THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

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Research on Student Assessment in Trinidad
Tobago A symposium
June George University of the West Indies St.
Augustine John O. Anderson University of
Victoria Susan Herbert University of the West
Indies St. Augustine
International Congress for School Effectiveness
Improvement Vancouver 2009
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THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

• June George
• University of the West Indies
• International Congress for School Improvement and
  Effectiveness, Vancouver, January 4-7, 2009

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(No Transcript)
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Historical Background

• Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island Republic at
  the southernmost tip of the chain of Caribbean
  islands
• Former British colony
• Gained independence from Britain in 1962
• Mixed population of mainly descendants of African
  slaves, East Indian indentured laborers, former
  colonisers, and offspring of inter-marriages
  among these groups

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Education System

• Influenced by former British colonizers
• Highly competitive system selection of the
  best
• Schools (govt and denominational) developed
  under this highly competitive system
• Creation of a culture of prestige schools
• Scarcity of places at the secondary level-
  entrance examination controls access

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Education system contd
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Education system contd

• Rapid changes in the education sector
• Influenced by Education Policy Paper (1993-2003),
  EFA goals, Millennium Development goals,
  Strategic Plan (2002-2006), Vision 2020, etc.
• Every child can learn
• Education is top national priority.
• Education as vehicle for achieving developed
  country status by 2020

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Education system continued

• One of the key priorities of the Division of
  Educational Research and Evaluation of the
  Ministry of Education
• The development, implementation and maintenance
  of systems for the continuous assessment of
  student performance at all levels of the
  education system

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System of Assessment
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Issues tackled by current assessment programs

• How well are students learning in the education
  system (with reference to general expectations,
  aims of the curriculum, preparation for further
  learning, or preparation for life)?
• Does evidence indicate particular strengths and
  weaknesses in students knowledge and skills?
• Do particular subgroups in the population perform
  poorly? Do disparities exist, for example,
  between the achievements of boys and girls or
  different regions of the country? (Seecharan,
  2008)

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Concerns that persist....

• What factors are associated with student
  achievement?
• To what extent does achievement vary with
  characteristics of the learning environment (for
  example, school resources, teacher preparation
  and competence, and type of school)
• To what extent does achievement vary with
  students home and community circumstances?
• (Seecharan, 2008)

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This study

• An initial attempt at dealing with some of the
  concerns that persist
• Specifically focuses on current attempts by the
  Ministry of Education to enhance the purposes
  served by assessment data through an expanded
  data collection process associated with the
  National Test
• Represents a preliminary exploration of the
  relationship between student achievement and the
  traits of the student, the home and teachers

