Solomon Islands SABER Country Report STUDENT ASSESSMENT 2014 Key Policy Areas for Student Assessment Status 1. Classroom Assessment In the Solomon Islands, several official documents are used to inform and guide classroom assessment. For example, the “Solomon Islands Policy Statement and Guidelines for Learners’ Assessment in Schools” includes guidelines for classroom assessment and its use. In general, classroom assessment practices are viewed as being of moderate quality. At the same time, there are few resources available to teachers for conducting classroom assessment activities, and limited formal mechanisms, such as pre- and in-service teacher training options, to ensure that teachers develop competencies in classroom assessment. 2. Examinations The Solomon Islands National Form Six Certificate examination is administered annually to Year 12 students in English, Mathematics, and optional subjects. There is regular funding for the examination, allocated at the discretion of the government and partners. Students are also required to pay a fee to take the examination. The National Examinations and Standards Unit (NESU) has been in charge of the examination since 2012. While NESU has up-to-date computers and top-level security, it does not have adequate storage facilities, computer servers, or communication tools. Some formal mechanisms are in place to ensure the quality of the examination, including a standardized manual that provides instructions for examination administration and data processing. 3. National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA) The Solomon Islands Standardized Tests of Achievement (SISTA) was first introduced in 2003, and has been implemented every three years since then to all students in Years 4 and 6. Funding for SISTA comes from internal sources as well as donor agencies. SISTA is directly based on the national curriculum and well-aligned with official learning goals. While there is a common understanding that the assessment will take place every three years, there is no formal policy document that authorizes SISTA. In addition, the team working on the assessment is inadequately staffed. 4. International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) In 2012, the Solomon Islands took part for the first time in the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA). 14 countries in the Pacific region participated. There were minimal quality problems with the administration of PILNA in the Solomon Islands. The country complied with all required technical standards; therefore, it is expected that the country’s results will be presented in the main section of the final international report. SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Introduction SABER-Student Assessment methodology The Solomon Islands has focused on increasing student learning outcomes by improving the quality of education The SABER-Student Assessment framework is built on in the country. An effective student assessment system the available evidence base for what an effective is an important component of efforts to improve assessment system looks like. The framework provides education quality and learning outcomes because it guidance on how countries can build more effective provides the necessary information to meet student assessment systems. The framework is stakeholders’ decision-making needs. In order to gain a structured around two main dimensions of assessment better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of systems: the types/purposes of assessment activities and its existing assessment system, the Solomon Islands the quality of those activities. decided to benchmark this system using standardized tools developed under The World Bank’s Systems Assessment types and purposes Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) program. SABER is an evidence-based program to help countries Assessment systems tend to be comprised of three main systematically examine and strengthen the performance types of assessment activities, each of which serves a of different aspects of their education systems. different purpose and addresses different information needs. These three main types are: classroom assessment, examinations, and large-scale, system level What is SABER-Student Assessment? assessments. Classroom assessment provides real-time information to SABER-Student Assessment is a component of the SABER support ongoing teaching and learning in individual program that focuses specifically on benchmarking classrooms. Classroom assessments use a variety of student assessment policies and systems. The goal of formats, including observation, questioning, and paper- SABER-Student Assessment is to promote stronger and-pencil tests, to evaluate student learning, generally assessment systems that contribute to improved on a daily basis. education quality and learning for all. Examinations provide a basis for selecting or certifying National governments and international agencies are students as they move from one level of the education increasingly recognizing the key role that assessment of system to the next (or into the workforce). All eligible student learning plays in an effective education system. students are tested on an annual basis (or more often if The importance of assessment is linked to its role in: the system allows for repeat testing). Examinations cover (i) providing information on levels of student the main subject areas in the curriculum and usually learning and achievement in the system; involve essays and multiple-choice questions. (ii) monitoring trends in education quality over time; Large-scale, system-level assessments provide feedback (iii) supporting educators and students with real- on the overall performance of the education system at time information to improve teaching and particular grades or age levels. These assessments learning; and typically cover a few subjects on a regular basis (such as (iv) holding stakeholders accountable for results. every 3 to 5 years), are often sample based, and use multiple-choice and short-answer formats. They may be national or international in scope. Appendix 1 summarizes the key features of these main types of assessment activities. SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 2 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Quality drivers of an assessment system Table 1: Framework for building an effective assessment system, with indicator areas The key considerations when evaluating a student assessment system are the individual and combined quality of assessment activities in terms of the adequacy of the information generated to support decision making. There are three main drivers of information quality in an assessment system: enabling context, system alignment, and assessment quality. Enabling context refers to the broader context in which the assessment activity takes place and the extent to which that context is conducive to, or supportive of, the assessment. It covers issues such as the legislative or policy framework for assessment activities; institutional The indicators are identified based on a combination of and organizational structures for designing, carrying out, criteria, including: or using results from the assessment; the availability of sufficient and stable sources of funding; and the x professional standards for assessment; presence of trained assessment staff. x empirical research on the characteristics of effective assessment systems, including analysis of the characteristics that differentiate between the System alignment refers to the extent to which the assessment systems of low- versus high-performing assessment is aligned with the rest of the education nations; and system. This includes the degree of congruence between x theory — that is, general consensus among experts assessment activities and system learning goals, that it contributes to effective assessment. standards, curriculum, and pre- and in-service teacher training. Levels of development Assessment quality refers to the psychometric quality of The World Bank has developed a set of standardized the instruments, processes, and procedures for the questionnaires and rubrics for collecting and assessment activity. It covers issues such as design and evaluating data on the three assessment types and implementation of assessment activities, analysis and related quality drivers. interpretation of student responses to those activities, and the appropriateness of how assessment results are The questionnaires are used to collect data on the reported and used. characteristics of the assessment system in a particular country. The information from the questionnaires is then Crossing the quality drivers with the different applied to the rubrics in order to judge the development assessment types/purposes provides the framework and level of the country’s assessment system in different broad indicator areas shown in Table 1. This framework areas. is a starting point for identifying indicators that can be used to review assessment systems and plan for their The basic structure of the rubrics for evaluating data improvement. collected using the standardized questionnaires is summarized in Appendix 2. The goal of the rubrics is to provide a country with some sense of the development level of its assessment activities compared to best or recommended practice in each area. For each indicator, the rubric displays four development levels—Latent, SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 3 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Emerging, Established, and Advanced. These levels are a context is both challenging and costly. Despite these artificially constructed categories chosen to represent challenges, the Solomon Islands has made significant key stages on the underlying continuum for each progress in education, allocating 20 to 30 percent of indicator. Each level is accompanied by a description of government expenditure to education every year, which what performance on the indicator looks like at that is higher than most countries at comparable income level. levels. Over the last decade, the net primary enrolment rate increased from 75 to 93 percent and the secondary x Latent is the lowest level of performance; it enrollment rate increased from 20 percent to more than represents absence of, or deviation from, the desired 40 percent. However, access remains an issue, attribute. particularly in isolated areas, for females, and for x Emerging is the next level; it represents partial secondary students from poor households. presence of the attribute. x Established represents the acceptable minimum The Solomon Islands also faces significant challenges standard. related to the quality of education. The education system x Advanced represents the ideal or current best suffers from a lack of qualified teachers, overcrowded practice. classrooms in urban areas, low enrolment in rural areas, and shortages of materials and textbooks. In addition, A summary of the development levels for each high rates of youth unemployment occur alongside a lack assessment type is presented in Appendix 3. of development in work and life skills. In reality, assessment systems are likely to be at different levels of development in different areas. For The Education Strategic Framework 2007-2015 provides example, a system may be Established in the area of the long-term strategic direction and oversight for the examinations, but Emerging in the area of large-scale, Solomon Islands’ education system. The principal goals system-level assessment, and vice versa. While intuition of this framework are to: (i) provide