Developing a practical assessment of early language learning in BangladeshColette ChabbottInternational Education ProgramGeorge Washington University chabbott@gwu.edu

Funding for this work was partially provided by a Partnership Grant from the U.S. Department of State to the George Washington University and BRAC University. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any of these sponsors.

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*IntroductionMy applied work: project design and evaluation for rural community schools, in Islamic countries, where very few education experts, including myself, are fully fluent in the local language. Most intensively in Bangladesh, over 25 years with BRAC and more recently with BRAC University

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*The situation in BangladeshBANGLA

4th most spoken mother tongue in the world. (SIL Ethnograph 1999)archaic orthography, complex script with many characters, limited childrens literature

PRIMARY EDUCATION

80-95% net enrollment for both boys and girls40% of students receiving stipend & secondary scholarships available for many girlscrowded classrooms and an official primary drop out rate of 48%Less than 50% of primary school completersand less than 25% of all 11-year-olds--are independent readers.

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Support for primary educationOver 25 year of large-scale foreign assistance

Government developed primary competencies and issued new textbooks in early 1990s

Currently in middle of 5th large-scale primary education program, > US$ 1 billion for five years, of which > US$ 650 million is from external sources

Usual demands for accountability

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Approaches to monitoring learningBeginning in Grade 4, a system of school-based and public examinations are riddled with cheating and a rote approach

Non-government group has conducted nationally representative surveys and administered competency-based achievement tests for Grade 4 and 5 several times in last decade. Need something smaller, quicker, cheaper for monitoring and evaluating what interventions really improve learning, particularly in Grades 1, 2 & 3

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*My wish list for an ideal learning measure:focuses on real learning.

improves lifelong learning, not just test-taking.

measures progress in G1-G3, BEFORE most children drop out

measure progress in small increments, so that even schools starting at low levels of performance can show progress in the early grades.

quick to prepare

serves as a leading indicator for achievement in more than one subject.

is easy enough so that even non-professional teachers can use for continuous assessment

doesnt need to be kept a secret.

speaks to policy-makers, teachers and parents.

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Systematic development of a graded Test of Oral Reading Fluency (TORF)Come to an understanding of what we mean by reading

Analyze language competencies in existing curriculum

Generate word lists from textbooks and age-appropriate books

Develop criteria for composing tests that take into account both grade level, time of year, and variation in school quality

Testing the test

Establishing benchmark reading rates by grade and time of year

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*What is reading? Coming to a common understanding

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Analyzing the official curriculumIncludes many terminal (end-of-year) competencies for language (Bangla) in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Identifies topics and vocabulary at specific levels

Includes one critical reading competency before Grade 4:

By the end of Grade 3, students should be able toread textbooks and other books written for children at an appropriate level.

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*52 terminal competencies, just 6 relate to Bangla

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Graded competencies for reading Bangla

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Establishing fair word lists and topics Topics come from competencies and national (N) textbooks

Find pictures, letters and words in national (N) and alternative, more basic (B) textbooks

Create database, including source, page number, translation into international language

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*

PgEnglishPixTypePPG1G2G334mathematicsnnounB0451PortionnB04, NC-9152138@NCTB53LetternnounNCTB1572@NCTB61AgrohayonnnounNCTBB04830@NCTB38nB2006B041PythonYnounB20042366@NCTB

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Establishing graded criteria for testsDifferent types of tests1) Pictures4) Sentences2) Letters5) Continuous text3) Words

Different levelsGrade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3Beginning, middle, end of yearEasy, basic, advanced

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*Standardize the testFontsDialects11 types of primary schoolsGrade 1 notoriously difficult to testGetting children used to the test

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*What do we want?http://dibels.uoregon.edu/benchmarkgoals.pdf

C. Chabbott

13 March 2008C. Chabbott*How long does it take to develop a robust graded test?Varies by languageNon-international languages likely to need more than a few weeksVaries by degree of conflict over educationTranslating competencies, word lists, and criteria into an international language can help engage more people in process of improving the test

C. Chabbott

**Issue: reaching students before they drop out in Grades 3 & 4. Research in last 20 years in cognitive science such that interventions and measurement could be easily and quickly adapted. Some NGOs are already experimenting in Bdesh

Issue: improving overall achievement and life-long learning. Independent reading is necessary, though not sufficient, to perform well in school and to continue to learn after leaving school.

Issue: measuring progress in small incrementsMany measures to track progress in reading over time beginning in pre-school or G1, such as TORF, DIBELS

Issue: shortage of professional teachers in rural areasAlthough several other subjects, such as math and science, require professional teachers, good reading instruction for G1-G3 can be delivered by para-professional teachers, ie, adults with SSC completion or above. Thanks to the female secondary stipend programme, there is a surplus of girls with this qualification in most areas of the country.

Issue: appeals to politicians, policy makers and parents.Everyone agrees children should be able to read independently by the end of Grade 4 or 5

Issue: supports rather than competes with formal education systemIn terms of curricular reform, Japanese are working on improving the math and science curriculum, British High Commission is overhauling English instruction, but I dont think anyone is working on Bangla.

***Assessment of Basic Competencies (ABC, 1992)Literacy, numeracy and life skillsEducation Watch for Grade 527 testable competencies, 5 relating to BanglaSomaponi???Limitations: snapshots at one point in time do not measure learning in G1-G3, before children dropout

**