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(No Transcript)
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Research on Student Assessment Programs in
Trinidad and Tobago Results from the National
Test
John O. Anderson University of Victoria June
George University of the West Indies St.
Augustine Susan Herbert University of the West
Indies St. Augustine
International Congress for School Effectiveness
Improvement Vancouver 2009
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  n Language Mathematics
Correlation Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Language-Math
Total sample 1 391 26.11 (10.9) 26.39
(12.9) 0.77 Gender Female
696 28.54 (10.2)a 26.84 (12.5)b
0.77 Male 695 23.68 (11.0) 25.93 (13.4)
0.80 School type   One 306 23.40
(10.9)c. 22.48 (12.2)d. 0.77 Two
999 26.30 (10.6) 26.87 (12.8)
0.76 Three 86 33.61 (10.5) 34.67 (12.4)
0.73  
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Student Factors _________________________________
_____________________________________   Teacher
Engagement My teacher praises my effort when I
work hard. My teacher expects me to do my best
all of the time Reading Self-concept I am a
__(poor/fair/good/very good) ___ reader My
friends think that I am a __(poor/fair/good/very
good) ___reader View of Reading Reading a
book is something I _(never/not very often/a few
times/always) like to do People who read a lot
are _(very interesting/interesting/not very
interesting/boring)_. Parent Involvement How
often does a parent or adult, living with you,
wait for you at home after school? How often do
a parent or adult living with you, make sure you
are prepared for school? Teacher Care My
teacher cares if I dont do my work in
class. My teacher cares if I get low scores in
class. Attitude to School I often count the
minutes until the class ends. I m bored in
school. Writing at home How often did you
write in a private diary or journal outside of
school? How often did you write stories or
letters for fun outside of school? Writing
Activity For this school year how often did you
write a story? For this year, how often did you
write letter? Reading Engagement I worry about
what other children think about my reading I
would like for my teacher to read books out aloud
to the class _________________________________
______________________________
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Parent Factors __________________________________
__________________________________________________
___   Reading Encouragement How often did you
or someone else in your home listen to your child
read aloud? How often did you or someone
else in your home encourage your child to
read? Reading Readiness When your child began
Primary School how well could he /she read some
words? When your child began Primary School how
well could he /she read sentences? Socio-Economic
Index About how many books are there in your
home? What is the highest level of education
completed by the child's father? Reading at Home
When you are at home, how often do you read for
work When you are at home, how often do you
read for enjoyment? School Engagement My
child's school includes me in my child's
education My child's school cares about my
child's progress in school Early Reading Before
your child began Primary School, how often did
you read a book to him/her? Before your child
began Primary School, how often did you talk
about things you had read with him/her? Parent
Reading Attitude I read only if I have to. I
read only if I need information. Pre-School
Did your child attend Pre-school? How old was
your child when he/she began Primary
School? Parent Reading Activity I like talking
about books with other people. I like to spend
my spare time reading. ___________________________
___________________________________________
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Regression of Student Factors on LANGUAGE ARTS
__________________________________________________
____________________   Teacher Engagement My
teacher praises my effort when I work hard. My
teacher expects me to do my best all of the
time Reading Self-concept I am a
__(poor/fair/good/very good) ___ reader My
friends think that I am a __(poor/fair/good/very
good) ___reader View of Reading Reading a
book is something I _(never/not very often/a few
times/always) like to do People who read a lot
are _(very interesting/interesting/not very
interesting/boring)_. Parent Involvement How
often does a parent or adult, living with you,
wait for you at home after school? How often do
a parent or adult living with you, make sure you
are prepared for school? Teacher Care My
teacher cares if I dont do my work in
class. My teacher cares if I get low scores in
class. Attitude to School I often count the
minutes until the class ends. I m bored in
school. Writing at home How often did you
write in a private diary or journal outside of
school? How often did you write stories or
letters for fun outside of school? Writing
Activity For this school year how often did you
write a story? For this year, how often did you
write letter? Reading Engagement I worry about
what other children think about my reading I
would like for my teacher to read books out aloud
to the class _________________________________
______________________________
R2 0.41 Student Parent
ß 0.19
ß 0.29
ß 0.10
ß 0.08
ß 0.16
ß 0.10
ß 0.28
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Regression of Parent Factors on LANGUAGE ARTS
__________________________________________________
_________________________   Reading
Encouragement How often did you or someone else
in your home listen to your child read aloud?
How often did you or someone else in your home
encourage your child to read? Reading
Readiness When your child began Primary School
how well could he /she read some words? When
your child began Primary School how well could he
/she read sentences? Socio-Economic Index About
how many books are there in your home? What is
the highest level of education completed by the
child's father? Reading at Home When you are at
home, how often do you read for work When you
are at home, how often do you read for
enjoyment? School Engagement My child's
school includes me in my child's education My
child's school cares about my child's progress in
school Early Reading Before your child began
Primary School, how often did you read a book to
him/her? Before your child began Primary
School, how often did you talk about things you
had read with him/her? Parent Reading Attitude
I read only if I have to. I read only if I
need information. Pre-School Did your child
attend Pre-school? How old was your child when
he/she began Primary School? Parent Reading
Activity I like talking about books with other
people. I like to spend my spare time
reading. _________________________________________
_____________________________
R2 0.41 Student Parent
ß 0.21
ß 0.13
ß 0.10
ß 0.06
ß 0.07
ß 0.06
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Regression of Student Factors on MATHEMATICS
__________________________________________________
____________________   Teacher Engagement My
teacher praises my effort when I work hard. My
teacher expects me to do my best all of the
time Reading Self-concept I am a
__(poor/fair/good/very good) ___ reader My
friends think that I am a __(poor/fair/good/very
good) ___reader View of Reading Reading a
book is something I _(never/not very often/a few
times/always) like to do People who read a lot
are _(very interesting/interesting/not very
interesting/boring)_. Parent Involvement How
often does a parent or adult, living with you,
wait for you at home after school? How often do
a parent or adult living with you, make sure you
are prepared for school? Teacher Care My
teacher cares if I dont do my work in
class. My teacher cares if I get low scores in
class. Attitude to School I often count the
minutes until the class ends. I m bored in
school. Writing at home How often did you
write in a private diary or journal outside of
school? How often did you write stories or
letters for fun outside of school? Writing
Activity For this school year how often did you
write a story? For this year, how often did you
write letter? Reading Engagement I worry about
what other children think about my reading I
would like for my teacher to read books out aloud
to the class _________________________________
______________________________
R2 0.31 Student Parent
ß 0.19
ß 0.20
ß 0.10
ß 0.13
ß 0.07
ß 0.10
ß 0.28
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Regression of Parent Factors on MATHEMATICS
__________________________________________________
_________________________   Reading
Encouragement How often did you or someone else
in your home listen to your child read aloud?
How often did you or someone else in your home
encourage your child to read? Reading
Readiness When your child began Primary School
how well could he /she read some words? When
your child began Primary School how well could he
/she read sentences? Socio-Economic Index About
how many books are there in your home? What is
the highest level of education completed by the
child's father? Reading at Home When you are at
home, how often do you read for work When you
are at home, how often do you read for
enjoyment? School Engagement My child's
school includes me in my child's education My
child's school cares about my child's progress in
school Early Reading Before your child began
Primary School, how often did you read a book to
him/her? Before your child began Primary
School, how often did you talk about things you
had read with him/her? Parent Reading Attitude
I read only if I have to. I read only if I
need information. Pre-School Did your child
attend Pre-school? How old was your child when
he/she began Primary School? Parent Reading
Activity I like talking about books with other
people. I like to spend my spare time
reading. _________________________________________
_____________________________
R2 0.31 Student Parent
ß 0.06
ß 0.11
ß 0.08
ß 0.07
ß 0.05
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R2 0.71 Student Parent
School level aggregation - LANGUAGE
ß
Student factors Writing Activity 0.38 Readi
ng Engagement 0.40
Parent factors Reading Readiness 0.40 Schoo
l Engagement 0.16 Pre-school 0.26
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R2 0.62 Student Parent
School level aggregation - MATHEMATICS
ß
Student factors Writing Activity 0.27 Readi
ng Engagement 0.41
Parent factors Reading Readiness 0.25 Schoo
l Engagement 0.19 Early Reading 0.23 Pre-sc
hool 0.22
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So although the analysis is descriptive in
nature, a meaningful narrative could be developed
from the strong and reasonable relationships . .
.
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• The adults in a childs life are important
• Engaged with the child
• listening, encouraging, praising
• setting expectations
• caring
• pre-school, reading at home
• Positive towards schooling