equitable access to suggests that it is probably better to be further along in quality basic education for all children in the Solomon as many areas as possible, the evidence is unclear as Islands; (ii) provide access to community, technical, to whether it is necessary to be functioning at vocational, and tertiary education that will meet Advanced levels in all areas. Therefore, one might view individual, regional, and national needs for a the Established level as a desirable minimum outcome to knowledgeable, skilled, competent, and complete achieve in all areas, but only aspire beyond that in those people; and (iii) manage resources in an efficient, areas that most contribute to the national vision or effective, and transparent manner. priorities for education. In line with these considerations, the ratings generated by the rubrics are not meant to be Detailed information was collected on the Solomon additive across assessment types (that is, they are not Islands’ student assessment system using the SABER- meant to be added to create an overall rating for an Student Assessment questionnaires and rubrics in 2014. assessment system; they are only meant to produce an It is important to remember that these tools primarily overall rating for each assessment type). The focus on benchmarking a country’s policies and methodology for assigning development levels is arrangements for assessment activities at the system or summarized in Appendix 4. macro level. Additional data would need to be collected to determine actual, on-the-ground practices in the Solomon Islands, particularly by teachers and students in Education in Solomon Islands schools. The following sections discuss the findings for The Solomon Islands is a lower-middle-income country each assessment type, accompanied by suggested policy consisting of a large number of islands situated in the options. The suggested policy options were determined southwest Pacific. GDP per capita is $1,835, with annual in collaboration with key local stakeholders based on the growth of almost 4 percent in 2012. The Solomon Islands Solomon Islands’ immediate interests and needs. faces significant challenges due to geographic dispersion, Detailed, completed rubrics for each assessment type in a largely rural population, and its vulnerability to natural Solomon Islands are provided in Appendix 5. hazards. Delivering adequate education services in such SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 4 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Classroom Assessment South Pacific, offer in-service teacher training courses, which address competencies in assessment. Level of development The National Curriculum Statement document notes that teachers must calculate a progressive achievement level for individual learners. Student performance in all subject areas must be reported on school report cards In the Solomon Islands, there is no one specific document and during teacher-parent meetings. During their visits that provides comprehensive guidelines for classroom to schools, school inspectors ensure that students have assessment. Instead, there are several official received their results and reports from classroom documents authorized by the Ministry of Education and assessment activities, that reports are saved in the Human Resources Development (MEHRD), which are students’ portfolios, and that parents receive a copy of used to inform and guide classroom assessment. The the report. Solomon Islands Policy Statement and Guidelines for Learners’ Assessment in Schools (2010) provides Overall, classroom assessment practices are known to be information on the general functions and types of of moderate quality. Parents tend to be well informed assessments used in the classroom. It is not specific to about their children’s grades. However, it is common for classroom assessment, but rather covers all forms of classroom assessment activities to be mainly about assessment. The National Curriculum Statement, recalling information and to rely on multiple- Solomon Islands (2011) and the National Assessment & choice/selection-type questions. Few mechanisms are in Reporting Policy (2010) documents provide in-depth place to monitor the quality of classroom assessment information on the national curriculum standards as well practices. While classroom assessment is a required as guidance on competency-based classroom component of a teacher's performance evaluation and of assessment approaches and effective recording, school inspection, there is no external moderation monitoring, and reporting systems. system that reviews the difficulty of classroom assessment activities, appropriateness of scoring For both primary and secondary education, the National criteria, etc. There is also no government funding for Curriculum Statement document outlines the subjects to research on the quality of classroom assessment be taught at different levels and the expected learning activities and how to improve them. outcomes for each subject. The national syllabus provides suggested assessment exercises that Suggested policy options: correspond to these specified learning outcomes. In addition, each subject is accompanied by a Learner’s 1. Ensure that teachers develop competencies in Book that contains classroom assessment activities for classroom assessment. For example, work with each chapter. teacher training programs to include classroom assessment topics and courses in their curriculum. In the Solomon Islands, classroom assessment is required for diagnosing student learning issues, providing 2. Improve the quality of classroom assessment feedback to students on their learning, informing parents practices by training teachers to use assessment about their child's learning, planning next steps in methodologies that go beyond the multiple-choice instruction, and reviewing school programs of learning. format and the recall of information. For example, train teachers to assess student competencies using There are minimal formal mechanisms in place in the open-ended questions and scoring rubrics. Solomon Islands to ensure that teachers develop competencies in classroom assessment. While a 3. Introduce mechanisms to monitor the quality of “Curriculum and Assessment” course is offered as part of classroom assessment practices. For example, form pre-service teacher training, it is not specific to moderation panels of teachers that review the classroom assessment and instead focuses on all types of difficulty of classroom assessment activities and the assessments. The Solomon Islands National University appropriateness of scoring criteria. (SINU) and other providers, such as the University of the SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 5 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Examinations technical report is circulated to all schools and is available to parents and other stakeholders upon request. Level of development There are some opportunities for teachers to learn about the examinations. In recent years, NESU staff have visited schools to facilitate trainings and workshops on the The Solomon Islands National Form Six Certificate examinations. Furthermore, teachers who are part of the (SINF6C) has been carried out since 1989. Until 2012, it grading panel have the opportunity to learn about was called the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate. The marking the examination, and are required to review the SINF6C is administered annually to Year 12 students in marking rubrics and answer schemes. Teachers are English and Mathematics as well as a number of optional actively involved in some examination-related tasks, subject areas, which include Accounting, Economics, such as administering and scoring the examination. They Agriculture, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Computer are not involved in selecting the questions or creating the Studies, Design Technology, Development Studies, scoring guides, in part due to concerns that teachers who Geography, and History. The examination is used for know the exam questions will teach to those questions. certification of secondary school completion and student selection for tertiary education. The examination is also All students in Year 12 are eligible to take the used for informing teachers and pedagogical practices, examination. Results are perceived as credible and are and for monitoring education quality. internationally recognized. There is no national policy or requirements to make preparation material on the While there is no specific policy on SINF6C, the Policy examinations available to students; however, all schools Guidelines for Learner's Assessment in Schools, have electronic copies of past years’ examination papers. authorized in 2010 by the Ministry of Education and Subject teachers are expected to provide students with Human Resources Development (MEHRD), includes copies of past years’ examination papers and students guidelines for SINF6C. The National Examinations and can request past years’ examination papers from NESU. Standards Unit (NESU) within the MEHRD provides In addition, information on how to prepare for the leadership for the examination. examination, the framework document explaining what is measured on the examination, and a report on past Regular funding for the examination is provided through student performance on the examination are available to the Ministry of Education budget and is allocated at the students. While students who do not perform well on the discretion of the government and partners. Students are examination may opt for less selective tertiary education also required to pay a fee to take the examination. institutions, they do not have the option of retaking the Funding covers examination design, administration, data examination. analysis, and data reporting. Suggested policy options: The examination is fully standardized. A variety of procedures are in place to ensure that assessment 1. Ensure greater opportunities for teachers to learn design, administration, scoring, and reporting are the about the examination by, for example, involving same for all students taking the examination. teachers in the design of the examination. Teachers Examination papers are the same or equivalent for all could also be contracted to perform specific students, examination administrators are trained to examination-related tasks. ensure all students take the examinations under the same conditions, and the same scoring criteria are used 2. Introduce options for students who do not perform to correct the examination papers. well on the examination, including the ability to retake the examination (if a student did not perform Other formal mechanisms in place to ensure the quality well) and the option of attending remedial courses. of the examination include the numbering of all test booklets, double data scoring, and training of scorers to ensure high inter-rater reliability. A comprehensive SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 6 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA) students take a “Curriculum and Assessment” course. In addition, education authorities have organized workshops for teachers during which NESU staff present Level of development SISTA results. Furthermore, based on SISTA reports, the NESU has organized provincially-based workshops on ARTTLe (Assessment Resource Tools for Teaching and The Solomon Islands Standardized Tests of Achievement Learning) for teachers in all 10 provinces. (SISTA) was first introduced in 2004 and has been implemented every three years since then to all students There are various formal