National Assessment

BOX 2.4. Role of Background Information in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic National Assessment

In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Research Institute for Educational Sciences—part of the Ministry of Education and Sports—has been responsible for conducting the country’s national large-scale assessment since 2006. The Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes tested grade 5 student performance levels in 2006 and 2009 and grade 3 student performance levels in 2012 and 2017. Because it targeted students in the early grades, the 2017 study focused on foundational literacy and mathematics. It also included context questionnaires for students, teachers, and principals to obtain additional information on factors that influence student achievement (Research Institute for Educational Sciences 2018). The 2017 study had the following objectives: • Assess student learning outcomes and determine whether students are meeting expected learning standards. • Collect and analyze background information on factors that influence student outcomes. • Disseminate findings to stakeholders to improve teaching and learning. Background information gathered as part of this study enabled the identification of factors linked to student achievement, such as: • On average, girls show higher achievement in literacy than boys. Girls and boys have similar levels of achievement in mathematics. • As teachers achieve higher levels of education, their students tend to reach higher levels of achievement in mathematics. • Students enrolled in schools with single-grade classrooms had greater achievement in literacy and numeracy than their peers in schools with multigrade classrooms.

way that reflects, to the extent possible, best practices in educational measurement and evaluation (AERA, APA, and NCME 2014).

As discussed in greater detail in the next chapter, specialists involved in each step of the assessment process (for example, design, implementation, analysis, report writing, and dissemination of findings) must be technically proficient in their area of responsibility. • Psychometricians must be able to apply standards for appropriate test development, administration, analysis, and use to each stage of the assessment process. This includes ensuring that the assessment framework and test blueprint appropriately reflect the target domain, that only items with appropriate psychometric characteristics are included in the final version of the test, and that student responses are appropriately analyzed and interpreted. • Statisticians must be able to design and implement an appropriate sampling strategy, construct analytic weights, and analyze and accurately summarize the results.