Strengthening Learning Assessment Systems

The effective use of assessment data is fundamental to education systems. Without data on how students are learning, it is impossible to know whether a country is succeeding in providing quality education to all its citizens. Learning assessments when analyzed with contextual data can be powerful toolsfor improving national education systems. A learning assessment system encompasses the policies, institutions, assessment tools and practices that contribute to gathering and using information on how students are learning in the education system.

It can include assessments designed and by teachers to inform their instruction, national examinations taken by all students, and sample-based assessments used primarily for policy making. A strong learning assessment system can help students, their parents, teachers, and school administrators track progress, and for intervening in cases where a child’s learning is off track.