

3. About Language Learning Levels

3. About Language Learning Levels

o A total of 150 papers (50 from each class) were randomly selected from different schools and different regions

A passage on brushing one’s teeth and what works..

How did Indian states do?

3. Language Learning Levels (cont’d)

PISA 2009+

TN – 63%HP – 53%PISA Avg – 85%

3. Language Learning Levels (cont’d)

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4. Discussing Learning Levels is very important

We start with questions that revealLearning gaps

5. Rote learning in elite private schools - a bad goalpost

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6. English and Multilingualism

• The popular demand for English needs to be responded with discussion and dissemination about the harmful effects of English medium in early learning…

• …As well as the role and importance of multilingualism

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7. Higher classes / Board Exams - matter for Early Learning

Source: Examples are from Gujarat Board, CBSE and IGCSE Class 10 papers of 2009

From a State Board Paper

From the CBSE Paper

From the IGCSE Paper

8. Reading for All

We believe that most of India’s educational challenge can be met if we can ensure just 1 thing: that every child can read well as per grade level by class 4 level. Obviously

this is easier said than done

1Systemic CapacityA body of knowledge that generates research on learning and is grounded in practice

2Institutional CapacityStrong institutions that develop, enhance and disseminate this knowledge and are not individual dependent

3People's CapacityContinuous Professional Development for educational functionaries, teachers and others

9. The Science of LearningMany initiatives fail because of capacity issues

While capacity is understood at level of teachers, institutional and systemic capacity are often ignored

Need for Research based initiatives like a Science of Learning Institute, Central Reading Research Institute,

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Summary - Key Learnings

1. Assessments are important and a partner2. About Maths Learning levels3. About Language Learning Levels4. Discussing Learning Levels is very important5. Rote learning in elite private schools sets a bad goalpost6. English and Multilingualism7. Higher classes / Board Exams - matter for Early Learning8. Reading for all9. The Science of Learning