1. Assessment for Quality Education: Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) -

2. Overview Context Why Assessment? The learning crisis What is SEA-PLM? Why regional? Main elements and unique features Implementing partners and governing structure National and regional endorsement

3. Context East Asia and Pacific region has a low rate of out-of- school children compared to other regions, but it has the highest proportion of drop-outs (58%) Educational attainment varies widely across the SEAMEO region The most familiar variations are related to household income, location, gender, and social group Drop-out rates are closely linked to the quality of education

4. Why assessment? Different kinds of inequality are apparent in patterns of achievement Each pattern contains many messages for where the focus of educational investment should be that requires system level analysis To help inform policies to improve attainment and learning outcomes by assessing quality of education

5. Source: UIS Database 2014/Fixing the Broken Promise of Education for All (2015) School exposure of OOSC of primary school age by region, 2012 Children that dropped out in EAP

6. The learning crisis 2013/14 EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) showed 250 million children have not had the chance to learn the basics – and 130 million of them have spent at least 4 years in school Getting children to school is only the start; Being in school is also not a guarantee that children are learning There’s a need to understand the extent of the learning crisis and where to focus interventions to improve learning

7. Regional Post-2015 Agenda Bangkok Statement: “Quality in education will be supported also by learning environments that are safe, healthy, gender-sensitive, inclusive and conducive to learning, mother tongue-based multilingual education and comprehensive monitoring and quality assurance systems”

8. Global Post-2015 Agenda WEF Declaration: “We commit to quality education and to improving learning outcomes, which requires strengthening inputs, processes and measuring progress”

9. Sustainable Development Goals: Measuring learning outcomes 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.”

10. Sustainable Development Goals: ASEAN values and life-skills 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.”

11. What is SEA-PLM? The SEA-PLM serves the goal of improving quality of education through system level monitoring of learner achievements The initiative aims at supporting SEAMEO Member Countries to better measure and understand the status of learning achievement amongst the general population and for specific groups

12. Filling the gap LLECE Uwezo SACMEQ PASEC ASER PIRLS, PISA, TIMSS, and EGRA have global presence... SEA-PLM PILNA... whereas others have had a regional focus

13. Focus on common issues and interests of the region Be part of the process of development from the start Gain support from local regional associations and institutions Create and enhance networks with neighbouring countries Share ideas and techniques with neighbours Implement capacity building more effectively Why regional?

14. SEA-PLM Vision “SEA-PLM will contribute towards improving and redefining learning outcomes by providing regional culturally appropriate metrics and thereby towards a more equitable and meaningful education for all children across the region”

15. Main elements of SEA-PLM Target population - Grade 5 (age 10) Assessment domains – Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Global Citizenship Context domains – there are questionnaires designed to give information about students, schools, teachers and parents to identify the factors related better student achievement Test development – a regional assessment framework has been developed through a collaborative process with the Countries to guide the creation of the test items

16. Unique Features The only assessment at regional scale designed to measure progress in relation to the values and curricula of the Southeast Asian region The only assessment in region to date to assess foundations of global citizenship It is the first assessment in the world to assess writing across scripts and languages The framework is developed - analysing curricula from all 11 SEAMEO Member Countries

17. Unique Features (contd.) All items and questionnaires are developed in close collaboration with participating Countries Capacity building is a major focus of the initiative Embedded into National systems and structures - building capacity with Government Ministry Building on international best practice and provides opportunity for results from SEA-PLM to be compared to other international assessments Can be used as a point of reference for curriculum review and standards at primary level

18. Expected Outcomes Enhanced capacity to generate and analyse assessment data at regional, national and sub- national levels Enhanced capacity to utilise assessment data for education improvement and more equitable learning outcomes at regional, national and sub-national levels Enhanced ASEAN integration in terms of approaches to assessment, with initial focus on Primary Grade 5 in the domains of literacy (reading & writing), numeracy (mathematics) and global citizenship

19. Political (SEAMEO) Program (UNICEF) Technical (ACER) SEA-PLM is led by SEAMEO and UNICEF with technical expertise by ACER Each organization provides support at regional & Country level These three elements (political/program/ technical) ensures a solid foundation for SEA-PLM Implementing partners

20. Current organizational structure

21. SEA-PLM Secretariat Regional Steering Committee Technical Institution - ACER National Advisory Body Regional Advisory Group SEAMEO Centre or UNICEF Country Office Country Technical Team Governing structure

22. Geographic roll out 2020: Regional metrics for all SEAMEO Member Countries 2015 – 2017: At least 8 SEAMEO Member Countries will have done field trials and main surveys, including: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam & Timor Leste

23. Emphasis on National priorities and sectoral impact Political commitment is required at all levels in the development and roll out Need to link to broader capacity building in assessment and education improvement Timing of the survey in relation to other Government’s commitments to assessment Ensuring SEA-PLM analysis will support development and improvement of standards for all children

24. SEA-PLM and its developments has been continuously supported and endorsed by the Ministers of Education and High Officials of the SEAMEO Member Countries The relevance and importance of SEA-PLM has been recognized by regional and international stakeholders, and is included in the ASEAN 5- Year Work Plan on Education 2016–2020 National & regional endorsement

25. Key moments 36 th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (Feb. 2014) Progress on Phase I was presented and full endorsement of plan for Phase II was given Proposed candidates for Phase 2: Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines & Thailand

26. Key moments (contd.) Field Operations Planning & Data Management Workshop (Aug. 2015) First Field Trial in Brunei Darussalam (Nov. 2015) Field Trial in 2016 – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Timor Leste & Vietnam

27. QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION