assessment

Though many of the issues we are facing in ensuring children worldwide are in school and learning are not new, COVID-19 has magnified the challenges. This pandemic has impacted nearly all facets of the world’s education systems and programs at the same time. Assessing children’s learning achievement is one important aspect of education support and reform; it is essential to know if children are learning. Yet many assessment efforts can no longer take place as planned. How can we gauge learning when best laid plans are out?

Many of our daily decisions are informed by the information we gather from established instruments. If we hear that the barometer is showing a drop in the air pressure, we can plan for changes in the weather.  When we read that GDP (gross domestic product) has been on a steady rise, it gives us financial confidence. And when we see a normal blood pressure reading, that is one indicator that our health is on the right track. These three instruments help to predict what might happen next in domains that affect us all--the economy, the weather, and health.