PAL Network supports campaign to #FundData on SDG 4 for the 2019 HLPF

PAL Network representatives will join other international, regional and national policymakers in New York from 9 to 18 July to discuss global progress in education during the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). As believers in the power of data, we welcome you support the call to endorse #FundData on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Please use the hashtags:
#FundData
#BetterData
#SDG4
#HLPF
#LeaveNoOneBehind.
And tag us: @palnetworkHQ

PAL Network 2020 – 2023 strategy consultations continue

The PAL strategy development that started in 2018 with a systematic reflection of progress so far, using the Outcome Harvesting methodology, is in the final stages of completion. During the quarter, further consultations were held with the PAL Steering Group members and PAL funders. The PAL Board approved the additional suggestions paving way for the finalisation of the strategy. PAL strategy focuses on strengthening its four main base pillars, namely Assessments, Action, Research and Advocacy.

PAL Network 2019 Conference scheduled for November in Nepal

The PAL 2019 Conference titled; Ensuring All Children Learn: Lessons on Inclusion and Equity is scheduled for 5th-6th November in Kathmandu, Nepal. The two-day biennial conference will bring together thought leaders, practitioners, policy makers and civil society actors to discuss ways to accelerate inclusive and equitable quality education for all children. All updates on the progress will be made available to you via our website and amplified on social media handles. Stay tuned!

Field pilots for Common Assessment starting in July

PAL Network member organizations implementing the common assessment plan to conduct field pilots in July. Subsequently, the country teams will meet from 29 to 31 July to share pilot results, discuss and build consensus on various methodological aspects of the common assessment. Implemented as national study currently targeting 12 countries, the common assessment in numeracy will generate comparable data. Look out for more developments in future editions of this newsletter!

TPC Mozambique launches results of its Action intervention pilot

On 25th April, 2019, TPC Mozambique presented results of its action intervention pilot implemented in five schools targeting about 300 grade 4 pupils. The results show that after 40 days of interventions, the number of children who could not recognize letters reduced by 42 percentile points and those who could read words increased from  14 % to 27%. Additionally, the number of children who could solve addition and multiplication problems increased from 22% to 51% and 15% to 56% respectively. Visit the website for more details.

Zizi Afrique Foundation targets 3,600 children in phase two program roll out

Beginning July, Zizi Afrique Foundation will launch the second phase of the Accelerated Learning Program. The program adapts the Combined Activities for Maximized Learning (CAMaL) approach, dubbed Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL). The program is currently implemented in three counties in 62 schools. In year 1, the program reached over 3400 children. Over half of these children could read a grade two level story after implementation of the learning camps. Sustaining these learning gains is core in the second phase.

Zizi Afrique Foundation selected to track and report on SDG 4 in Kenya

Zizi Afrique Foundation, a member of the PAL Network has joined the National Steering Committee on tracking and reporting on SDG 4 in Kenya. The committee will, among other things, identify and build consensus on targets to be tracked based on the national priorities, regional and international commitments. Onward Zizi Afrique Foundation!

Uwezo Uganda introduces Action for Learning initiative

This year Uwezo Uganda is piloting a TaRL initiative in a refugee context, dubbed in Swahili ‘Hatua ya kujifunza’ (Action for Learning). The purpose of the initiative is to adapt the TaRL approach that has been tried in other settings to see how effective it can be to a refugee context. To kick-start this process, Training of Trainers (ToT) was held from 17th to 21st June 2019. For updates, follow @UwezoUganda.

ASER Pakistan 2019 Assessment Cycle begins!

With consultations underway, Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan 2019 is all set to start this July. They plan to reach around 80,000 households across the country to collect information from more than 250,000 children aged 3-16 years. ASER is the largest citizen-led, household-based initiative that provides reliable data on school status and learning levels of children residing in all rural and a few urban districts of Pakistan. Get more information from @ASERPAKISTAN.

PAL Network Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Hub meeting | 25 – 27 April, 2019 | Nampula, Mozambique

The ESA Hub that brings members from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and Botswana held its second meeting. eSwatini formerly Swaziland was also in attendance. Members shared and learned from each other on the successes and challenges of the past year, which included trialing of Action programs such as TaRL. Moving forward the Hub will support Network expansion and promote visibility of PAL activities within the region.

Uwezo Uganda at Education in Emergencies (EiE) Data Summit | 20 – 21 June, 2019 | Geneva, Switzerland

Findings of the Uwezo Uganda learning assessment in refugee contexts were presented in a session titled “EiE Data Lightning Talks” during the EiE Data Summit. The results indicated that refugee children were just as likely to be learning in school as their non-refugee counterparts. 

MIA Mexico concludes the implementation of Literacy and Mathematics clubs

MIA Mexico concluded the implementation of “La lectura es MIA” and “MIAventura con las matemáticas” clubs in the state of Veracruz. Established as ” Curriculum Autonomy ” and based on the TaRL model, the clubs reached more than 3300 girls and boys at elementary and over 900 adolescents at the middle school level. This way, MIA reaffirms its commitment to improve education in Mexico.

West African Partnership for Education Quality’ (WAPEQ) Hub Meeting | 6 July, 2019 | Lagos, Nigeria

The WAPEQ Hub of the PAL Network that brings together members from Senegal, Mali and Nigeria will hold the second Hub meeting to review the 2018 member country activities. Members will also discuss common funding and communications opportunities for the Hub that amplify the citizen-led assessment and action movement in West Africa.

PAL Network at 2019 REAL and PEDAL Conference | 2 July, 2019 | University of Cambridge, UK

PAL Network will take part in the REAL and PEDAL Conference ‘Learning to Play and Playing to Learn’. PAL will feature in a panel discussion that explores on the future of play-based learning in a changing world. Read more here.

The Education Innovation Summit (NEDIS 2019) | 4 – 5 July | Lagos, Nigeria

The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre is delighted to announce the fifth edition of the Education Innovation Summit. The summit will explore possible pathways for strengthening the systemic management of education and providing effective and inclusive teaching and learning on the continent. Click here for more information.

Young1ove at TaRL Workshop | 10 – 18 September, 2019 | Gaborone, Botswana

Young 1ove and the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa team, with support from organisations implementing TaRL across Africa will host a workshop that offers an opportunity to interested individuals and organisations to experience TaRL in the classroom. If you are interested in education programming that leads to improved learning outcomes, register here.

PAL Network at 2019 UKFIET Conference | 17 – 19 September, 2019 | Oxford, UK

In the upcoming UKFIET Conference, PAL Network will share lessons of the ongoing collaborative process to design and implement a common assessment across its member countries to report on SDG 4.1.1(a). For more details, follow us on @palnetworkHQ.

To inform progress towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4, improve data quality
By Muhammad Usman, Senior Program Officer, PAL Network

Actions to face the global learning crisis in Mexico: the case of Medición Independiente de Aprendizajes (Independent Assessment of Learning)
By Dr. Felipe J. Hevia and Dr. Samana Vergara-Lope. Coordinators of the Medición Independiente de Aprendizajes (MIA) (Independent Assessment of Learning

The learning assessment market: pointers for countries – part 1 
By Silvia Montoya, Director, UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and Luis Crouch, Senior Economist, RTI International [1]