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PRIMER ON LARGE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
who have not achieved minimum reading proficiency (measured according to the results of a country’s large-scale assessments of reading) and is adjusted according to the proportion of children who are out of school and are assumed not to be able to read proficiently. The data released in 2019 indicated that 53 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries could not read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school. In low-income countries, the level was as high as 80 percent. The World Bank launched an operational target to cut the learning poverty rate by at least half before 2030. In addition to a literacy policy package focused on promoting the acquisition of reading proficiency in primary school, World Bank support includes assistance in strengthening largescale assessment programs to close data gaps and better monitor whether more students are learning to read with comprehension over time. • COVID-19: Before the outbreak of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, the world was already facing a learning crisis, as high levels of learning poverty evidenced. With the spread of COVID-19, education systems faced a new crisis, as more than 160 countries mandated some form of school closures, affecting at least 1.5 billion children and youth. Research shows that the pandemic could cause learning poverty to increase sharply. Learning losses could be especially large among the most disadvantaged children and youth. As countries gradually begin to reopen their schools, they will need to take stock of student learning levels. A crucial aspect of this will be using large-scale assessments to gauge overall learning levels and identify specific subgroups or locations that need additional support in addressing learning losses and promoting learning recovery. These targeted efforts will be essential, given that demands on scarce global and national resources are at historic highs and the need to use these limited resources in a cost-effective way is greater than ever.
What Will You Learn from This Primer? This primer is meant to be a first-stop resource for those wanting to understand how to design, develop, administer, analyze, and use the results from large-scale assessments of educational achievement. Each chapter introduces a stage in the process and offers tips, country examples, and things to consider or avoid. The primer is best used in conjunction with the World Bank National Assessments of Educational Achievement book series. The five volumes in that series go into more technical detail on many of the topics introduced in this primer. The nine chapters in this primer have been structured to answer questions that those working on large-scale assessment projects and those interested in making informed decisions about them frequently ask. This chapter has introduced some key concepts about large-scale assessments and their relevance. Chapter 2 covers the use of large-scale assessment findings. Chapters 3 to 7 discuss critical aspects of planning and implementing large-scale assessments and analysis and dissemination of large-scale assessment results. Chapters 8 and 9 review the main regional and international large-scale assessment programs.