mechanisms in place to ensure in Years 4 and 6. The assessment is administered to the quality of the NLSA, including training scorers to monitor education quality at the country level, support ensure high inter-rater reliability, carrying out a pilot schools and teachers, and inform policy design, before the main data collection, training all proctors evaluation, and decision making. according to protocol, providing a standardized manual for SISTA administrators, double scoring and processing There is no policy document specific to SISTA; however, data, and introducing internal and external reviewers. the Policy and Guide to Learner's Assessment in Schools (2010) and the National Curriculum Statement (2011) However, other mechanisms, such as numbering all both describe SISTA and its purpose. booklets and conducting an external certification or audit are not in place. Funding for SISTA comes primarily from the country's internal funding sources, including the Ministry of While SISTA reports are available to stakeholders upon Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) request, at the time of data collection, SISTA results had as well as donor agencies, including the New Zealand Aid not been actively disseminated. However, SISTA results Programme and Australian Aid Programme. Funding for have informed decision making at the country level; for SISTA covers assessment design, administration, data example, they have been used to establish the Literacy analysis, and data reporting. Project Management Unit (LPMU) which manages several literacy projects focusing on current practices in SISTA is developed directly from the Years 4 and 6 literacy and vernacular in the early grades. curricula and is thus sufficiently aligned with the content, skill areas, and pedagogical approaches of the official learning goals. In addition, there is a regular internal Suggested policy options: review to ensure alignment between SISTA and the curriculum. Textbooks and other learning resources, as 1. Introduce a formal policy document that provides well as teacher lessons, provide students with sufficient authorization for SISTA and make it publicly available exposure to the type of content and skills measured by online. SISTA. The National Examinations and Standards Unit (NESU) 2. Ensure the availability of a variety of opportunities in within the MEHRD is nationally recognized as an the Solomon Islands to learn about SISTA, especially authority in student assessment in the Solomon Islands for incoming and existing NESU staff. For example, and has been in charge of SISTA since 2004. Although the provide funding for attending international NESU lacks sufficient staff to carry out SISTA, no quality programs or workshops on student assessment and problems have been identified with the performance of introduce professional development courses on the team. student assessment. Additionally, establish internships or short-term employment opportunities The Solomon Islands offers few regular opportunities to in assessment units, such as the NESU, in order to learn about the SISTA. There are university courses develop expertise for carrying out the SISTA. offered by the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) on assessment. As part of pre-service training, all SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 7 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) PILNA was sufficiently aligned with the Solomon Island’s learning goals. Classroom lessons, textbooks, and Level of development learning resources cover content similar to the content covered by PILNA. As a result, students had extensive previous exposure to the type of content and skills In 2012, the Solomon Islands took part for the first time measured by PILNA. PILNA was also consistent with the in the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment national large-scale assessment (SISTA) in the Solomon (PILNA), in which 14 countries in the Pacific region Islands. participate. There is currently no country-level policy document that addresses participation in PILNA, The Solomon Islands has complied with all technical although the importance of ILSAs is noted as priority standards for PILNA, and it is expected that its results will Number 7 of the National Assessment Policy. However, be presented in the main section of the international in 2006, the South Pacific Board for Educational report, “Solomon Islands PaBER-PILNA Report, 31st July Assessment (SPBEA; now known as the Education Quality 2013.” and Assessment Programme, or EQAP), a regional body to which the Solomon Islands belongs, received a Suggested policy options: mandate from the Pacific Forum Education Ministers Meeting (FEdMM) to develop PILNA. 1. Establish and make widely available a variety of Funding for PILNA was allocated by the Australian Aid opportunities to learn about PILNA in the Solomon Programme and SPBEA, and covered some core Islands. For example, organize workshops or activities, including implementation of PILNA and meetings on using PILNA databases, which are processing and analyzing data collected from its available to staff directly involved in implementing administration. Funding also covered attendance at PILNA, assessment specialists, university teachers, international meetings. students, and other educators. In order to implement PILNA, a national coordinator was appointed. A school coordinator was identified to manage the administration at the school level for selected schools, and test supervisors (teachers) administered the assessment at the classroom level in the selected schools. For each assessment area - literacy and numeracy - a panel was responsible for marking the assessment results. Although the 2012 PILNA administration was the first time that the PILNA team was in charge of an ILSA, there were no quality problems identified with the carrying out of PILNA in the Solomon Islands. The NESU held presentations on PILNA for ILSA team members and assessment specialists. Key personnel also participated in workshops organized by SPBEA for all PILNA-participating countries. In addition, SPBEA provided in-country training to scorers. SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 8 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Appendix 1: Assessment Types and Their Key Differences Classroom Large-scale assessment Examinations Surveys National International Exit Entrance Purpose To provide To provide To provide To certify To select immediate feedback on feedback on the students as they students for feedback to overall health of comparative move from one further inform the system at performance of level of the educational classroom particular the education education system opportunities instruction grade/age system at to the next (or level(s), and to particular into the monitor trends in grade/age workforce) learning level(s) Frequency Daily For individual For individual Annually and Annually and subjects offered subjects offered more often more often on a regular on a regular where the system where the system basis (such as basis (such as allows for allows for every 3-5 years) every 3-5 years) repeats repeats Who is All students Sample or A sample of All eligible All eligible tested? census of students at a students students students at a particular grade particular grade or age level(s) or age level(s) Format Varies from Usually multiple Usually multiple Usually essay Usually essay observation to choice and short choice and short and multiple and multiple questioning to answer answer choice choice paper-and-pencil tests to student performances Coverage of All subject areas Generally Generally Covers main Covers main curriculum confined to a few confined to one subject areas subject areas subjects or two subjects Additional Yes, as part of Frequently Yes Seldom Seldom information the teaching collected from process students? Scoring Usually informal Varies from Usually involves Varies from Varies from and simple simple to more statistically simple to more simple to more statistically sophisticated statistically statistically sophisticated techniques sophisticated sophisticated techniques techniques techniques SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 9 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Appendix 2: Basic Structure of Rubrics for Evaluating Data Collected on a Student Assessment System Development Level LATENT ESTABLISHED (Absence of, or EMERGING (Acceptable deviation from, (On way to meeting minimum ADVANCED Dimension attribute) minimum standard) standard) (Best practice) Justification EC—ENABLING CONTEXT EC1—Policies EC2—Leadership, public engagement EC3—Funding EC4—Institutional arrangements EC5—Human resources SA—SYSTEM ALIGNMENT SA1—Learning/quality goals SA2—Curriculum SA3—Pre-, in-service teacher training AQ—ASSESSMENT QUALITY AQ1—Ensuring quality (design, administration, analysis) AQ2—Ensuring effective uses SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 10 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Appendix 3: Summary of the Development Levels for Each Assessment Type Assessment Type LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED Absence of, or deviation On way to meeting Acceptable minimum Best practice from, the attribute minimum standard standard There is no system-wide There is weak system- There is sufficient There is strong system- institutional capacity to wide institutional system-wide institutional wide institutional support and ensure the capacity to support and capacity to support and capacity to support and quality of classroom ensure the quality of ensure the quality of ensure the quality of assessment practices. classroom assessment classroom assessment classroom assessment practices. practices. practices. CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT There is no standardized There is a partially There is a stable There is a stable examination in place for stable standardized standardized standardized key decisions. examination in place, examination in place. examination in place and and a need to develop There is institutional institutional capacity and institutional capacity to capacity and some strong mechanisms to run the examination. The limited mechanisms to monitor it. The EXAMINATIONS examination typically is monitor it. The examination is of high of poor quality and is examination is of quality and is perceived perceived as unfair or acceptable quality and is as fair and free from corrupt. perceived as fair for corruption. most students and free from corruption. There is no NLSA in There is an unstable There is a stable NLSA There is a stable NLSA place. NLSA in place and a in place. There is in place and institutional need to develop institutional capacity and capacity and strong institutional capacity to some limited mechanisms to monitor run the NLSA. mechanisms to monitor it. The NLSA is of high NATIONAL (OR SYSTEM- Assessment quality and it. The NLSA is of quality and its LEVEL) LARGE-SCALE impact are weak. moderate quality and its information is ASSESSMENT information is effectively used to disseminated, but not improve education. always used in effective ways. There is no history of Participation in an ILSA There is more or less There is stable participation in an ILSA has been initiated, but stable participation in an participation in an ILSA nor plans to participate there still is need to ILSA. There is and institutional capacity in one. develop institutional institutional capacity to to run the ILSA. The capacity to carry out the carry out the ILSA. The information from the INTERNATIONAL LARGE- ILSA. information from the ILSA is effectively used SCALE ASSESSMENT ILSA is disseminated, to improve education. but not always used in effective ways. SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 11 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Appendix 4: Methodology for Assigning 6. Scores for certain key dimensions under ‘Enabling Development Levels Context’ (in the case of EXAM, NLSA, and ILSA) and under ‘System Alignment’ (in the case of CLASS) were set as ceiling scores, i.e., the overall mean score for the 1. The country team or consultant collects information particular assessment type cannot be greater than the about the assessment system in the country. score for these key dimensions. These key variables include formal policy, regular funding, having a 2. Based on the collected information, a level of permanent assessment unit, and the quality of development and score is assigned to each dimension in assessment practices. the rubrics: x Latent = 1 score point x Emerging = 2 score points x Established = 3 score points x Advanced = 4 score points 3. The score for each quality driver is computed by aggregating the scores for each of its constituent dimensions. For example: The quality driver, ‘Enabling Context,’ in the case of ILSA, has 3 dimensions on which a hypothetical country receives the following scores: Dimension A = 2 points; Dimension B = 2 points; Dimension C = 3 points. The hypothetical country’s overall score for this quality driver would be: (2+2+3)/3 = 2.33 4. A preliminary level of development is assigned to each quality driver. 