Large-scale learning assessments

[1] This was encouraged by emphasis on equitable, effective and relevant learning for all inherent to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the focus on using data to improve policies and strategies.

LSLAs are incorporated into the work programmes of international and regional organizations, and are supported by donor agencies through financial and technical assistance.

[1] They are system-level assessments that provide information of learning achievement for a given group of learners (based on age or grade) in a given year and in a limited number of domains.

Despite there being no vetted international standard for the characteristics that define robust LSLAs (i.e. that yield reliable data), there is agreement among test developers, statisticians and psychometricians on the technical requirements of such assessments.

[1][8] Data from LSLAs give governments evidence to address system inefficiencies by providing answers to key questions, such as who is learning what and who is not, where, when and why.

[9] Learning achievement scores and information from the background questionnaires are generally used by experts and researchers to describe the knowledge and skills of a target population.

Third, highlighting disparities in cognitive abilities among sub-populations of learners by relevant dimension, including socio-economic, regional, gender, migration status and mother tongue.