Assessing Student Learning in Africa:

Education for All, supported by the international community, emphasizes the importance of learning quality. This book focuses on the use of assessment to monitor and evaluate learning in Sub-Saharan African countries. It deals with four major aspects of educational assessment: public (external) examinations, national assessments of educational achievement levels, international assessments, and classroom assessment practices. Coverage of public examinations includes a review of their quality, their potential for leveraging reform, and their positive and negative impacts on the nature of teaching and learning.Assessing Student Learning in Africa summarizes the range of national assessment activities carried out in the region. These assessments were designed to provide evidence on the outcomes of schooling, especially in terms of student achievements. The relatively few international assessments that have been carried out in Africa have reported relatively low levels of student achievement. Pros and cons of participating in international assessments are discussed. Classroom-based assessment is an integral component of the teaching learning process. The evidence presented suggests that current teacher assessment practices are deficient in specific areas. Throughout the book, the authors offer concrete suggestions of how to improve assessment practices to help enhance the quality of student achievement.

For the past 15 years or so the World Bank and other interested organizations have sought to improve academic standards through the reform of examination systems and system or national assessments. The authors examine the content of proposals to use assessment to improve education through public (external) examinations, assessments at the classroom, national, and international levels, and application of assessment and examination data in the classroom. Their recommendations include preparing policies that align goals for examination at all levels, adopting policies that support such needs as teacher education and education equity, using data to upgrade schools, gearing examinations to the needs of students and the economy, and training teachers and administrators in assessment techniques.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This title reviews four aspects of educational assessment: public examinations, national assessment, international assessment, and classroom assessment, and offers suggestions for using different forms of assessment to enhance student learning.