5. The preliminary development level is validated using expert judgment in cooperation with the country team and The World Bank Task Team Leader. For scores that allow a margin of discretion (i.e., to choose between two levels of development), a final decision has to be made based on expert judgment. For example, the aforementioned hypothetical country has an ‘Enabling Context’ score of 2.33, corresponding to a preliminary level of development of ‘Emerging or Established.’ Based on qualitative information not captured in the rubric, along with expert judgment, the country team chooses ‘Emerging’ as the most appropriate level. SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS 12 SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Appendix 5: SABER-Student Assessment Rubrics for the Solomon Islands In each row of the rubric, the relevant selection is indicated by blue color highlighting. The selection may include a superscript number that refers to the justification or explanation for the selection. The explanation or justification text can be located in the “Development-level rating justifications” section at the end of each rubric. If a row includes a superscript, but not blue color highlighting, this means that insufficient information was available to determine the relevant selection in the row. 13 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SOLOMON ISLANDS Classroom Assessment 14 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ENABLING CONTEXT AND SYSTEM ALIGNMENT Overall policy and resource framework within which classroom assessment activity takes place in a country or system, and the degree to which classroom assessment activity is coherent with other components of the education system. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT AND SYSTEM ALIGNMENT 1: Setting clear guidelines for classroom assessment There is no country-level document that There is an informal or draft country- There is a formal country-level document There is a formal country-level document provides guidelines for classroom level document that provides guidelines that provides guidelines for classroom that provides guidelines for classroom assessment. for classroom assessment. assessment, but the document is not assessment, publicly available online to available online to anybody interested. 1 anybody interested. ENABLING CONTEXT AND SYSTEM ALIGNMENT 2: Aligning classroom assessment with country learning goals There are no country-wide resources for There are very few country-wide There are some country-wide resources There are a variety of country-wide teachers for classroom assessment. resources for teachers for classroom for teachers for classroom assessment. resources for teachers for classroom assessment. 2 assessment. There is no official curriculum or There is an official curriculum or There is an official curriculum or There is an official curriculum or standards document. standards document, but it is not clear standards document that specifies what standards document that specifies what what students are expected to learn. students are expected to learn, but the students are expected to learn and the desired level of performance is not clear. desired level of performance. 3 ENABLING CONTEXT AND SYSTEM ALIGNMENT 3: Having effective human resources to carry out classroom assessment activities There are no formal country-level There are very minimal formal country- There are some formal country-level There are a variety of formal country- mechanisms to ensure that teachers level mechanisms to ensure that mechanisms to ensure that teachers level mechanisms to ensure that develop competencies in classroom teachers develop competencies in develop competencies in classroom teachers develop competencies in assessment. classroom assessment. 4 assessment. classroom assessment. 15 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ASSESSMENT QUALITY Quality of classroom assessment design, administration, analysis and use. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ASSESSMENT QUALITY 1: Ensuring the quality of classroom assessment Classroom assessment practices are very Classroom assessment practices are Classroom assessment practices are Classroom assessment practices are weak, or there is no information known to be weak. known to be of moderate quality. 5 known to be of high quality. available on classroom assessment practices. There are no formal country-level There are minimal formal country-level There are some formal country-level There are varied formal country-level mechanisms to monitor the quality of mechanisms to monitor the quality of mechanisms to monitor the quality of mechanisms to monitor the quality of classroom assessment practices. classroom assessment practices. 6 classroom assessment practices. classroom assessment practices. ASSESSMENT QUALITY 2: Ensuring effective uses of classroom assessment There are no required uses of classroom There are minimal required uses of There are varied required uses of There are varied required uses of assessment. classroom assessment. classroom assessment. 7 classroom assessment, including its use as an input for selection or certification. Schools are not required to report At least some schools are required to All schools are required to report All schools are required to report information on individual student report information on individual student information on individual student information on individual student performance. performance. performance to parents. 8 performance to parents and other key stakeholders. Information on student performance is Minimal information on student Some information on student A variety of information about student not required to be reported. performance is required to be reported. performance is required to be reported performance is required to be reported in school report cards. 9 in school report cards. 16 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Classroom Assessment: Development-level rating justifications 1. In Solomon Islands, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) is the authorizing body for all documents providing guidelines for classroom assessment. There is not one specific document that provides comprehensive guidelines for classroom assessment. Rather, there are several document used to inform and guide classroom assessment. The Solomon Islands Policy Statement and Guidelines for Learners’ Assessment in Schools (2010) provides general functions and types of assessment which underscores the formative and diagnostic assessments in the classroom. However, this document is not specific to classroom assessment, but rather covers all types of assessment. The National Curriculum Statement, Solomon Islands (2011) complements the National Assessment & Reporting Policy (2010) and provides an overview of the requirements of the national curriculum of Solomon Islands. The Policy document informs teachers, instructors and education providers of the standards of the national curriculum. The Statement focuses on achievement and competency-based assessment approaches and effective recording, monitoring and reporting system. The Statement also provides teachers with guidance and examples on: assessing student achievement; recording student achievement; making judgment about student achievement; and reporting to parents and guardians. All documents/policies noted above are available to key stakeholders, but not online. Hard copies are provided to Education Authorities (who manage and operate schools), and to school leaders and teachers. A large percentage of schools do not have access to the Internet and as such online is not an effective distribution method. 2. Documents which outline what students are expected to learn and to what level of performance in different subject areas at different grade levels are available to teachers in Solomon Islands. For example, the National Curriculum Statement outlines the subjects to be taught at different levels and the expected outcomes for each subject. More specifically, there is a syllabus for each subject for both primary and secondary levels. The national syllabus provides suggested assessment exercises that correspond to the specific learning outcomes. Associated with each syllabus is a Teacher's Guide, which details the learning outcomes and expectations. Each subject is also accompanied by Learner’s Book that contains classroom assessment activities for each chapter. 3. The National Curriculum Statement, the national syllabus and the Teacher’s Guide specify what students are expected to learn and the desired level of performance for each subject area. 4. Solomon Islands National University (SINU) offers in-service teacher training courses in Teacher Education which addresses competencies in assessment. As part of the pre-service training, all teachers take a “Curriculum and Assessment" course, however the course is not specific to classroom assessment, but rather focuses on all types of assessment. 5. Classroom assessment practices are known to be of moderate quality. In practice, parents are usually well informed about students' grades. However, the use of multiple-choice/selection-type questions is common and classroom assessment activities are mainly about recalling information. 17 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 6. Classroom assessment is a required component of a teacher's performance evaluation and of school inspection. As part of teacher evaluation, the school inspection instrument includes a component which focuses on formative classroom assessment. In addition, at the secondary level, the Head of Subject Department (HoD) coordinates an assessment program that includes an annual assessment cycle/schedule. 7. The National Curriculum Statement spells out the purpose and required uses of classroom assessment information. In Solomon Islands, classroom assessment is required to be used in diagnosing student learning issues, providing feedback to students on their learning, informing parents about their child's learning, planning next steps in instruction and reviewing of school programs of learning. 