2013年-世界发展银行全球_West_Bank_and_Gaza_Student_Assessment___SABER_Country_Report_2013_49页_484kb

Summary of West Bank and Gaza Student Assessment System (SABER Country Report, 2013)

Core Content

The West Bank and Gaza student assessment system is evaluated using the World Bank's Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) program, which focuses on benchmarking assessment policies and practices. The report outlines the current status of three main types of assessment: classroom assessment, examinations, and large-scale assessments, both national (NLSA) and international (ILSA). The overall status of the system is described as "Emerging", indicating partial presence of key attributes needed for an effective assessment system.

Main Assessment Types and Purposes

1. Classroom Assessment

• Purpose: Provide real-time feedback to support teaching and learning.
• Description: An informal document, Basis of Success, Completion, and Repetition for Grades 1 to 12, serves as a guideline. Teachers have access to resources like textbooks, scoring criteria, and rubrics.
• System-level support: Includes pre- and in-service teacher training, conferences, and school inspections.
• Weaknesses: Over-reliance on multiple-choice questions, limited feedback to students, and lack of external moderation or research funding.
• Stakeholder engagement: Assessment information is not centrally reported to the Ministry of Education, and parents are often poorly informed.

2. Examinations

• Purpose: Certify students for secondary completion and select them for higher education.
• Description: The Tawjihi is the main examination, administered since 1960. It is based on a formal policy document.
• Funding: Covered by government allocation and student fees, but not for research or development.
• Staffing: The General Directorate for Measurement, Evaluation, and Examination has full-time staff, but it is insufficient.
• Weaknesses: Limited support from educators, students, parents, and media. No external moderation or certification. No updated training for teachers on the examination.
• Quality: Internal reviews exist, but external ones are lacking.

3. National Large-Scale Assessment (NLSA)

• Purpose: Provide system-level feedback on student performance in key subjects.
• Description: Administered every two years since 2008, assessing grades 4 and 10 in Arabic, Mathematics, and Science.
• Funding: Comes from a joint financing program with donor support.
• Staffing: The Assessment and Evaluation Department is a permanent unit but under-staffed.
• Weaknesses: Limited data availability, no formal document specifying the purpose and use of the NLSA, and lack of comprehensive use of results.
• Quality: Internal reviews are conducted, but external validation is missing. Only results from 2008 are published in detail.

4. International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA)

• Purpose: Compare educational performance with global standards.
• Description: The West Bank and Gaza has participated in TIMSS (2003, 2007, 2011) and LAMP (2008), and plans to participate in TIMSS 2015.
• Funding: Provided by loans or external donors.
• Staffing: A national coordinator and team with relevant experience are in place, but the team is under-staffed and consists of only seven part-time members.
• Quality: Meets technical standards for international reporting and contributes to global knowledge, but lacks sufficient staffing and resources.

Key Policy Areas

• Classroom assessment: Needs stronger feedback mechanisms and external moderation.
• Examinations: Requires updated teacher training, external reviews, and more transparent use of results.
• National Large-Scale Assessment: Needs formal policy documents, dedicated funding, and better dissemination and use of results.
• International Large-Scale Assessment: Needs more staffing and resources to support comprehensive participation and data analysis.

Quality Drivers of Assessment Systems

Three main drivers are identified to evaluate the quality of an assessment system:

1. Enabling context: Includes policies, leadership, funding, institutional arrangements, and human resources.
2. System alignment: Refers to the congruence between assessment activities and learning goals, curriculum, and teacher training.
3. Assessment quality: Involves psychometric quality, design, administration, analysis, and appropriate use of results.

These drivers are applied across all types of assessment to identify areas for improvement.

Levels of Development

The report uses a four-level framework to evaluate the development of the assessment system:

• Latent: Absence or deviation from the desired attribute.
• Emerging: Partial presence of the attribute.
• Established: Acceptable minimum standard.
• Advanced: Ideal or current best practice.

The West Bank and Gaza is rated Emerging across all assessment types, indicating that while some foundational elements are in place, the system lacks comprehensive strategies, external moderation, and sufficient resources.

Suggested Policy Options

• Classroom Assessment: Develop a formal strategy to improve classroom assessment, including teacher training and external moderation.
• Examinations: Provide updated training for teachers, include external reviews, and develop guidelines for the fair use of examination results.
• National Large-Scale Assessment: Create a formal policy document, secure dedicated funding, and improve the use of assessment results in policy-making.
• International Large-Scale Assessment: Increase staffing and resources to support comprehensive participation and data analysis.

Conclusion

The West Bank and Gaza's student assessment system is in an Emerging stage, with limited mechanisms to ensure quality and effective use of assessment data. While some foundational structures exist, the system lacks comprehensive strategies, external validation, and sufficient human and financial resources. The report recommends a range of policy interventions to strengthen the system and align it with best practices.