Launching Of Etnla

16,000 students selected following a

Front Cover: Multiple comparisons of mean composite scores of Grade 8 achievement tests by regions based on the findings of the Ethiopian Second National Learning Assessment (ESNLA).

Achievement Tests

two stage stratified random sampling

community leaders

Oromia ● ● ● ● ( ( ( Tigray ● ● ● ● ( ( ( Amhara ● ● ● ● ( ( ( Harari ● ● ● ● ( ( ( * * * * Somali ● ● ● * * * * D. D. ● ● ● * * * * SNNPR ● ● ● * * * * A. A. ● ● ● * * * * * * * Afar * * * * * * * B. G. ● statistically no significant difference between the regions

( ( ( ( ● ● ● ● ●

( ( ( ( ( ( (

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B. G.

Afar

A. A.

about 200 parents &

SNNPR

REGIONS

D. D.

400 school principals

Somali

Background Questionnaires

about 3,600 teachers

Harari

sampling units & region as stratum

Attitude Survey

Focus Group Discussions

Amhara

procedure taking schools as primary

F o r ad d i ti o na l i n fo r ma tio n o n p r e v i o u s & c u r r en t u n d er t ak i n g s p l ea s e c on t a c t t h e A g e n cy . E - m ai l: z e wd u g b@ gm a i l. c o m z e w du g _ k i da n @ y ah o o. co m e r k d e s r e d@y a h o o . c om

ETHIOPIAN THIRD NATIONAL LEARNING ASSESSMENT

Tigray

T h e E th i o p i an T h i r d N a t i on al Learning Assessment is the third in the series since 2000 (1992 E.C.). I t u s e s s i m i l a r i n str u m e n t s h e n c e helps us to see progress and how t h e r e c om m e n da t i o n s o f p r e v i ou s s t u d i e s t a k e n u p . T h e T e chn i ca l Working Group hosted at the G E Q AE A h a v e v e ry s t r o n g d e s i r e to work in collaboration with s t a k e h old e r s a t a l l l e v el s . W e a r e l o o ki n g f o r w a rd f o r y o u r s u g g e s t i o n s a n d c o n s t r u c t i v e c r i ti c i s m s . The Regional Education Bureaus & d i f f e r en t d e p a r t m en t s o f M i n i s t r y o f E du c a ti o n s h o u l d b e re p r e sented in the National Advisory C ou n ci l a n d p l a y a c t i v e r ol e a n d follow up the activities of the Technical Working Group.

l Government Target Groups: al ith Grade 4 (Public) schools w t ass size of at leas cl 8 de ra G or d/ an May 2007. 20 pupils in April/

Oromia

ETNLA is coming soon !!!

( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ● ●

* ( statistically significant difference between the regions in favor of the direction shown

USAID IN COLLABORATION WITH G E N E R A L E D U C A T I O N Q U A L I TY ASSURANCE & EXAMINATIONS AGENCY

P.O.Box 30747 Addis Ababa Phone: +25111232875 Fax: +25111232891

USAID IN COLLABORATION WITH GENERAL EDUCATION QUALITY ASSURANCE & EXAMINATIONS AGENCY

GEQAEA

Ethiopian Third National Learning Assessment

The Ethiopian Third National Learning Assessment (ETNLA) will be conducted in April/May 2007 across the nation in about 400 selected sample schools taking regions as stratification variable. General Education Quality Assurance & Examinations Agency (GEQAEA) will conduct the study in close collaboration with the REBs, USAID and other stakeholders. The Agency strongly believes that this is a timely undertaking, since Ministry of Education is committed to bring about quality education at all levels. What is a national learning assessment? A national assessment may be defined as an exercise designed to describe the level of achievements, not of individual students, but of a whole education system, or a clearly defined part of it (e.g., fourth grade pupils or 11-year olds). The centerpiece of the assessment is the collection of data in schools. Usually students respond to assessment instruments and questionnaires. Teachers may also be requested to complete questionnaires in which they provide information considered relevant to an interpretation of their students’ achievements. In some assessments, teachers also take achievement tests.

Why national learning assessment?

During the 1990s, assessment came to the forefront in educational policy as concern grew about what students were actually learning in school. While up to then, the main focus in assessing the quality of education was on inputs (e.g., physical facilities, curriculum materials, access to textbooks, teacher training etc.), the shift to a concern about outputs asked if students as a result of their exposure to schooling acquired appropriate knowledge, skills, behaviour, and attitudes. Five main issues are addressed in national assessments: How well are students learning? Is there particular strengths or weaknesses in their knowledge and skills? Do achievements of subgroups in the population differ? To what extent is achievement associated with characteristics of learning environment? And do the achievements of students change over time? (Kellaghan & Greaney) National Learning Assessments in Ethiopia In Ethiopia two national learning assessments were conducted in the past seven years. The Ethiopian Baseline National Learning Assessment (EBNLA) in 1999/2000 (1992 E.C.) and the Ethiopian Second National Learning Assessment (ESNLA) in 2003/2004 (1996 E.C.). Both national assessments tried to address the above issues. The findings showed that the

attitudes of students towards socially relevant issues were in the desired direction but the achievement levels in the tested subjects were low. Furthermore disparities between subgroups (e.g., gender, regions, locations, languages of instruction) were also observed. The Ethiopian Third National Learning Assessment will be conducted this academic year and the main objectives are: •

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to determine the achievement levels of Grade 4 students in mathematics, English, reading & environmental science; to determine the achievement levels of Grade 8 students in mathematics, English, biology, chemistry & physics ; to compare current outcomes with the outcomes of previous national assessments; to describe relationships between achievement standards and school, teacher, home background, and pupil factors; to provide a basis with which to compare future assessments of the subjects tested and to provide high quality, reliable data which will assist in policy review and for mulation, and resource allocation.