8. In Solomon Islands, all schools are required to report on individual student performance. The National Curriculum Statement (2011) states that teachers must calculate a progressive achievement level for individual learners. School Inspection visits ensure that students have received their results/reports, the reports are saved in the student's portfolios, and that parents have a copy. 9. Student performance in Mathematics, Language and in all other subject areas is required to be reported in school report cards and during teacher-parent meetings. 18 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SOLOMON ISLANDS Examinations 19 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ENABLING CONTEXT Overall framework of policies, leadership, institutional arrangements, fiscal and human resources in which the assessment activity takes place in a country, and the extent to which that framework is directly conducive to, or supportive of, the assessment activity. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 1: Setting clear policies for the examination There is no examination. The examination has been operating on The examination has been operating This option does not apply to this an irregular basis. regularly. 1 dimension There is no examination, or there is no There is an informal or draft policy that There is a formal policy that authorizes There is a formal policy that authorizes policy pertaining to the examination. authorizes the examination; or there is a the examination, available upon request the examination, publicly available online formal policy that is not available. 2 or with restricted access. to anyone interested. There is no examination, or the The examination is partially The examination is fully or partially The examination is fully standardized, examination is not standardized. standardized. standardized, with at least some and a variety of procedures are in place procedures in place to ensure to ensure standardization.3 standardization. ENABLING CONTEXT 2: Having leadership for the examination There is no examination, or the country The country has weak leadership for the The country has strong leadership for the The country has strong leadership for the does not have leadership for the examination. examination, from an individual person examination from both an individual examination. or from a stakeholder body. person and a permanent stakeholder body. 4 (CONTINUED) 20 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 3: Having regular funding for the examination There is no examination, or there is no There is irregular funding for the There is regular funding for the This option does not apply to this funding allocated for the examination. examination, or the funding is not examination that is allocated by law or dimension. allocated by law or regulation. 5 regulation. There is no examination, or there is no The funding for the examination comes The funding for the examination comes This option does not apply to this funding coming from the government, primarily from donors or loans. primarily from the government or dimension. student fees, or donors. student fees. 6 There is no examination, or there is no There is funding to cover at least some of There is funding to cover all or most core There is funding to cover all core funding to cover activities. the core activities. activities. 7 activities, plus research and development. ENABLING CONTEXT 4: Having institutional capacity for the examination There is no examination, or there is no There is a temporary unit, or a unit with There is a permanent unit with some There is a permanent unit with vast examination unit. minimum experience, in charge of the experience in charge of the examination. experience in charge of the examination. 8 examination. There is no examination, or it is not clear This option does not apply to this The examination unit is accountable to a This option does not apply to this to which body the examination unit is dimension. clearly recognized body.9 dimension. accountable. There is no examination, or the The examination unit has only a few of The examination unit has all of the The examination unit has up-to-date examination unit does not have facilities the required facilities to carry out the required facilities to carry out the versions of all required facilities to carry to carry out the examination. examination. 10 examination. out the examination. (CONTINUED) 21 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 5: Having human resources for the examination There is no examination, or there is no The examination unit has an inadequate The examination unit has an adequate The examination unit has an adequate staff allocated to the examination unit. number of staff to carry out the number of staff to carry out the number of staff to carry out the examination. 11 examination, with some quality examination, with no quality problems. problems. There is no examination, or the country The country offers very few annual The country offers some annual The country offers a wide range of offers no annual opportunities to learn opportunities to learn about the opportunities to learn about annual opportunities to learn about about the examinations. examinations. examinations to the examination staff. 12 examinations. These opportunities are available to a broad audience, including the examination staff. There is no examination, or teachers Teachers have at least some Teachers have at least some Teachers have opportunities to learn have no opportunities to learn about the opportunities to learn about the opportunities to learn about the about different aspects of the examination, and are not involved in examination, or are involved in at least examination, and are involved in at least examination, and are involved in most examination-related tasks. some examination-related tasks. some examination-related tasks.13 examination-related tasks. 22 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SYSTEM ALIGNMENT Degree to which the assessment is coherent with other components of the education system. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED SYSTEM ALIGNMENT 1: Aligning the examination with learning goals There is no examination, or the The examination is weakly aligned with The examination is at least sufficiently The examination is fully aligned with examination is not aligned with official official learning goals or curriculum, or aligned with official learning goals or official learning goals or curriculum, and learning goals or curriculum. there are no regular reviews to ensure curriculum, and there are regular regular external reviews take place to alignment. 14 reviews of the examination take place to ensure alignment. ensure alignment. There is no examination, or there the The material to prepare for the There is comprehensive material to There is comprehensive material to material to prepare for the examinations examinations is accessible to at least prepare for the examination that is prepare for the examination that is is available to a small number of some students. accessible to most students. widely accessible to all or almost all students at most. students. 15 There is no examination, or the The examination is minimally consistent The examination is sufficiently consistent The examination is fully consistent with examination is not consistent with other with other assessment activities. with other assessment activities. other assessment activities. assessment activities. 16 23 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ASSESSMENT QUALITY Degree to which the assessment meets technical standards, is fair, and is used in an effective way. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ASSESSMENT QUALITY 1: Ensuring the quality of the examination There is no examination, or there are no There are minimal formal mechanisms in There are some formal mechanisms in There are a variety of formal formal mechanisms in place to ensure place to ensure the quality of the place to ensure the quality of the mechanisms in place to ensure the the quality of the examination. examination. examination. 17 quality of the examination. There is no examination, or there is no There is some documentation about the There is a comprehensive technical There is a comprehensive technical documentation about the technical technical aspects of the examination. report about the examination available report about the examination publicly aspects of the examination. upon request or with restricted access. 18 available online. ASSESSMENT QUALITY 2: Ensuring fairness There is no examination, or the majority A significant proportion of students may A small proportion of students may not All students can take the examination; of the students may not take the not take the examination because of take the examination because of there are no language, gender or other examination because of language, language, gender, or other equivalent language, gender, or other equivalent equivalent barriers. 19 gender, or other equivalent barriers. barriers. barriers. There is no examination, or student Student results are confidential. Student results are confidential, and Student results are confidential, and results are not confidential, or inappropriate behavior surrounding the there is no inappropriate behavior inappropriate behavior surrounding the examination is low.20 surrounding the examination. examination is high. (CONTINUED) 24 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ASSESSMENT QUALITY 3: Ensuring appropriate uses of the examination There is no examination, or student Student results are perceived as credible Student results are perceived as credible Students’ results are perceived as results are not perceived as credible, or by at least some stakeholders. by most stakeholders, and are nationally credible by most stakeholders, and are are not recognized by any broader recognized. internationally recognized. 21 certification or selection system. There is no examination, or there are no There are very few options in the There are some options in the education There are a variety of options in the options in the education system for education system for students who do system for students who do not perform education system for students who do students who do not perform well on the not perform well on the examination. 22 well on the examination. not perform well on the examination. examination. There is no examination, or there are no This option does not apply to this There are some mechanisms in place to There are a variety of mechanisms in mechanisms in place to monitor the dimension. monitor the examination. 23 place to monitor the examination. examination. 25 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Examinations: Development-level rating justifications 1. The Solomon Islands National Form Six Certificate (SINF6C) was first implemented as the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate in 1989 and became a national examination and known as the SINF6C in 2012. It is administered every year to Year 12 students in English and Mathematics and other optional subjects which include: Accounting, Economics, Agriculture, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Computer studies, Design Technology, Development Studies, Geography, and History. It is used for purposes such as student certification for grade completion and student selection for tertiary education. 