Using Formative Assessments to Improve Learning Outcomes in the Kyrgyz Republic

Since receiving the PISA 2006 and 2009 results, education leaders in the Kyrgyz Republic have been struggling to find answers to why student performance is so low and what needs to be done to improve education quality. While there are data available on system-level performance, education leaders recognize the need for more regular and systematic monitoring of learning in the classroom.

Through the READ Trust Fund program, the Kyrgyz Academy of Education has developed a training program on classroom assessment for in-service teachers. The purpose of this training is to enhance teachers’ ability to incorporate formative assessment into their teaching practices. By so doing, it is hoped that teachers will be able to more easily provide students with timely feedback on their performance and to intervene if students fail to learn the material. By early-2014, it is expected that more than 5,500 teachers throughout the country will have received this training.

A key focus of READ Trust Fund-supported activities in the Kyrgyz Republic is to improve in-service teachers’ capacity to carry out classroom-based assessments. In 2013, the Kyrgyz Academy of Education developed a training program on classroom assessment for lead teachers and primary teachers. The first two rounds of the training for lead teachers have been delivered to 53 lead teachers from all seven provinces. In 2014, these lead teachers will conduct the training for primary teachers.