1 ASSESSMENT TO ACTION Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Local Participation & Nationwide Assessment) Washington DC : March

2 Evolution of ASER …. Ground level reality Based on Pratham’s work in urban slums and villages ….. Enrollment levels are now above 90% for the age group 6-14, BUT children are not making adequate progress academically in school. For children to stay in the school system and for the gains of “going to school” to be sustained, it is critical to : build solid foundations of basic learning in early grades, and help lagging behind older children to accelerate learning & catch up. CHALLENGE : At local level … How to bring children’s learning to the centre of the stage in discussions about education? How to accelerate children’s learning on scale? How to show that rapid change in children’s learning is possible in a short period of time?

3 Evolution of ASER …..policy statements UNIVERSAL LEARNING MDG goals - No definition or reference to children’s learning goals. National (SSA) goals do mention learning but the definition is vague ….“education of satisfactory quality relevant for life”. In India, government measurements of learning levels not current or timely. UNIVERSAL ENROLLMENT MDG goals refer to universal enrollment India’s national goals (SSA) refer to universal enrollment, retention and reduction of social and gender gaps. In India, from school/village level to state & national level enrollment numbers are collected frequently, published and discussed. Challenge: At macro & policy level … How to bring learning to centre of stage?

4 Micro-planning and community mobilization via village report cards Discussion in small groups in each hamlet : Local people help in making the hamlet report card. Report card focuses on whether child goes to school & on whether child can read simple text and do basic arithmetic Big meeting in village to discuss hamlet & village education report card. Attended by parents, villagers, village committee members, headmaster and teachers : people attend on average. Start action. Track measurable changes in children’s learning & in school functioning Agree on next steps… On what can be done in village “Demo” class run in the village for 4-5 days to show how children can learn to read quickly Assessment tool played critical role in engaging villagers

5 Reading task/assessment tool used in villages Sample : Hindi basic reading test Similar tests developed in all regional languages “Story” is Std 2 level text. “Easy para” is Std 1 level text. Words, sentences are common & also similar to textbooks. Assessment tool played critical role in getting people engaged

6 Assessment tool linked to instructional strategy FOR LETTER RECOGNITION Daily activities with letter cards – different games Reading aloud with finger pointing to letters on letter chart Finding letters in text/stories FROM READING LETTERS TO READING WORDS Reading aloud “barahkhadi” (phonetic vowel + consonant chart) with finger under sound Oral word games with similar sounds Finding words in text/stories Using phonetic chart to find words FROM READING WORDS TO READING PARAGRAPHS Using phonetic chart as needed Lots of practice reading – short sets of few sentences/easy paragraphs SHORT STORIES READ ALOUD DAILY WITH FINGER UNDER EACH WORD ONE STORY USED FOR 3-4 DAYS. DISCUSSION AROUND STORY. THINK-SAY-WRITE EVERY DAY

7 Linking policy, plans & provisions to practice ENGAGE AND EVALUATE Generate curiosity Encourage participation Engage via simple activities Use basic tools & methods Generate your own data UNDERSTAND EVIDENCE Digest information as it is being generated close to the ground Move from anecdote or personal experience to aggregate picture THINK ABOUT SOLUTIONS What can we do as citizens? Local strategies, common goals, collective involvement De-mystifying research and assessment Enabling analysis based on evidence Linking assessment and analysis to action Demanding accountability & working out collaborations with government COMPARE WITH PROVISIONS Local demands for information about plans & provisions Push for institutional mechanisms for linking govt and citizens

8 Rapid assessments of schooling & learning Preparing the ground for ASER Q. Is rapid assessment at local level useful to others? In June–July 2004….. In one state (Uttar Pradesh) Invited 20 other NGOs to see if this kind of rapid assessment was useful to them. Q. Can rapid assessment be done across the country? In August 2004 : Pratham teams led rapid assessment effort in 17 states 1 district, 2 randomly sampled blocks, 5 villages each Presented to the Planning commission. Exercise completed in 25 days.

9 Architecture of ASER …. Nuts & bolts (1) In India, citizens pay 2% education cess for elementary education. As citizens, we need to take stock of how far we have come and how far we still have to go for universal enrollment and basic learning. Therefore, annual measurement of schooling and learning needed. Annual Status of Education Report : ASER must have “ASER” (impact). Indicators: Few basic questions asked : is a child enrolled in school? Can s/he read simple text and do basic arithmetic? Scale : To be done everywhere – in ALL rural districts in the country. Even in ASER 2005 (first time), sample of children was about half a million children – three quarters of a million children. Unit : District level data generated as district is the unit of planning, implementation & review. Aggregated to state & national level onwards

10 Architecture of ASER …. Nuts & bolts (2) Sampling : Technically sound and robust. No compromise on technical side. Tools: Basic tools. Comparable across languages. Simple to use. Comprehensible to all. Anchored to state textbooks in Std 1 and 2. “Floor level” test. Same tasks given to all children. Core set of tasks the same each year. Some new things added each year. Household survey: To reach all children (govt school, private school, out of school) and to create discussion in the community.

11 Architecture of ASER …. Nuts & bolts (3) Community mobilization & local participation : In every district a local group participates in ASER. These are NGOs, colleges, women’s groups, youth groups, SHGs, universities etc Each group has volunteers who give time (4 days) Each local group conducts data collection, disseminates findings and sometimes participates in action. Resources raised: Low cost of effort ~ Rs. 30,000 per district (about $750 US) Funds raised from individuals & institutions in cash & kind Speed : Entire exercise conducted in 100 days from start to release of report.

12 ASER 2007 INDIA : Reading Report Card Similar report cards for each state & rural district since Also for maths, comprehension and English Tools in over 20 Indian languages Entire ASER 2005, 2006 & 2007 reports on website

13 Reading Curves: Expected vs Actual Big gaps between expected basic level and current reading level. Despite big improvements in basic reading in one year several states, large gaps remain. Where does the country want to be by 2008 or 2010? What plans are being put in place?

14 Impact of ASER … In : Over a dozen state governments use ASER or ASER like tools in schools to help teachers understand and track learning improvements in their class/school. In : 14 state governments are collaborating with Pratham on Read India campaign (basic learning improvement programs for reading and arithmetic). ASER referred to in many national and state policy documents. Government national achievement test findings are being released faster as a result of ASER. Allocations from government targetted to learning increasing & better articulated in annual district level work plan guidelines Extending ASER approach to other sectors e.g. water/livelihoods etc – UNDP & UNICEF