READ Annual Report
Russia Education Aid for Development (READ) Trust Fund. 2010
This report contains an explanation of the concepts that underlie the READ program, the first year's accomplishments at the global and country levels, and plans for moving forward. Additionally, the report reviews progress in the READ countries and highlights work completed at the country level to determine gaps in education assessment systems and identify key activities for future work.
Using the Results of a National Assessment of Educational Achievement (PDF, 1.7MB)
National Assessment of Educational Achievement - Volume V
Thomas Kellaghan, Vincent Greaney, T. Scott Murray. 2009
The book outlines general considerations in translating national assessment results into policy and action, and examines specific procedures for using the data in policy making, educational management, teaching, and promoting public awareness.
Developing Tests and Questionnaires for a National Assessment of Educational Achievement (PDF, 1.2MB)
National Assessment of Education Achievement Series - Volume II
Prue Anderson, George Morgan. Document Date: 2008
This book is the second in the series designed to help build capacity in carrying out technically adequate assessments of student achievement. It introduces readers to the activities involved in the development of achievement tests, and includes developing an assessment framework, writing multiple choice and constructed response type items, pretesting, producing test booklets, and handscoring items. A section on questionnaire construction features designing questionnaires, writing questions coding responses, and linking questionnaire and test score data, The final section covers the development of a test administration manual, selecting test administrators, and contacting samples schools. A companion CD contains examples of released items from national and international tests, sample questionnaires, and administrative manuals.
Assessing National Achievement Levels in Education (PDF, 1.4MB)
National Assessment of Education Achievement Series - Volume I
Vincent Greaney, Thomas Kellaghan. Document Date: 2/1/2008
Sound assessment of the performance of educational systems is a key component in developing policies to optimize the development of human capital around the world. Assessing National Achievement Levels in Education is one of a series of five books which introduce key concepts in national assessments of student achievement levels.
Can Cost-Benefit Analysis Guide Education Policy in Developing Countries?(PDF, 0.2MB)
Emmanuel Jimenez, Harry Patrinos. Document date: 03/01/2008
The authors argue that cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is still a potentially important tool in the economists’ arsenal. The authors have called for more research on cost-benefits effects of policy interventions on learning outcomes beyond access to a year in school and what they earn as a result.
School and Work - Does the Eastern Caribbean Education System Adequately Prepare Youth for the Global Economy? (PDF, 0.5MB)
Andreas Blom, Cynthia Hobbs. 2008
This report comprises the first phase of analytical activities and focuses on the relevance of the education and training systems in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Its findings confirm the importance of strengthening the link between OECS education and training systems and employers' needs. The study enables Caribbean stakeholders to develop policies and actions that could lead to improved education quality leading to a more competitive regional workforce.
Education Quality and Economic Growth (PDF, 0.4MB)
Eric A. Hanushek, Ludger Wößmann. Document Date: 2007
This study aims to contribute to the World Bank's education agenda by communicating research findings on the impact of education quality on economic growth. The authors show that the quality of education, rather than mere access to education, is what impacts economic growth. This report explains that differences in learning achievements matter more in explaining cross-country differences in productivity growth than differences in the average number of years of schooling or in enrollment rates. A development-effective educational strategy should thus focus not only on sending more children to school, as the second Millennium Development Goal is often interpreted, but also on maintaining or enhancing the quality of schooling.
Raising Student Learning in Latin America: The Challenge of the 21st Century(PDF, 1MB)
Emiliana Vega, Jenny Petrow. 2007
As Latin America embarks on a series of reforms addressing issues of quality and equity in basic education, information on the policies and programs that can contribute to student learning will be vital. This report brings to light recent advances in understanding of policies and programs that affect student learning.
From Schooling Access to Learning Outcomes: An unfinished Agenda(PDF, 2.3MB)
Independent Evaluation Group. Document Date: 08/01/2006
This report, released by the World Bank's Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), finds that in developing countries over the past 15 years, high priority was accorded to increasing enrollments in primary schools, but much less attention was directed to the crucial issue of whether children are learning adequately. The report recommends that countries, the World Bank and development partners focus attention on learning outcomes as well as access, so that the world's increasing investments in primary education have a far greater impact on poverty reduction and national development.
Also available in French, Spanish
Chile - Institutional Design for an Effective Education Quality Assurance (PDF, 10MB)
2007
The main objective of this report was to present the Government of Chile with policy options related to the institutional distribution of roles and responsibilities for effective quality assurance in education. In order to propose options for the design of an institutional setup that may be effective in education quality assurance, the report first presents a conceptual framework for analyzing a country’s education quality assurance system. The conceptual framework was then applied to Chile’s education system and a group of selected countries. The review of the nine selected international education systems revealed the existence of four alternative “instructional visions” for the institutional design of an education system, which were labeled as follows: (a) Limited State, (b) Quality Contracts, (c) Differentiated Instruction, and (c) Managed Instruction. One can identify countries that succeed in ensuring education quality in each of the three latter visions. In this sense, the decision to adopt a specific instructional vision can be based on social, political, cultural and historical reasons. However, once an instructional vision is adopted, the study suggests that its consistent application may be an important determinant of success in education quality assurance.
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