OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Georgia

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and acronyms
Executive summary
	Improving learning outcomes and equity through student assessment
	Creating a highly qualified and motivated teaching workforce
	Assuring quality schooling through external evaluation and school-led improvements
	Strengthening system processes to evaluate national education performance
Assessment and Recommendations
	Introduction
	Main trends: learning outcomes are improving but are becoming less equitable
		Participation in compulsory education has increased, but many students drop out between lower and upper secondary education
		Learning outcomes have improved, but are still low overall
		Participation and outcomes vary considerably according to student demographics
		Inequity has worsened over time
	Evaluation and assessment in Georgia
		Modernising and professionalising teaching
		Embedding the use of evidence into all levels of educational decision-making
		Strengthening school oversight and support
	Improving learning outcomes and equity through student assessment
		Policy issue 2.1. Enhancing the educational value and use of teachers’ classroom assessment
		Policy issue 2.2. Building understanding that the goal of assessment is to improve student learning
		Policy issue 2.3. Reviewing the modes of examination for graduation and tertiary selection at the end of upper secondary education
	Creating a highly qualified and motivated teaching workforce
		Policy issue 3.1. Applying minimum standards for teaching and encouraging the development of higher teaching competencies
		Policy issue 3.2. Supporting teachers to develop professionally throughout their career
		Policy issue 3.3. Setting high standards for entry to teaching and provide more structured support in the early years
		Policy issue 3.4. Attracting new teachers and motivating them to succeed
	Assuring quality schooling through external evaluation and school-led improvements
		Policy issue 4.1. Reaching all schools for authorisation
		Policy issue 4.2. Developing an external school evaluation model over the medium to long term
		Policy issue 4.3. Creating the foundations for school-led improvement
	Strengthening system processes to evaluate national education performance
		Policy issue 5.1. Building a culture of research, evaluation and improvement of the education system
		Policy issue 5.2. Making information about the education system more accessible and usable
		Policy issue 5.3. Developing and implementing a national assessment strategy that supports system goals
	References
Chapter 1.  The education system in Georgia
	Introduction
	National context
		Economic and political context
			Georgia has strengthened democratic governance and reduced corruption
			Georgia has experienced fast economic progress, but poverty and inequity remain challenges
			Employment is concentrated in low-productivity sectors, which negatively impacts young, academically oriented job-seekers
		Social context
			Georgia is ethnically and linguistically diverse and minority populations encounter several challenges
			The population is shrinking and urbanising, which makes providing education in rural areas increasingly inefficient
	Governance and funding of the education system in Georgia
		Governance of the education system
			The Unified Strategy establishes the goals of the system, but is not regarded as a common point of reference
			A new initiative, the “New School Model”, seeks to create more modern learning environments and is steering educational reform
			Curriculum reform has focused greatly on developing student competencies and is moving towards stage-based instruction and assessment
			Agencies affiliated to the Ministry provide technical expertise
			Education management has become increasingly decentralised and local Education Resource Centres help oversee the system
			Increased decentralisation and autonomy raises questions about the extent of local capacity and the effectiveness of accountability measures
		Funding of the education system
			Overall expenditure on education is low, but returns are promising
			Higher education receives more per student funding, which poses concerns about equity
			Vouchers are schools’ main source of funding, though the amount is inadequate to cover costs in most small schools, which receive variable amounts directly from the ministry
			Most funding is spent on teacher salaries
	Structure of schooling in Georgia
		Compulsory education is expected to expand
		Education is offered in Georgian and minority languages, which creates challenges for resource provision and quality assurance
		Early childhood education
			Most Georgian students do not attend early childhood education
			Access to and the quality of early childhood education can be improved
		Primary and secondary education
			Georgia has a large number of small schools and low student-teacher ratios
			Most Georgian schools teach students from Grades 1 through 12
			Teachers are in oversupply and modernising the profession through the Teacher Professional Development Scheme has resulted in mixed success
			At age 15, Georgian students choose between an academic and a vocational track
			Georgia is making efforts to upgrade its VET sector
			An exit examination at the end of upper secondary school was recently abolished because of the negative backwash effects it created