2. There is no specific policy on SINF6C, however the Policy Guidelines for Learner's Assessment in Schools, authorized in 2010 by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development outlines the SINF6C. This document is distributed to schools and is also available to the public and other stakeholders upon request. 3. The examination is fully standardized. Assessment design, administration, scoring and reporting are the same for all students taking the examination. In addition, there are a variety of procedures in place to ensure the standardization. For example, examination papers or tasks are the same or are equivalent for all students, examination administrators are trained to ensure all students take the examinations under the same conditions, and the same scoring criteria are used to correct the examination papers and tasks. 4. The MEHRD, which consists of a permanent body of stakeholders, provides leadership for the examination. The MEHRD has pushed for the development of the examination and has influence and power in determining the examination agenda in the country. 5. Funding for the examination allocated at the discretion of the government and partners. 6. There is regular funding for the examination is provided through Ministry of Education budget. Students are also required to pay a fee to take the examination. 7. Funding allocated for the examination covers examination design and administration, and data analysis and reporting. 8. The National Examination and Standard Unit (NESU) has been in charge of the SINF6C since 2012. However, it has carried out a number of key examination responsibilities since 1978 related to marking, sample moderation, mark processing, and release of results to schools and Education authorities. 9. The NESU is directly accountable to The National Examination and Assessment Board. 10. The examination unit has up-to-date computers and top-level security for the building. However, it does not have adequate storage facilities, computer servers or communication tools. 11. The NESU team has an inadequate number of staff to carry out the SINF6C. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) recently conducted an "Institutional Capacity Analysis for National Education Assessment System” (Solomon Islands) and found that the NESU requires a higher number of staff to 26 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 manage the workload. Several quality problems have been identified with the performance of the NESU including errors in test design and examination questions, and delays in administering the examination. . 12. The Solomon Islands National University (SINU) offers courses in Teacher Education and pre-service training includes a "Curriculum and Assessment" course. The NESU also hosts annual workshops for teachers, examiners and moderators which focus on the examinations. 13. There are some opportunities for teachers to learn about the examinations. In recent years, NESU staff have conducted school visits to facilitate trainings and conduct workshops for teachers about the examinations. Furthermore, teachers who are part of the grading panel have the opportunity to learn about marking and grading the examination, and are required to review the marking rubrics and answer schemes prior to the examination. Teachers are involved in some examination-related tasks, such as in administering and scoring the examination. They are not involved in selecting the questions, creating the scoring guides or supervising examination procedures, in part due to concerns that teachers who know the exam questions will teach to these questions. 14. There is currently no national curriculum in the Solomon Islands for Year 12. Prior to 2012, Solomon Islands were part of the Pacific Senior Secondary Certificate (PSSC), which has its own subject prescriptions that apply to all participating countries, and are not country-specific. The SINF6C, implemented for the first time in 2012, still relies on the PSSC content as there is still no national curriculum for Year 12. 15. There is no national policy or set of requirements to make material on examinations available to students; however, all schools have electronic copies of past years’ examination papers. Subject teachers are expected to provide students with copies of past years’ examination papers and students can request past years’ examination papers from NESU. In addition, information on how to prepare for the examination, the framework document explaining what is measured on the examination, and a report on past student performance on the examination are available to almost all students. 16. It is not possible to tell whether the SINF6C is fully consistent with the large-scale assessments in the country because the examination is administered at the secondary level, which the large-scale assessments are administered at the primary level. At the same time, since classroom assessment practices are varied across schools, it is unclear whether the examination is consistent with such practices. 17. There are some formal mechanisms in place to ensure the quality of the examination. For example, all proctors or administrators are trained according to protocol. In addition, the SPBEA developed a standardized manual for examination administrators. All booklets are numbered, there is double data scoring and scorers are trained to ensure high inter-rater reliability. 18. There is a comprehensive technical report which is circulated to all schools and Education Authorities and is available to parents and other stakeholders upon request. 19. All students in Year 12 are eligible to sit SINF6C examination but results are withheld for students who did not pay examination fees. 27 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 20. Only the student and persons with a legitimate, professional interest in the test taker can know the results. There are some inappropriate behaviors that diminish the credibility of the examination include copying, using unauthorized materials such as prepared answers and notes, and issuing of forged certificates or altering results information. 21. Results are perceived as credible by most stakeholder groups and are internationally recognized. 22. While students who do not perform well on the examination may opt for less selective schools, universities, or tracks, they do not have the option of retaking the examination or attend remedial education. 23. The National Examination and Assessment Board is in place to monitor the examination in terms of impact, acceptance and credibility. In addition, SPBEA provides continuous technical support to NESU in dealing with capacity constraints. However, there are no expert review groups or funding for independent review and audit of the examination. 28 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SOLOMON ISLANDS National (or System-Level) Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA) 29 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ENABLING CONTEXT Overall framework of policies, leadership, institutional arrangements, fiscal and human resources in which the assessment takes place in a country, and the extent to which that framework is directly conducive to, or supportive of, the assessment activity. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 1: Setting clear policies for the NLSA No NLSA has taken place in the country. The NLSA has been operating on an The NLSA has been operating regularly. 1 This option does not apply to this irregular basis. dimension. There was no NLSA, or there was no There was an informal or draft policy There was a formal policy document that There was a formal policy document that policy document pertaining to NLSA. 2 document that authorized the NLSA. authorized the NLSA, available upon authorized the NLSA that is publicly request or with restricted access. available online to anyone interested. There was no NLSA, or there was no There was a common, informal There was an official assessment There was a publicly available official assessment schedule for future NLSAs. understanding that there would be an schedule for future NLSAs, albeit lacking assessment schedule for future NLSAs, NLSA in the future. 3 in details. specifying when (year), who (grade level) and what (subject areas) would be assessed. ENABLING CONTEXT 2: Having leadership for the NLSA There was no NLSA, or the country did The country had weak leadership for the The country had leadership for the NLSA The country had leadership for the NLSA not have leadership for the NLSA. NLSA. from an individual person or from a from both an individual person and a stakeholder body. 4 permanent stakeholder body. (CONTINUED) 30 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 3: Having regular funding for the NLSA There was no NLSA, or there was no There was funding for the NLSA. 5 There was regular funding for the NLSA This option does not apply to this funding for the NLSA. that was allocated by law or regulation. dimension. There was no NLSA, or there was no The funding for the NLSA came only or The funding for the NLSA came primarily This option does not apply to this funding for the NLSA from internal or primarily from loans or external donors. or only from the country's internal dimension. external sources. funding sources. 6 There was no NLSA, or there was no There was funding to cover at least some There was funding to cover all or most There was funding to cover all core funding. minimum core activities of the NLSA. core activities of the NLSA. 7 activities, plus research and development. ENABLING CONTEXT 4: Having institutional capacity for the NLSA There was no NLSA, or there was no There was a unit or team with at least There was a permanent team, at least There was a permanent team, NLSA team. one person in charge of the NLSA. nationally recognized, with at least some internationally recognized, with vast experience in NLSA. 8 experience in NLSA. There was no NLSA, or it is unclear to This option does not apply to this The NLSA unit was accountable to a This option does not apply to this which body the NLSA unit was dimension. clearly recognized body. 9 dimension. accountable. There was no NLSA, or the NLSA unit did The NLSA unit had only a few of the The NLSA unit had all of the required The NLSA unit had up-to-date versions of not have facilities to carry out the required facilities to carry out the facilities to carry out the assessment. all required facilities to carry out the assessment. assessment. 10 assessment. (CONTINUED) 31 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 5: Having human resources for the NLSA There was no NLSA, or there was no The NLSA team had an inadequate The NLSA team had an adequate number The NLSA team had an adequate number NLSA staff. number of staff to carry out the NLSA. 11 of staff to carry out the NLSA, with some of staff to carry out the NLSA, without quality problems. quality problems. There was no NLSA, or the country did The country offered very few annual The country offered some annual The country offered a wide range of not offer annual opportunities to learn opportunities to learn about NLSA. 12 opportunities to learn about NLSA, albeit annual opportunities to learn about about NLSA. only to the NLSA team members. NLSA. These opportunities were available to a broad audience, including the NLSA team members. There was no NLSA, or teachers did not This option does not apply to this Teachers had annual opportunities to Teachers had annual opportunities to have annual opportunities to learn about dimension. learn about the content and skills learn about different aspects of the the NLSA. 13 measured by the NLSA. NLSA. 32 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SYSTEM ALIGNMENT Degree to which the assessment is coherent with other components of the education system. