The Quality Primary Education in the
North Pacific pilot project was designed
to develop and trial new inputs in learning,
assessment, teacher development, and
data management to improve the quality
of primary education in the northern
Pacific Micronesian nations of the RMI, the
FSM, and to evaluate student assessment
system in Palau. The project operated in
the RMI in five selected schools on Majuro,
and in the FSM, the project worked with
all six schools of Kosrae State and two
selected schools of Pohnpei State. The QPENP was funded by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction managed by the Asian Development Bank. The Development Strategists International Consulting (DSIC) implemented the project.
What is the Early Grade Learning Assessment (EGLA) and how does
it work?
The EGLA is a formative assessment tool that provides a detailed picture of student performance levels in reading and mathematics. EGLA can be used for multiple purposes—tailored teacher professional development, identifying appropriate learning resources, and building accountability. The EGLA was developed for the FSM and the RMI in a collaborative manner alongside education authorities of each project site, with intensive capacity building, piloting, analysis, and extensive trials.
The EGLA is a formative assessment tool that provides a detailed picture of student performance levels in reading and mathematics. EGLA can be used for multiple purposes—tailored teacher professional development, identifying appropriate learning resources, and building accountability. The EGLA was developed for the FSM and the RMI in a collaborative manner alongside education authorities of each project site, with intensive capacity building, piloting, analysis, and extensive trials.
Unlike traditional standardized assessments, which provide overall information,
the EGLA uses a representative sample of
students to provide detailed information
on the specific learning components that must be mastered in order to develop true
competency in numeracy and literacy. The
EGLA provides a clear picture of areas of
strength and areas of challenge, allowing
education authorities to structure targeted
professional development for teachers
with classroom-based resources that
address students’ specific weaknesses.
The results of the EGLA inform ministries
and departments of education about
overall system performance, allow them
to establish priorities for professional
development programs, and monitor the
outcomes at the individual school and
classroom level.
The EGLA involves teams of trained
assessors going out to classrooms and
conducting one-on-one interviews with
a preselected random sample of students
from the two targeted grades, Grade 3 and
Grade 5. Each student who participates
undergoes four separate assessments:
literacy in the first language (L1), numeracy
in L1, literacy in English, and numeracy in
English. The interviewer, in a welcoming
manner guides the student through a set
of specific tasks, by asking students to
show what they can do on each task in the
areas of numeracy, reading, and writing.
Linkages between numeracy and literacy
were also incorporated in the assessments,
so that students applied knowledge and
strategies to word problems or number
stories in familiar contexts, and could
demonstrate higher thinking skills such as
the application of a conceptordrawinga
conclusion.
A short initial interview of the student’s
world outside of the classroom is also
conducted. This reveals the child’s home
context, and aspects of the child’s own
perceptions about schooling. These
included questions such as: What is the
main home language, and does the child
have access to reading materials in their
first language or in English? Does the
child write stories in their first language or
English at home? Is there a family member
who provides assistance with reading
or math homework? Is there a TV in the
home? Are there devices like calculators
in the home?
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