			Selection into tertiary education is determined by an entrance examination at the end of upper secondary school, which has also been modified recently to create fewer backwash effects
		Tertiary education
			Access to higher education has expanded, but there are concerns about the quality of education being provided
			Few students from disadvantaged backgrounds and minority groups progress to higher education
	Main trends in participation, learning and equity in primary and secondary education
		Participation
			Participation in compulsory education has increased, but many students drop out between lower and upper secondary education
			Enrolment in private schools is increasing, though it’s unclear if the education offered by private schools is higher quality
		Learning outcomes and environment
			Learning outcomes have improved and are high relative to Georgia’s level of educational expenditure
			A third of Georgians still lack basic skills in reading, science and mathematics
			Georgia benefits from some supportive school environments and teacher practices
		Equity
			Enrolment in education is not equitable and more can be done to increase the demand for education from underrepresented populations
			Learning outcomes vary greatly according to several dimensions
			Inequity has worsened over time
	Conclusion
	Key indicators
	References
Chapter 2.  Improving learning outcomes and equity through student assessment
	Introduction
	Key features of an effective student assessment system
		Overall objectives and policy framework
			The curriculum and learning standards communicate what students are expected to know and be able to do
		Types and purposes of assessment
		Classroom assessment
			Effective classroom assessment requires the development of teachers’ assessment literacy
		National examinations
		National assessments
		National assessment agencies
	Student assessment in Georgia
		Types of assessment practices
		Overall objectives and policy framework
			Georgia has a well-established national curriculum that has undergone several revisions
			Georgia’s learning standards emphasise competences
			Georgia is moving towards a stage-based curriculum, but understanding of this change varies
		Classroom assessment
			Formative assessment practices are encouraged by policy but are not widely used
			Teachers are not effectively prepared to assess students
			Student marks are still the focus of classroom assessment but are not reliable
			Reporting of classroom assessment is inconsistent
		National assessments
			Several national assessments are conducted by NAEC using external funding
		National examinations
			From 2011 to 2019 graduation from upper secondary education was based on results in a computer adaptive test
			The SGE was considered trustworthy, but did not adequately certify student achievement in relation to the curriculum
			Since 2005 selection into higher education has been based on a standardised examination
			The UEE strengthened integrity in higher education admission
			Numerous high-stakes examinations had unintended negative effects
			Major changes to examinations were announced in 2019
			VET upper secondary schools use an examination to select students
		National student assessment agencies
			NAEC oversees examinations and assessments in Georgia
			Teacher Professional Development Centre supports teachers’ assessment literacy
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 2.1. Enhancing the educational value and use of teachers’ classroom assessment
		Recommendation 2.1.1. Make formative assessment a central focus of teacher practice
			Use the new curriculum as a policy lever to encourage the use of formative assessment
			Consider the introduction of portfolio assessment in the curriculum to anchor more formative assessment practices in the classroom
		Recommendation 2.1.2. Reduce the pressure around summative marking and make it more educationally meaningful
			Discontinue the practice of continuous log grading
			Help teachers align their summative marking with the new curriculum
		Recommendation 2.1.3. Systematically record assessment results in order to track student progress and inform key decisions
			Create a common report card template and procedures around dissemination
			Integrate the standardised report card template into the EMIS E-Journal
			Use student assessment information to support vulnerable students
			Develop and record external measures of student performance at key moments to inform decision-making
			Consider making the external assessment in grade 9 (or grade 10 if compulsory education is extended) a certification examination
	Policy issue 2.2. Building understanding that the goal of assessment is to improve student learning
		Recommendation 2.2.1. Provide teachers with assessment resources to improve student learning
			Strengthen the emphasis on improving assessment practices during initial teacher education
			Orient school-level professional development towards improving student assessment
			Facilitate the development of teacher networks about assessment to support teachers, especially those in smaller and more rural schools
			Create an online repository of assessment resources
		Recommendation 2.2.2. Communicate that the goal of student assessment is to improve learning
			Engage school leadership to improve assessment literacy in schools
