School Education Quality Assessment Project (SEQAP)
Description
The developed technology becomes country’s own. It then can be used by state authorities and school administration for educational assessment in the situation where large-scale international comparative research is not conducted. The project also promotes tools for everyday school assessment by teachers. SEQAP covers targets 4.1, 4.6, 4.7 and 4C of the SDG 4th, target 8.6 of the SDG 8th, target 9.1 of the SDG 9th, and target 17.6 of the SDG 17th.
School Education Quality Assessment Project (SEQAP) aims at helping developing countries that have insufficient capacity of experts to master use of the assessment technologies through development and adaptation of tools.
The project is carried out through annual meetings, training, scientific seminars and other educational events. Communication is organized through the online platform.
All assessment methodologies originally created in Russian language for the use in Russian educational environment. They underwent the international validity review. The main requirements for the transferring of the methodologies are translation and adaptation to other languages. Participating countries and Russia have a lot in common in approaches to education which is determined by the common historical past and close traditions.
The comparison of the monitoring results between countries participating in the project is also common requirement of project partners. To assist conducting of cross-cultural studies the partners created guidelines and recommendations “Localization and adaptation framework” based on American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education (AERA/APA/NCME) standards. Following the guidelines allows achievement of the maximum equivalence which makes comparison between countries possible. If the methodology of adaptation described in guidelines applied, participating country receives a version of the test in another language based on the same theoretical model as in the original version. Using guidelines allows considering cultural characteristics of the country of localization.
Methodology of the assessment tool/methodology adaptation includes following steps:
1. Determination of target population and comparison analysis of the educational programs. This is done by the local specialists that receive special training to perform these tasks.
2. Translation and adaptation of test items that are coincided in both languages (Russian and the language of the country of adaptation). This part is done through “learning by doing” approach by local specialists, usually test developers who know 2 languages well enough and under supervision of the test developers.
3. Development of new test items. This part is done through “learning by doing” approach by local specialists, usually test developers.
4. Expert review done by test developers.
5. Small pilot and clinical approbation. These researches are organized on the country of adaptation by the team of local specialists that underwent training.
6. Psychometric validity research of the results of clinical approbation is done together with country teams and test developers.
7. Discussion of results, development of dissemination strategy and presenting to public.
8. Country ownership of the adapted tool.
During the project participating countries receive to own: (i) SAM test and methodology for assessment in different subjects and for different school levels; (ii) methodology for development of the survey for teachers, students and school administration; (iii) technology of the lesson with in-built diagnostics. These methodologies get adapted to the local language in close cooperation with country teams through the “learning by doing” approach. The methodology of adaptation was also developed specially for the needs of the project and introduced to country teams during seminars and workshops. Country teams offered some specific cultural context to the methodology of the adaptation and localization so it can be used for further assessment tools adaptation and localization beyond the project needs. All transferred methodologies and tools are used for everyday classroom assessment and for conducting of comparative research inside of countries and between the countries. During the adaptation of the methodologies and tools there are trainings, workshops and seminars organized in order to equip country teams with necessary knowledge and skills. The trainings are conducted by international team of experts together with country specialists. They present their experience in case studies seminars and through publications of the articles at online communication platform.
Capacity building is one of the most important outcomes of the project. The increasing numbers of the specialists from the developing countries who underwent special training (through workshops, online distant learning, scientific seminars and so on) reflect the success of the project. Capacity building activities under the project include:
1. “Learning by doing” component. This component of the project offers specialists, including young ones without any real work experience, to participate in project and do some tasks under the supervision of the expert. The expert is in constant communication with the participants and provide clear instructions, supervision, support and assess results. The work tasks under this component include field work on data collection, different kinds of preparation activities, reports writing, working with online resources and others.
2. Training including distant learning. The distant learning is performed through the online platform that allows interactive communication, submitting homework, distribution of materials. Through the platform specialists in specific countries study the adapted methodologies of the assessment for further use in their work.
3. Seminars and workshops. During these events specialists exchange ideas and experience. The workshops with participation of the leading international expert are often conducted.