Could be related to more reading writing
activities by the child

• Could lead to more positive views of the child
  towards
• Schooling
• Self

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And all of this is related to achievement R2
language 0.4 R2 mathematics 0.3
And it holds at the school level R2 language
0.7 R2 mathematics 0.6
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Recognise enhance school participation and
involvement by parents Raise parental awareness
of educational issues practice
Encourage parental engagement with his/her child
the childs schooling

• Enhance teachers attention to children their
  focus on
• School related activities reading writing
• Their perceptions of self schooling

Recognise utilize the idea that the character
of the school matters
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anderson_at_uvic.ca
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National Tests Discussion

• Susan Herbert
• University of the West Indies

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Issues

• The assessment context within which National
  Tests have emerged
• Implications for future research for the research
  group
• The role of the School of Education beyond the
  research focus

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Issue arising out of history of assessment

• The importance of assessment literacy- the
  multiple purposes of tests require a paradigm
  shift in relation to National Tests
• For all stakeholders (teachers, students,
  parents, officials of Ministry of Education,
  media personnel)
• For example, the idea that the National test
  score would have contributed to high-stake
  placement has been reported (De Lisle, 2006)

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Widen Base of participation/involvement

• Organize fora for the presentation of data
  analysis to stakeholders outside the academic
  community (such as this presentation) to include
  educators, policy makers, parents and the public
• The SOE, UWI can undertake this initiative as
  part of its outreach program

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Long term Attitudinal impact

• That the analysis, interpretation, and
  communication of data on achievement, and the
  perceptions and attitudes of students, teachers,
  parents, and principals become a routine part of
  the educational process in Trinidad and Tobago

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Challenges to be addressed

• What is assessment literacy?
• Orrell (2006) talks about multi-level literacy
• Newfields (2006) states Rather than describe
  assessment literacy as a single phenomenon with
  some sort of unitary meaning, it means different
  things to different populations.

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Short term Research focus 1

• Multi-level analysis using teacher and school
  (principal) level perceptions and attitudes
  which could modulate the effects of SEI on
  student achievement (Quantitative)

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Research Issue Methodology

• Focus thus far on quantitative approach
• Critique of this approach
• Focus also on qualitative/mixed methods approach

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Medium term Research focus

• Identify teachers and schools that enhance equity
  of achievement across students from variant
  socio-economic backgrounds to generalize
  instructional and organizational approaches
  across schools (Qualitative)
• A qualitative study on school care, for example,
  would be a significant contribution to the
  literature given the paucity of empirical
  research as described by Schussler Collins
  (2006).

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Reference Schussler Collins

• Schussler, D. L. Collins, A. (2006). An
  empirical exploration of the who, what, and how
  of school care. Teachers College Record, 108 (7),
  1460- 1495

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Medium term research focus

• In-depth investigation of schools with lower
  levels of SEI but that have levels of achievement
  in the top 10. For example, research into
  teacher qualifications and skills, school
  resources and their relationships to achievement
  could help to identify those aspects of schooling
  that are accessible to policy intervention (Mixed
  methods)

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Collaborating through research

• Maintaining the collaborative relationship among
  the SOE, DERE and UVic for the National Test and
  expanding to other Ministry of Education
  measurement programs (NCSE, CSEC, CAPE)

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Collaborating to disseminate information

• Devise strategies to ensure that the link between
  the SOE and policy makers within the Ministry of
  Education, and school in Trinidad and Tobago
  remain active (for example, town meetings,
  televised programs, print media- newspaper
  pullouts and special publications of the Ministry)

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Conclusion

• What we have done is a good start, but we suggest
  that the initiative of using empirical evidence
  to help better understand and, over time, improve
  education within schools in Trinidad and Tobago
  is far from over.

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Questions Discussion