Leaders
Government and organisation leaders use aggregated TaRL data to better understand the learning gaps children face. They also use assessment data to identify possible problems with TaRL implementation and to target support to schools, villages, or instructors who need it most. TaRL assessment data can be used to highlight the importance of interventions which focus on building foundational skills for children in the middle years of primary school.
Instructors
TaRL assessment data is used first by TaRL instructors, who assess children and then use the results to group them according to level. They also track children’s progress throughout the programme.
Parents
TaRL assessment data has the potential to demystify learning for parents. Pratham experience suggests that parents can see their children’s progress more clearly when it is reported as specific learning levels, rather than grades or scores.
Communities
Pratham has used assessment data to raise awareness about foundational skill gaps within communities, to help communities understand where their children need more help and to mobilise volunteers to help teach children foundational skills.
Assessment data to influence education policy
Facilitated by Pratham, each year since2005, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) has assessed the foundational reading and mathematics skills of a nationally representative sample of children in rural India.1 ASER has been carried out in almost every rural district in India, with over 600,000 children being tested every year from over 16,000 villages. Pratham carries out this testing with two main objectives: to put the issue of children’s learning at the centre of discussions of education policy at every level in the country, and to encourage community members to engage with the issue of children’s learning. Understanding children’s current learning levels is a first step in further involvement and participation of citizens. At the policy level, ASER has made substantial contributions to ensuring that children’s foundational skills’ learning is a high priority.2