Southeast AsiaPrimary Learning Metric (SEA-PLM): OVERVIEW

SEAMEO Consultative Meeting on SEA-BES and SEA-PLM

November 4th 2014

Jim Ackers, UNICEF Regional Education Adviser

What is SEA-PLM?

A primary education learning metrics for SEA which will provide timely, high-quality data to

stakeholders and policy makers for

effective reforms and interventions

Uniqueness of SEA-PLM? A regional metric focused at Primary Level (Grade 5)

Uniquely SEAMEO-ASEAN – reflects Southeast Asian values

Beyond reading to literacy, maths and ‘global citizenship’

Opportunity to apply innovative approaches to assessment

Includes School/Student Context survey

Based on national curriculum standards

Building from target rather than minimum standards

Embeds capacity building opportunities throughout

SEA-PLM will support SEAMEO Member Countries to:

better measure and understand the status of learning achievement amongst the general population and for specific groups (e.g., boys/girls; sub-nationally; public/private sectors)

use culturally appropriate metrics for formative and summative purposes that can assess 21st Century skills and critical thinking

improve curriculum and its relevance to national needs and priorities (improving quality of education through system-level monitoring of learner achievement)

build technical and analytical capacities of national examination and assessment staff

strengthen SEAMEO-ASEAN technical collaboration on learning assessment and standards across education systems

Linking SEA-PLM to other regional assessments

• PISA, TIMMS and PIRLS to assess learning outcomes at lower secondary ages

• EGRA is increasingly used as a measure of early reading competence

• EGMA is used as a measure of numeracy and mathematics in the early grades

• East Asia Learning Assessment Study (EALAS) used national curriculum to prepare national Grade 3 & 5 metrics using SOLO Taxonomy and Rasch model

• East Asia Pacific - Early Childhood Development Scale. For children 3-5 years, currently being validated with 7000 children in 6 countries with HKU and ARNEC

• SEAMEO RECSAM’s - Southeast Asian Regional Standards for Mathematics and Science Teachers (SEARS)

• SEAMEO QITEP in Mathematics’ - Mathematics Regional Wide Assessment (MaRWA)

Learning from Global Learning Metric Task Force

Task force recommends that education systems offer focus on mastering competencies in seven domains essential for future lives and livelihoods

Global Citizenship and the SEA-PLM

Global Citizenship

21st century skills

Education for peace

Civic engagement

Life-skills Education

Collaboration across institutions• Initial collaboration: UNICEF and SEAMEO: SEAMES and

INNOTECH

• Further cooperation with: UNESCO Bangkok, Policy and Reform [EPR] Unit, UNESCO Bangkok UIS, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific [ESCAP] Statistic Division [ACER], Brookings Institute, LMTF], Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific [NEQMAP]

• Future cooperation: As above +: Domain Technical Review Panels, MOE/National Teams, UNICEF Country Offices and SEAMEO Centres, ASEAN.

Progress: SEA-PLM (I)

35th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (November 2012)Proposal on devel-opment of a South-east Asia Primary Learning Metric(SEA-PLM) & Plan for Phase I to be completed in 2013 was presented and endorsed

47th SEAMEO Council Confer-ence (March 2013) • SEAMEO

Council of Ministers took note of concept note and plan to complete Phase I in 2013 and to propose Phase II at 36th SEAMEO HOM

Working Group Established (Beginning of 2013) • Members:

SEAMEO Secre-tariat, SEAMEO INNOTECH, UNICEF EAPRO, UNESCO (UIS and EPR Units), ACER, UN ESCAP Statistics Division

Regional Experts Reference Group (RERG) Estab-lished (Septem-ber 2013)• RERG convened

a Regional Expert Seminar on September 24-26, 2013

Desk Review Completed (De-cember 2013)• SEAMEO

INNOTECH: Primary school curricula in Southeast Asian countries

• ACER: Experiences with primary learning metrics – and with PISA and TIMMS – in the region

36th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (February 2014)• Progress on

phase I presented and full endorsement of phase II was

given• Proposed

candidates for Phase 2: Brunei Darussalam,

Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand.• Cambodia showed interest

ACER Review of Primary Learning Metrics - using a simplified framework of multilevel approaches to assessment

Approaches to assessment in SEACountries Assessment Types Names of Tests

Cambodia Hybrid, Regional and National EGRA, PASEC, LAS

Lao PDR Hybrid, Regional, National EGRA, PASEC, NLS, ASLO,

Indonesia Hybrid, Regional, National EALAS, Literacy Boost, TIMSS, PIRLS, LAS

Malaysia National, International PISA, TIMSS

Myanmar Hybrid EALAS

Philippines Hybrid, International, National EGRA, Literacy Boost, EALAS, Phil-IRI, TIMSS

Singapore National, International CRP, TIMSS, PIRLS

Thailand Hybrid, National, International Nationwide Assessment, TIMSS

Timor Leste Hybrid EGRA, EALAS

Vietnam Hybrid, National, Regional, Reading and Maths Assessments Study, EGRA, EALAS, Literacy Boost, PASEC

INNOTECH’s review of Primary Education Curriculum

SEAMEO INNOTECH reviewed the curriculum of 7 SEA countries using the 7 domains for Learning Outcomes under the LMTF.

The review identified commonalities and unique elements within curriculum frameworks in the participating countries

The contents were compared using the LMTF domains

UNICEF’s support to SEA-PLM: Rationale

EQUITY AND LEARNING: “Strengthened political commitment, accountability and national capacity to legislate, plan and budget for scaling up quality and inclusive education – learning assessment systems, early learning policies and programmes, risk informed sector plans” Unicef Strategic Plan: COMMITMENT TO LMTF: As LMTF Board MemberCOMPLEMENTARITY WITH OTHER ANALYTICAL WORK- Learning, Education & Social Cohesion/MTBBE- Out of School Children Studies in 10 countries- Multi-country study on school grants with IIEP in 5 countries- ELDS and ECD ScalesCOMMITMENT TO ENHANCING PRACTICE – enhanced LFACOMMITMENT TO REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS – EFA to post 2015

Two levels of engagement

Country engagement Regional engagement MOE Focal Point in SC MOE Focal Point in SCNational TeamIn-country facilitating unit In-country facilitating unitExperts for DTRP Experts for DTRPIn-country trainingRegional seminars Regional seminarsField Test

Immediate next steps => NOV 2014

Ministries of Education Express interest in level of engagement from the 6 countries: country or

regional Clarify available country resources to support implementation of SEA-PLM Share perspectives of how SEA-PLM can strengthen existing assessment

and monitoring system(s) Share documentation, reports, copies of curricula, etc. Nominate experts for the Domain Technical Review Panels Nominate experts for the National Technical Team Final decision on MOE SEA-PLM focal point and lines of communication

Immediate next steps - => NOV 2014

In-country facilitating unit: Support for MOE’s Nomination of experts for the Domain Technical Review Panels

Steering Committee: Final assessment of countries’ levels of engagement Final approval of members of Domain Technical Review Panel Members

Institutional Contractor: 1st draft work plan and recommendations to SEA-PLM Steering Committee

Thank you very much