			Support students and families in understanding the new report card template
			Build a communications campaign around the purpose of assessment
	Policy issue 2.3. Reviewing the modes of examination for graduation and tertiary selection at the end of upper secondary education
		Recommendation 2.3.1. Prepare for a single examination model in which one test would certify completion of upper secondary education and select students for entry into higher education
			Set, as a medium-term objective (next five to ten years), the introduction of a single examination at the end of upper secondary education
				There would be sufficient resources to administer a single examination because the examination would be smaller
				Creating different versions of subject tests ensures that a single examination can both ensure basic minimum competency and select for entrance into university
			Determine who should take the single examination in accordance with national goals concerning VET schools
			Determine the design features of the examination
			Examine implementation requirements
		Recommendation 2.3.2. Take steps in the immediate term to improve upper secondary certification and strengthen the UEE
			Strengthen school-level examinations in upper secondary education
			Better align the UEE with the national curriculum in order to reduce its backwash effects
	Recommendations
	References
Chapter 3.  Creating a highly qualified teaching workforce
	Introduction
	Key features of an effective appraisal system
		Teacher standards
			Standards provide a common reference point for teacher policies, including appraisal
		Initial teacher preparation
			Select candidates with strong academic skills and motivation to teach
			Set a rigorous certification process at the end of teacher education to make sure to select qualified new teachers
		Types of teacher appraisal
			A probation period and appraisal provides new teachers with essential support in their first year(s) on the job
			Regularly appraising teachers provides meaningful feedback and informs classroom practices
			Appraisal for promotion informs teachers’ career progression and rewards performance
	The teaching profession in Georgia
		Teaching workforce
			One in four teachers is over 60
			The teacher population has not declined in proportion to the fall in student numbers
			There are teacher shortages in some subjects, and in rural, mountainous areas
			Some teachers work across a broad range of grades
		Teacher salaries and career progression
			Most teachers remain on the entry level of the career path
			Entry level salaries are low, but now increase rapidly with promotion
			Schools have considerable autonomy for hiring and firing teachers
		Initial teacher education and continuous professional development
			Some practising teachers received no or low quality preparation
			The threshold for entry to concurrent programmes is low
			Recently introduced consecutive programmes are more selective and higher quality
			Initial teacher education providers have significant autonomy over content
			Teachers participate less in professional development than in OECD countries
			There is little tradition of school-based groups for professional development
	Teacher appraisal in Georgia
		Teaching standards are based on evidence of effective teaching, but are not well-integrated with teaching policy and practice
		Requirements for initial certification have been strengthened in recent years
			Beginner teachers are required to pass an examination in order to take up a teaching post
			Only around 40% of in-service teachers have passed the initial certification examinations
		Georgia does not have an induction programme or a probation period with appraisal
		There are plans to introduce a regular appraisal
		Teachers need to accumulate credits in order to be promoted
			The ministry has recently decentralised the management of underperformance to schools
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 3.1. Applying minimum standards for teaching and encouraging the development of higher teaching competencies
		Recommendation 3.1.1. Support all teachers to meet minimum standards
			Clearly communicate the examinations’ role
			Develop the certification examinations with the goal of assessing essential teaching knowledge and skills
			Support existing teachers to master essential knowledge and skills
			Encourage each school to make it a priority that all teachers reach senior status
		Recommendation 3.1.2. Re-focus the teacher professional development scheme on demonstrating higher levels of teaching competencies
			Make teacher standards the main reference for promotion
			Focus promotion appraisal on authentic evidence of teaching practice
			Strengthen the role of independence and professional competence in promotion decisions
	Policy issue 3.2. Supporting teachers to develop professionally throughout their career
		Recommendation 3.2.1. Focus the new regular appraisal on student learning and providing feedback for teachers’ professional learning
			Introduce guidelines on a set of simple steps that schools can take to encourage regular appraisal practices
			Determine the evaluators
			Develop national guidance for evaluators on how to collect and review evidence of teaching quality
			Support evaluators to provide useful developmental feedback