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED SYSTEM ALIGNMENT 1: Aligning the NLSA with learning goals There was no NLSA, or the country did The NLSA was minimally aligned with The NLSA was sufficiently aligned with The NLSA was fully aligned with official not have official learning goals or official learning goals or curriculum. official learning goals or curriculum, and learning goals or curriculum, and a curriculum, or the NLSA was not aligned a regular internal review took place to regular external review took place to with the official learning goals or ensure alignment. 14 ensure alignment. curriculum. There was no NLSA, or students had no Students had limited previous exposure Students had sufficient previous Students had extensive previous previous exposure to the type of content to the type of content and skills exposure to the type of content and skills exposure to the type of content and skills and skills measured by the NLSA. measured by the NLSA. measured by the NLSA. 15 measured by the NLSA. There was no NLSA, or the NLSA was not The NLSA was minimally consistent with The NLSA was sufficiently consistent with The NLSA was fully consistent with other consistent with other assessment other assessment activities. other assessment activities. 16 assessment activities. activities. 33 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ASSESSMENT QUALITY Degree to which the assessment meets technical standards, is fair and is used in an effective way. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ASSESSMENT QUALITY 1: Ensuring the quality of the NLSA There was no NLSA, or there were no There were informal or ad hoc There were some formal mechanisms to There were a variety of formal mechanisms to include all student mechanisms to include all student include all student groups in the NLSA. 17 mechanisms to include all student groups groups in the NLSA. groups in the NLSA. in the NLSA. There was no NLSA, or there were no There were very few formal mechanisms There were some formal mechanisms in There were a variety of formal formal mechanisms in place to ensure in place to ensure the quality of the place to ensure the quality of the NLSA. mechanisms in place to ensure the the quality of the NLSA. NLSA. quality of the NLSA. 18 There was no NLSA, or there was no There was some documentation about There was a comprehensive technical There was a comprehensive technical technical documentation about the the technical aspects of the NLSA. report for the NLSA, available upon report for the NLSA, publicly available NLSA. request or with restricted access.19 online. (CONTINUED) 34 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ASSESSMENT QUALITY 2: Ensuring effective uses of the NLSA There was no NLSA, or country results Country results and information were Country results and information were Country results and information were and information were not disseminated. disseminated using some communication disseminated using a variety of disseminated using a variety of strategy. 20 communication strategies, including communication strategies, including dissemination to some schools. dissemination to most schools. There was no NLSA, or NLSA results and NLSA results and information had hardly NLSA results and information were NLSA results and information were information were not covered by the any coverage in the media. 21 covered by some media outlets. covered by a wide variety of media. media. There was no NLSA, or results from the Results from the NLSA were minimally Results from the NLSA were used in Results from the NLSA were used in a NLSA were not used to inform decision used to inform decision making in the some ways to inform decision making in variety of ways to inform decision making in the country. country. the country. 22 making in the country. There was no NLSA, or there were no This option does not apply to this There were some formal mechanisms in There were a variety of formal mechanisms in place to monitor the dimension. place to monitor the NLSA. 23 mechanisms in place to monitor the NLSA. NLSA. There was no NLSA, or there is no clear This option does not apply to this There is a general consensus about the There is evidence of the positive impact evidence or consensus about the positive dimension. positive impact of the NLSA on education of the NLSA on education quality. impact of the NLSA on education quality. quality. 24 35 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 National (of System-Level) Large Scale Assessment (NLSA): Development-level rating justifications 1. The Solomon Islands Standardized Tests of Achievement (SISTA) was first introduced in 2003 and is implemented every three years to all students in years 4 and 6. The assessment is administered to monitor education quality at the country level, support schools and teachers, and inform policy design, evaluation, or decision making. 2. There is no formal policy document pertaining to the SISTA. 3. While there is no official statement for future administration of SISTA, there is a common understanding that the assessment will take place in the future. 4. The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) and particularly the National Examinations and Standards Unit (NESU), represent the recognized leaders for SISTA. 5. There was funding for SISTA. 6. Funding for SISTA came primarily from the country's internal funding sources, including the MEHRD as well as donor agencies, including the New Zealand Aid Programme and Australian Aid Programme. 7. Funding for SISTA covers assessment design, administration, data analysis, and data reporting. 8. The National Examinations and Standards Unit (NESU) within the MEHRD, which is nationally recognized as an authority in student assessment in Solomon Islands, has been is in charge of the SISTA since 2003. 9. The NESU is directly accountable to The National Examination and Assessment Board. 10. The NLSA unit has up-to-date computers for all technical staff, top-level security for its facilities, and up-to-date computer servers. It does not have adequate storage facilities or communication tools. 11. The NLSA team has an inadequate number of staff to carry out the SISTA. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) recently conducted an "Institutional Capacity Analysis for National Education Assessment System” (Solomon Islands) and found that the NESU requires a higher number of staff to manage the workload. However, there have been no quality problems identified related to the performance of the NESU in carrying out the SISTA, such as errors or delays in the printing of the test booklets. 12. There are university courses offered by the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) on assessment. As part of the pre-service training, all students take “Curriculum and Assessment “course. In addition, education authorities have organized workshops for teachers to which NESU staff are invited to present SISTA results. 36 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 13. There are no opportunities available for teachers to learn about the content and skills measured by the SISTA. 14. The SISTA is developed directly from Year 4 and Year 6 curriculum. It is aligned with the content and skill areas, and pedagogical approaches of the official learning goals or curriculum. In addition, there is a regular internal review to ensure alignment between the SISTA and the curriculum. 15. Textbooks or other learning resources covered similar content and skills to those covered by the NLSA. In addition, teachers covered similar content and skills in their classes to those covered by the NLSA, and students were exposed to more advanced content and skills than those covered by the NLSA. 16. The SISTA is consistent with ILSAs in Solomon Islands. However, it is unclear whether the SISTA is consistent with classroom assessment since classroom assessment is diversely practiced across schools. The SISTA is consistent with the Solomon Islands Secondary (SISE) examination administered at Year 6. 17. Special plans were made to ensure that the NLSA was administered to students in hard-to-reach areas and the NLSA was offered in the language of instruction for almost all student groups. 18. There are several formal mechanisms in place to ensure the quality of the NLSA, including training scorers to ensure high inter-rater reliability, carrying out a pilot before the main data collection takes place, training all proctors according to a protocol, providing a standardized manual for SISTA administrators, double scoring and processing of data, and introducing internal and external reviewers or observers. However, other mechanisms, such as numbering all booklets and conducting an external certification or audit, are not in place. 19. There was a comprehensive technical report available on the SISTA, although access to the report is available on request by stakeholders. 20. SISTA results were released by the Solomon Star media outlet and were also communicated through a radio broadcast. 21. Results received limited media coverage. 22. Results were used to inform decision making at the country level, including tracking the impact of reforms on student achievement levels, and informing curriculum improvement, teacher training programs, other assessment activities in the system, and resource allocation. SISTA results influenced the establishment of the Literacy Project Management Unit (LPMU) which manages literacy projects in the Solomon Islands focused on the early grades and vernacular. 23. There is a permanent oversight committee, the National Examination and Assessment Board, to monitor the SISTA. 24. Since the SISTA was updated in 2013 and baseline data was collected at that time, it is too early to assess the impact of the assessment on education quality in the Solomon Islands. 37 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SOLOMON ISLANDS International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) 38 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ENABLING CONTEXT Overall framework of policies, leadership, institutional arrangements, fiscal and human resources in which the assessment takes place in a country, and the extent to which that framework is directly conducive to, or supportive of, the assessment activity. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 1: Setting clear policies for the ILSA The country has not participated in an The country has participated in, but not The country has completed one ILSA in The country has completed two or more ILSA in the last 10 years. completed, an ILSA in the last 10 years. 1 the last 10 years. ILSAs in the last 10 years. The country is not currently participating This option does not apply to this The country is currently participating in This option does not apply to this in an ILSA or has not taken concrete dimension. an ILSA or has taken concrete steps to dimension. steps to participate in an ILSA in the next participate in at least one ILSA in the 5 years. next 5 years. 2 There was no country-level policy There was an informal or draft country- There was a formal country-level policy There was a formal country-level policy document that addressed participation level policy document that addressed document that addressed participation document that addressed participation in in the ILSA. 3 participation in the ILSA. in the ILSA that was available upon the ILSA that was publicly available request or with restricted access. online to anyone interested. ENABLING CONTEXT 2: Having sufficient funding for the ILSA There was no funding for participation in Funding for the ILSA activities was Funding for the ILSA activities was This option does not apply to this the ILSA, discretionary or otherwise. 