Curriculum Review and Development

This report presents the findings of a survey conducted as part of the Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program. The survey aimed to assess the adoption and use of new English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning materials (Grades 1-11) in public schools throughout Uzbekistan during the 2022-2023 academic year. The evaluation focused on the implementation and adoption of the Cambridge series Guess What! and Prepare, as well as their impact on student learning, as perceived by teachers. An approach, involving qualitative and quantitative data analysis, was employed.

The goal of this study was to learn whether and how teachers in grades 2 and 4 were using the new ULA and Mathematics TG and STBs and applying the SCSs therein. The study consisted of two phases. The Program used Phase 1 results and ensuing recommendations to inform the development and finalization of materials and ongoing TPD efforts. Phase 2 results served to determine whether teachers became more proficient over time in their application of the SCSs embedded in the TGs.

This information and communication technology (ICT) assessment measured the competency of 1,244 grade 9, 10, and 11 students from the beginning to the end of the 2022–2023 school year in two regions. This longitudinal study measured the impact of student learning outcomes over the course of a year. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program conducted a baseline assessment at the beginning of the school year in September 2022 and an endline assessment at the end of the school year in May 2023. These assessments included a knowledge examination of the content of newly introduced ICT standards and textbooks. The examination was based on standards and proficiency was defined as 78%, 79%, and 77% correct responses in the assessment for grades 9, 10, and 11 respectively by the subject matter specialists in ICT. Additionally, to better measure the progress during the early years of implementation of the new curriculum, the Program also set intermediate proficiency levels at 50%, 40%, and 40% for grades 9, 10, and 11 respectively.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program, implemented by RTI International, conducted the Teaching and Learning Material (TLM) Uptake Study to inform immediate- and medium-term revisions to the TLMs developed by both the Program and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE). This desk review forms part of the TLM Uptake Study. Under the desk review, we evaluated the quality of the teacher guides (TGs) and student textbooks (STBs) developed for the Uzbek Language Arts (ULA) and Mathematics courses for grades 1–4 during the piloting of these materials in schools.

In November 2018, the Republic of Uzbekistan Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) announced its Information Technology Nation initiative, which is aimed at producing graduates with the ability to work in cyber security, software development and testing, network administration, graphic design, animation, and game design. To achieve these outcomes, the public education system began addressing a series of critical constraints, including access to information and communication technology (ICT) hardware and broadband access at the school level, time allocated to ICT classes, and outdated standards and curriculum for ICT education, which should better reflect assessments of ICT skills and current labor market and university demands.

With a modern, robust new curriculum carefully prepared by local and international experts to meet the needs of Uzbekistan’s students, how would the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) ensure the effectiveness of textbooks and teacher guides in the classroom? The new teaching and learning materials (TLMs) created and customized by the USAID-funded Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program in partnership with the MoPSE were developed through a multi-step, participatory process. Input from international experts and Uzbekistan primary teachers and academics grounded the modern methods and practices in the local context. To evaluate the use and value of these TLMs for students and educators, the Program led an extensive pilot initiative.

The Uzbekistan Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) spearheaded an initiative to reform its curricula based on international best practices. The USAID-funded Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program brought together a diverse cohort of international and local experts to help revitalize the country’s public school curricula under the leadership of RTI International. Together with MoPSE staff, the Program addressed the challenges of increasing student engagement and critical thinking by developing standards-based textbooks and teacher guides for Uzbek Language Arts (ULA) and mathematics.

A national curriculum and its learning materials are the backbone of an education system. At their best, they reflect student needs, a country’s aspirations for its youth, and a realistic path to gaining the knowledge that will bridge them. The Government of Uzbekistan Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) is investing in a strong education system for the long-term success of students and the nation. Uzbekistan boasts an impressive adult literacy rate of over 99 percent and the country’s support for education is evidenced in the policies and executive decrees of recent years. Yet, challenges persisted in the national curriculum and educational materials,which were not well integrated and did not consistently reflect current evidence on how children learn nor the unique context of Uzbek youth.

Leveraging the significant contributions made by MoPSE partners, the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program was strategically designed to enhance and support mathematics quality enhancement initiatives. Specifically, the Program crafted high-quality, research-based standards. Student learning standards are the foundation or core of an educational system, and every component of each subject is based on these standards. Once complete, student standards inform the development of scope and sequences, textbooks, and assessments

Developing the standards for EFL education is a major step towards the Uzbekistan’s vision of an English-speaking nation by 2030. MoPSE experts and Program technical advisors developed a set of EFL standards as the basis of a standards-based curriculum. This brief provides an overview of the development and review of EFL student learning standards for grades 1-11