Defining learning quality at upper primary and secondary levels is complex; ‘Meaningful’ learning: ‘not only acquiring knowledge, but also being able to use knowledge in a variety of new situations’ (Mayer 2002); 21st Century Skills: schools should ‘equip young people with skills for future labour market or higher education opportunities’ (World Bank 2009)

1. School effectiveness in Ethiopia,
India, Vietnam & Peru
#YLEducation
Key findings from the 2016-17
Young Lives School Surveys
4 September 2017

2. Developing cross-country
learning metrics

3. DEVELOPING COMPARABLE LEARNING METRICS
 Defining learning quality at upper
primary and secondary levels is
complex
 ‘Meaningful’ learning: ‘not only
acquiring knowledge, but also
being able to use knowledge in a
variety of new situations’ (Mayer
2002)
 21st Century Skills: schools should
‘equip young people with skills for
future labour market or higher
education opportunities’ (World
Bank 2009)

4. DEVELOPING COMPARABLE LEARNING METRICS
Maths tests:
 Contextual relevance: curriculum-
linked assessments covering
cognitive domains and the content
domains relevant to each country
 Cross-country comparability:
anchor items in overlapping
content/cognitive domains
 Allowed later construction of a
common scale of mathematics
achievement

5. DEVELOPING COMPARABLE LEARNING METRICS
Which of these expressions is
equivalent to p3?
A. p + p + p
B. p x p x p
C. 3p
D. p2 + p
Grade level: 7
Cognitive domain: Application
Content domain: Integers &
rational numbers
% correct: Ethiopia 41%, India
65%, Vietnam 85%
0
.5
1
-4 -.305 4
Ethiopia India Vietnam
mat26

6. DEVELOPING COMPARABLE LEARNING METRICS

7. DEVELOPING COMPARABLE LEARNING METRICS

8. Comparing learning progress
across Ethiopia, India and Vietnam

9. COMPARING LEARNING PROGRESS
Key questions:
 How much learning progress do students make in the three
countries?
 Which schools are more effective (i.e., in which schools do
students make more progress)?
 Who attends more effective schools in each country?

10. HOW MUCH PROGRESS DO STUDENTS MAKE?

11. HOW MUCH PROGRESS DO STUDENTS MAKE?

12. WHICH SCHOOLS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE?

13. WHICH SCHOOLS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE?
YL Ethiopia YL VietnamYL India
Rural
Urban
Privateaided
Privateunaided
Stategovernment
Tribalsocialwelfare
BenTre
DaNang
HungYen
LaoCai
PhuYen

14. WHO ATTENDS MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS?

15. WHO ATTENDS MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS?

16. WHO ATTENDS MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS?

17. COMPARING LEARNING PROGRESS
 Most effective schools:
• Private unaided schools in India; schools in Da Nang, Vietnam
• More variation within than between countries
 Student wealth and school effectiveness:
• Ethiopia & Vietnam: no clear relationship – more equitable
systems?
• India: varies by school type – private unaided schools attended by
wealthier children are more effective, but this is not the case for
state government schools
 Learning progress:
• Students make comparable progress in one year across the three
countries – but there are clear differences in learning levels

18. Learning levels:
what can students do?

19. 0
.002.004.006
250500750
MathsScore
YLEthiopiaW1YLIndiaW1YLVietnamW1
0
250 500 750
Maths Score
YL Ethiopia W1 YL India W1 YL Vietnam W1
Level 2: Basic User
Level 1: Below Basic User
Level 3: Competent User
Level 4: Advanced User
LEARNING LEVELS: WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?

20. 0
.002.004.006
250500750
MathsScore
YLEthiopiaW1YLIndiaW1YLVietnamW1
0
250 500 750
Maths Score
YL Ethiopia W1 YL India W1 YL Vietnam W1
Level 1: Below Basic User
At this level, students can:
• Demonstrate knowledge of
number systems
• Complete basic operations on
numbers (e.g. place value,
addition, subtraction)
• Show an elementary
understanding of geometry (e.g.
concepts of volume,
relationships between shapes)
LEARNING LEVELS: WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?

21. 0
.002.004.006
250500750
MathsScore
YLEthiopiaW1YLIndiaW1YLVietnamW1
0
250 500 750
Maths Score
YL Ethiopia W1 YL India W1 YL Vietnam W1
Level 2: Basic User
At this level, students can:
• Apply knowledge of number
systems, measurement and
proportions in less familiar
situations
• Solve geometric problems using
two- and three-dimensional
shapes (e.g. triangles, rectangular
prisms)
• Demonstrate emergent
understanding of algebra (e.g.
substituting numbers for symbols,
one-step linear equations) and
data handling
LEARNING LEVELS: WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?

22. 0
.002.004.006
250500750
MathsScore
YLEthiopiaW1YLIndiaW1YLVietnamW1
0
250 500 750
Maths Score
YL Ethiopia W1 YL India W1 YL Vietnam W1
Level 3: Competent User
At this level, students can:
• Apply knowledge of more complex
mathematical concepts in
geometry (e.g. supplementary and
alternate angles)
• Show procedural knowledge
related to algebraic expressions
(e.g. linear equations involving
inequalities)
• Interpret bar graphs, histograms
and tables
• Demonstrate an emerging ability
to solve real world and multi-step
problems
LEARNING LEVELS: WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?

23. 0
.002.004.006
250500750
MathsScore
YLEthiopiaW1YLIndiaW1YLVietnamW1
0
250 500 750
Maths Score
YL Ethiopia W1 YL India W1 YL Vietnam W1
Level 4: Advanced User
At this level, students can:
• Solve real world problems using
algebra, ratios, percentages and
measurement,
• Use advanced geometry (e.g.
vectors, circle theorems)
• Demonstrate knowledge of
advanced algebraic expressions
(e.g. polynomials, more complex
linear equations).
LEARNING LEVELS: WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?

24. LEARNING LEVELS: FURTHER QUESITONS
Our analysis focuses on what students can do; similar analysis could be
done to explore:
 ‘Over-ambitious’ curricula: To what extent is there a mismatch
between curriculum expectations and student performance in
different countries?
 Progress towards SDG 4: To what extent are ‘minimum learning
levels’ being met in different countries?
 Equitable learning outcomes: What are the equity implications of
differential learning levels within countries and within schools?