4 primarily allocated at the discretion of primarily allocated by law or regulation. dimension. the country's government. There was no funding from loans, There was funding only or primarily There was funding primarily from the There was funding only from the external donors, or internal sources. from loans or external donors.5 country's internal funding sources. country's internal sources. There was no funding for core items or The ILSA funding covered at least The ILSA funding covered most core The ILSA funding covered most core research and development. minimum core items of the ILSA. 6 items. items, plus research and development. (CONTINUED) 39 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ENABLING CONTEXT 3: Having effective institutional and human capacity for the ILSA There was no ILSA unit or team. There was at least one person in charge There was a recognized unit or team There was an internationally-recognized of the ILSA. 7 with at least some experience in unit or team with vast experience in international assessments that carried international assessments that carried out the ILSA in an effective way. out the ILSA in an effective way. There was no ILSA unit, or the unit did The ILSA unit had only a few of the The ILSA unit had all of the required The ILSA unit had up-to-date versions of not have the required facilities to carry required facilities to carry out the ILSA. 8 facilities to carry out the ILSA. all of the required facilities to carry out out the ILSA. the ILSA. The country offered no opportunities to The country offered minimal The country offered adequate The country offered adequate learn about ILSAs. opportunities to learn about ILSA. 9 opportunities to learn about ILSA. opportunities to learn about ILSA to a broad audience, including the ILSA team and educators. 40 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 SYSTEM ALIGNMENT Degree to which the assessment is coherent with other components of the education system. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED SYSTEM ALIGNMENT 1: Aligning the ILSA with learning goals for the country The ILSA was not aligned with the The ILSA was partially aligned with the The ILSA was sufficiently aligned with the The ILSA was fully aligned with the country's official learning goals, or the country's official learning goals. country's official learning goals.10 country's official learning goals. country did not have official learning goals. Students were not previously exposed to Students had limited previous exposure Students had sufficient previous Students had extensive previous the type of content and skills measured to the type of content and skills exposure to the type of content and skills exposure to the type of content and skills by the ILSA. measured by the ILSA. measured by the ILSA. 11 measured by the ILSA. The ILSA was not consistent with the The ILSA was minimally consistent with The ILSA was generally consistent with The ILSA was fully consistent with the country's other assessment activities. the country's other assessment activities. the country's other assessment activities. country's other assessment activities. 12 41 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 ASSESSMENT QUALITY Degree to which the assessment meets technical quality standards, is fair and is used in an effective way. LATENT EMERGING ESTABLISHED ADVANCED ASSESSMENT QUALITY 1: Ensuring the technical quality of the ILSA The country did not meet sufficient The country met sufficient technical The country met all technical standards This option does not apply to this technical standards to have its data standards to have its data presented required to have its data presented in dimension. presented in the international report or beneath the main display of the the main displays of the international an annex. international report or in an annex. report. 13 ASSESSMENT QUALITY 2: Ensuring effective uses of ILSA Country results and information were Country results and information were Country results and information were Country results and information were not disseminated in the country.14 disseminated using at least one disseminated using some communication disseminated using a variety of communication strategy. strategies. communication strategies, including dissemination to most schools. Country results and information were Country results and information were Country results and information were Country results and information were not covered by media in the country. covered by one media outlet in the covered by some media outlets in the covered by a variety of media outlets in country. country. the country. Results from the ILSA have not been Results from the ILSA have been used in Results from the ILSA have been used in Results from the ILSA have been used in used to inform decision making. a very limited way to inform decision some ways to inform decision making in a variety of ways to inform decision making in the country. the country. making in the country. There is no clear evidence or consensus This option does not apply to this There is a general consensus about the There is evidence of the positive impact about the positive impact of the ILSA on dimension. positive impact of the ILSA on education of the ILSA on education quality. education quality. quality. 42 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 International Large Scale Assessment (ILSA): Development-level rating justifications 1. Solomon Islands has participated in, but not completed, an ILSA in the past 10 years 2. Solomon Islands is currently participating in the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) for 2012, in which 14 countries in the Pacific region participate. 3. There was no country-level policy document in Solomon Islands that addressed participation in the ILSA; however, the Secretariat of the Pacific Board for Educational Assessment (SPBEA), a regional body, received a regional mandate from the Pacific Forum Education Minsters Meetings (FEdMM) in 2006 to develop the PILNA. 4. There was funding allocated by donors. 5. Funding was allocated by the Australian Aid Programme and Secretariat of the Pacific Board for Educational Assessment (SPBEA). 6. The ILSA funding covered some core items, including implementation of the assessment exercise in the country, and processing and analyzing data collected from implementation. In addition, funding covered attendance at international meetings. ILSA funding did not cover reporting and disseminating the results in the country, international participation fees, research and development, or staff salaries. 7. There was a national coordinator for the PILNA in Solomon Islands who is located in NESU, a school coordinator who managed the administration at the school level for selected schools, and test supervisors who administer the assessment at the classroom level in select schools. In addition, for each assessment area, literacy and numeracy, there was a panel responsible for marking the assessments. Although this was the first time that this team was in charge of the ILSA, there were no quality problems identified with carrying out the PILNA in Solomon Islands. 8. The ILSA unit has up-to-date computers for all technical staff, sufficient computer servers, and top-level security for building. It does not have adequate storage facilities or communication tools. 9. ILSA team members and teachers involved in the scoring of the assessment were able to benefit from some opportunities to learn about PILNA during presentations conducted by NESU. Key personnel also participated in workshops organized by SPBEA for all PILNA participating countries. In addition, the SPBEA provided in-country training on scoring, data collection methodology, and quality assurance protocol to panel leaders and panel members. 10. The PILNA was aligned with the content and skills areas of Solomon Island's official learning goals or curriculum. In addition, the PILNA was aligned with pedagogical approaches or activities compatible with the Solomon Island's official learning goals or curriculum. 11. In Solomon Islands, textbooks and learning resources, as well as teachers, cover similar content and skills to those covered by the PILNA. Furthermore, students are exposed to more basic content and skills than those covered by the PILNA. 43 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 12. It is unclear whether the ILSA is consistent with classroom assessment since classroom assessments are conducted at the school level and can be diverse across schools. The ILSA is consistent with examinations, particularly the Solomon Islands Secondary Entrance (SISE) examination administered at Year 6, at which level the PILNA is also administered. The ILSA is also fully consistent with the national large-scale assessment (SISTA) in Solomon Islands. 13. Solomon Islands has complied with all technical standards, and it is expected that its results will be presented in the main section of the international report. 14. Since PILNA results have not yet been approved by the FEdMM, they have not been disseminated in the Solomon Islands. 44 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 Acknowledgements References This report was prepared by the World Bank SABER- Clarke, M. 2012. “What Matters Most for Student Student Assessment team in collaboration with Clark Assessment Systems: A Framework Paper.” READ/SABER Matthews (World Bank Consultant). The report Working Paper Series. Washington, DC: World Bank. benefitted from the data collection efforts and insight of Adrian Alamu (PaBER Assessment Officer, South Pacific Government of Solomon Islands. 2007. Education Board for Educational Assessment) and Seema Prasad Strategic Framework 2007-2015. Honiara, Solomon (PaBER Assessment Officer, South Pacific Board for Islands. Data retrieved from: Educational Assessment), as well as input from the http://www.paddle.usp.ac.fj/collect/paddle/index/asso Ministry of Education and Human Resources c/sol031.dir/doc.pdf on January 9, 2014. Development. World Bank. 2012. Solomon Islands Country Indicator Data. Washington, DC: World Bank. Data retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/ on January 9, 2014. ---. 2013. Solomon Islands- Country Partnership Strategy for the Period FY2013-2017. Report No. 76349 SB. Washington, DC: World Bank. 45 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS SOLOMON ISLANDS ǀ SABER-STUDENT ASSESSMENT SABER COUNTRY REPORT |2014 www.worldbank.org/education/saber The Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) initiative produces comparative data and knowledge on education policies and institutions, with the aim of helping countries systematically strengthen their education systems. SABER evaluates the quality of education policies against evidence-based global standards, using new diagnostic tools and detailed policy data. The SABER country reports give all parties with a stake in educational results—from administrators, teachers, and parents to policymakers and business people—an accessible, objective snapshot showing how well the policies of their country's education system are oriented toward ensuring that all children and youth learn. This report focuses specifically on policies in the area of student assessment. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 46 SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR BETTER EDUCATION RESULTS