A sustainable learning assessment system installed with USAID support
Pierre Varly, Anthony Saarpong, Chris Cummiskey, Richard Vormawor
February 18, 2024
This post is not for self-branding but to show what international cooperation can do. 🇺🇸 🇬🇭 🇫🇷🫱🏻 🫲🏿
In Ghana, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the establishment of national education assessments (NEA) for several years. By building the Ghanian government and local technical capacities, USAID provided the NEA unit with the ability to conduct all aspects of the national assessments with no further international technical support. They became self-reliant and fantastic researchers.
Ghana began routine national assessments in 2005, every three years with the support of USAID and through international companies, international and national consultants, universities and private firms or NGOs (EARC).
From 2011 to 2016, RTI International trained the NEA staff to implement the national education assessment (NEA) and EGRA/EGMA and supported the development of national assessment.
The Ghanian Franco American squad
In Ghana, every workshop starts with a collective prayer.
The trainees team led by Antwi Aning was made of Anthony Saarpong, Joachim Honu (NEAU), Veronica Odom (CRDD), Patricia Amos (NCRIBE) and Emmanuel Mankattah (EARC). Herbert Gorman from EMIS brought his very well organised school level data. Shall he rest in Peace.
Two Ghanean professors from the University of Cape Coast : Prof Kafui Etse and Prof Amadahe together with Prof Kofi Mereku of the University of Education, Winneba and Mr Emmanuel Acquaye, a retired Educationist were instrumental in the development of maths item. Michael Fast from AIR brought his expertise in literacy item writing and psychometry.
The RTI team was comprised of Emmanuel Sam Bosman, our fantastic local expert, Richard Wormawor (EARC), Elizabeth Randolph, Emily Kotchekova, Amy Mulcahy-Dunn, Jennifer Pressley Ryan, Tracy Kline, Christopher Cummiskey from RTI International, and Pierre Varly, consultant for RTI.
Training with method and good spirit
The NEA team received hundreds of hours of training, especially on item writing, item response theory, data quality control checks, editing, data processing and analysis using the Stata software and report writing. Districts’ officers were trained on how to disseminate and use learning assessment data. Communities were mobilised around data. A good example of social engineering project. We did not just “throw” workshop and trainings but aligned the sessions with the NEAU workflow. They could reinvest the skills gained in a supervised learning by doing approach.
The national education assessment (NEA)
The National Education Assessment Unit (NEAU) was instituted within the Curriculum Research and Development Division (CRDD) of the Ghana Education service (GES), an autonomous body in charge of curriculum research among other things.
The unit was tasked with conducting national assessments for primary schools in Ghana. The assessments were representative at the regional level for pupils of grades 4 and 6 in 500 randomly selected schools. The tests included anchor items so results could be compared to past and future assessments.
The 2016 NEA report and datasets was shared on the Eddata portal (closed) and according to RTI International was the most downloaded dataset. This allowed many secondary analyses to be published in peer reviewed journals by Ghanaian researchers.
EGRA/EGMA in 11 languages
The EGRA and EGMA tests were adapted in the 11 Ghanaian languages of Instruction (LOI). These are Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Fante, Dagaare, Dagbani, Damgme,Ewe, Ga, Gonja, Kasem and Nzema. as well as in English. Aarnout Brombacher led the EGMA adaptations, may he rest in peace.
National learning assessment system is functioning without any external assistance
In November 2022, NEAU is placed under the NACCA (Curriculum and Assessment directorates). The national standardised tests have been administered to all the pupils in P2 and P4 using EGRA/EGMA and NEA like tests. The Gallop Project (World Bank) and the national budget provided the funding.
Ghana has produced a very robust and detailed National learning assessment framework in which the National Standards Assessment Test (NSAT) replaces the NEA and EGRA/EGMA.
The process to develop capacities took 10 years and involved universities, researchers, district officers and local NGOS. All this was done through a friendly international cooperation.