The initiative cooperates with the leading experts from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who work on the design of the assessment methodologies and tools. The partners promote the development of tools including organization of piloting, clinical approbations and research conducting. The important role in tools development plays by a regular international review and validity studies which confirm that the tools and methodologies are reliable and developed in accordance with international standards.
In 2008-2012 countries had an opportunity to explore SEQAP methodologies and evaluate their features for a use in particular educational context. In 2016 the cross-country partnership was formed in order to transfer the methodologies to countries and to adapt it in different language while maintaining original quality.
Partnership is mutually beneficial. Country teams work under the supervision of the tool developers. In response they provide information and enrich global knowledge on assessment and specific educational contexts through applying and improving technology of tools adaptation and development.
The reports on the project are available publicly. They serve as a source of information on modern technology and classroom assessment for school administration and teachers. National assessment centers distribute them in countries. In some cases, national assessment centers organize seminars and other events to discuss the mid-term results of the project with involvement of wider audience that represents different stakeholders in the country including governmental officials.
The initiative is operated under the partnership between National Foundation for International Development (NFID), Center for International Cooperation in Education Development (CICED), Russian Center for Formative Assessment (RCFA), Education technologies foundation (Edutech), National Center for Assessment and Testing under the Government of the Republic of Armenia, National Assessment Center under the President of the Tajikistan, National Center for Education Quality and Information Technologies under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Center for Science and Research of the National Institute of Education of the Republic of Belarus and managed by agreements with organizations participating in the project from five countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
The partnership under SEQAP was formed after introduction of the promising tools for education quality assessment that could be adapted and used in a different cultural context and language. Central methodology used in the project is the Student Achievement Monitoring (SAM) that also includes a set of tools based on SAM’s taxonomy.
The tools, developed within the project, were reviewed by the global leading experts, provided by the World Bank.
Center for International Cooperation in Education Development (CICED)
Education technologies foundation (Edutech)
National Center for Assessment and Testing under the Government of the Republic of Armenia
National Assessment Center under the President of the Tajikistan
National Center for Education Quality and Information Technologies under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan
Center for Science and Research of the National Institute of Education of the Republic of Belarus
SDGS & Targets
Goal 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
9.1
9.1.1
Proportion of the rural population who live within 2 km of an all-season road
9.1.2
Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport
9.2
Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries
9.2.1
Manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita
9.2.2
Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment
9.3
9.3.1
Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
9.3.2
Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
9.4
By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
9.4.1
CO2 emission per unit of value added
9.5
9.5.1
Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP
9.5.2
Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants
9.a
9.a.1
Total official international support (official development assistance plus other official flows) to infrastructure
9.b
9.b.1
Proportion of medium and high-tech industry value added in total value added
9.c
Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020
9.c.1
Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.1
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
8.2
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
8.3
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
8.4
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
8.5
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
8.6
8.6.1
Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.7.1
Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
8.10
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
8.a
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
8.b
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
17.1
Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1
17.1.2
17.2
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
17.2.1
17.3
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.1
Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.2
17.4
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
17.4.1
17.5
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
17.5.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.6.1
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.7.1
Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
17.8
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology
17.8.1
17.9
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
17.9.1
Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1
17.11
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1
Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
17.12
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
17.12.1
Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States
17.13
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1
17.14
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.14.1
17.15
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development
17.15.1
17.16
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.16.1
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
17.17.1
Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure
17.18
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.18.1
Statistical capacity indicators
17.18.2
17.18.3
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding
17.19
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
17.19.1
17.19.2
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Assessment methodology for primary and secondary school adapted for 4 countries
Up to 300 specialists are training in test development and adaptation
Up to 1000 teachers are trained in field of classroom assessment
FINAL: Classroom adaptive (formative) assessment practices and approaches are introduced in state policy documents
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
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Timeline
Entity
Region
- West Asia
- Europe
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Educational researchers and specialists
More information
Countries
Headquarters
Contact Information
Olga Maslenkova, Senior Project Coordinator