Creating a national assessment framework for Lebanon
Collaborating closely with local partners on a project funded by USAID, Cambridge created a national assessment framework for all public and private schools in Lebanon.
Quick read
- In 2018, Cambridge was awarded a USAID-funded contract to deliver a national assessment framework for Lebanon, working with a local partner organisation, World Learning.
- We created a plan for a coherent and up-to-date framework of assessment for students in Lebanon.
- By working closely with local and international experts, we were able to review classroom assessment practices in Lebanon, the national exams, and the coherence of the current assessment landscape to produce a range of recommendations.
- The framework was warmly received by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Center for Education Research and Development.
The challenge
The Lebanon Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Center for Education Research and Development planned to develop a national assessment framework to put in place across all public and private schools in the country.
This National Student Learning Assessment Framework, funded by USAID, was specifically intended to not only assess students through tests, but also their classroom learning, including formative assessment, ongoing assessment, and end of year assessment.
They chose to work with us at Cambridge due to our reputation for world-class expertise in assessment, and the strong relationships and trust we had built with partners in the country and region.
We worked closely with local partners to complete the project; Beirut-based organisation, World Learning.
How we helped
Starting in 2018, Cambridge’s team of staff, consultants and specialists in assessment and project delivery worked closely with our partners to develop a roadmap for the work based on the initial technical proposal.
We divided the project into three stages, each of them focused on a specific deliverable:
- Stage 1: inception report, literature review and situational analysis
- Stage 2: proposed national vision for learning assessment including workshops
- Stage 3: development of a national student learning assessment framework
At each stage, our team presented the deliverable and then held a meeting with the main stakeholders to discuss the document and to plan for the next stage.
By working closely with local and international experts, we were able to review classroom assessment practices in Lebanon, the national exams, and the coherence of the current assessment landscape to produce a range of recommendations related to:
- Further teacher professional development on assessment literacy
- The governance and standardisation of the national exams
- The introduction of screening that assesses the readiness of children to enter primary schools and monitoring in early grades
- Participation in international tests, including PISA and TIMSS
- A data strategy to ensure the assessment data are used effectively
- A communications and engagement plan to secure the support of education stakeholders.
Outcomes
We created a plan for a coherent and up-to-date framework of assessment for students in Lebanon.
It was warmly received by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Center for Education Research and Development, who were interested in acting on some of the key recommendations around capacity development in collaboration with Cambridge.
Nadine Tarazi, senior education adviser at Cambridge Partnership for Education in the MENA region, says:
Despite the political and economic situation that Lebanon was going through at that time, we were able to successfully manage and deliver this national project on assessment and produce a range of recommendations to improve education in the region.
Cambridge benefited from both our own local knowledge and the strength of the partnerships we developed. Nadine says: “This framework really showcases our skills, knowledge and expertise in the region. I’m very proud of the way the team managed and understood the local context and the culture; it was a delight to work closely with local and international experts; we forged strong long-term relationships.”
Karma El Hassan, who served as a consultant for World Learning, our local partner on the project, says:
Throughout their work on the project, Cambridge demonstrated a high level of competence and professionalism in terms of project planning, involving and communicating with all stakeholders, timely delivery of the outcomes, and comprehensive accurate reporting.
Their high-quality work was accomplished despite the challenging situation in Lebanon, and this was because of the professionalism, perseverance, and friendliness of the team, the deep understanding they had of the context, and the flexibility they had built in their plans. We look forward to the implementation of this framework.
If you’re working to improve the quality of your country’s education system, then please contact us to find out how we can help you achieve your goals.