		Recommendation 3.2.2. Give teachers access to high quality professional development
			Require that all teachers undertake professional development
			Sustain the programmes and capacity that has been built up through G-PriEd and MCC
			Provide relevant and high quality training
			Use data to inform the design and supply of professional development
	Policy issue 3.3. Setting high standards for entry to teaching and provide more structured support in the early years
		Recommendation 3.3.1. Establish more rigorous standards for entry and completion of initial teacher education
			Set a minimum threshold for teacher candidates’ academic knowledge and skills
			Set clear standards for certification, and use these as the key reference point for the design and quality assurance of initial teacher preparation
			Establish an attractive and high quality 300-credit programme
			Review the quality of the consecutive model
			Ensure that the new alternative pathway for entrants is well-targeted and rigorous
		Recommendation 3.3.2. Introduce an induction period and probation appraisal for new teachers
			Create a mandatory induction period, with one year as the minimum duration
			Provide mentoring for new teachers during their induction period
			Give new teachers in small, rural schools access to mentorship
			Introduce an external appraisal at the end of the probation period
			Develop a clear process for addressing underperformance
	Policy issue 3.4. Attracting new teachers and motivating them to succeed
		Recommendation 3.4.1. Encourage renewal of the teaching profession
			Establish a mandatory retirement age
			Attract talented graduates into the profession
			Purposefully allocate new teachers to high need subject areas and geographic locations
		Recommendation 3.4.2. Review planned adjustments to teacher salaries to make them impactful and educationally valuable
			Limit teacher salary scale increases to practitioner teachers and consider alternative methods to raise teachers’ earnings
			Consider options to reduce the high share of part-time teachers
	Recommendations
	References
Chapter 4.  Assuring quality schooling through external evaluation and school-led improvements
	Introduction
	Key features of an effective school evaluation system
		Frameworks for school evaluation focus on key aspects of the school environment and help drive school transparency and consistency
		Countries’ external evaluations balance accountability and improvement
			Evaluations aim to establish a school-wide perspective on teaching and learning
			Many countries have created school inspectorates in the central government
			The consequences of evaluations vary according to their purpose
		Self-evaluation is an internal tool for improvement
			Effective self-evaluation requires strong school-level capacity
		Data systems provide important inputs for evaluation
		Principals must be able to lead school improvement
			Principals need a deep understanding of teaching and learning, and strong leadership skills to become instructional leaders
			Professionalising school leadership – standards, selection and appraisal
	Schools in Georgia
		School principals
			Principals have similar levels of experience and academic qualifications as their counterparts in OECD countries
			Principal appointment
			Principals receive little preparation for the requirements of their new role
			Provision for principals’ continuous professional development is also limited
			Principals have significant autonomy with limited oversight
		School governance
			School boards have an important role but lack the capacity to undertake it effectively
			Schools receive regular checks from Education Resource Centres
			A “New School Model” aims to strengthen school-level support
		Data systems
			Georgia collects school-level data but it is difficult for schools to use and analyse
			There is no standard monitoring of learning outcomes
	School evaluation in Georgia
		External school evaluation
			School authorisation focuses on compliance with basic standards
			Planned new authorisation standards focus on performance and quality
			The National Centre for Education Quality Enhancement is responsible for overseeing school quality, but its staff does not have a strong background in monitoring and evaluation
			A Council currently reviews all school authorisation reports
		Self-evaluation
			Schools do not yet see self-evaluation as an internal tool for improvement
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 4.1. Reaching all schools for authorisation
		Recommendation 4.1.1. Develop a risk assessment model to guide the provisional authorisation of public schools
			Identify indicators for the risk assessment model
			Develop minimum thresholds for indicators
			Determine the consequences of risk assessment
		Recommendation 4.1.2. Focus Education Resource Centres on supporting schools
			Reduce/end ERCs’ mandate for compliance checking
			Reform ERCs to provide school-level support for improvement
			Develop a model for ERCs’ support to schools
			Reinforce ERCs’ role in financial auditing
			Use the new school coaches to provide intensive support for teaching and learning
	Policy issue 4.2. Developing an external school evaluation model over the medium to long term
		Recommendation 4.2.1. Develop a model of school evaluation that supports schools to improve teaching and learning
			Anchor the new evaluation standards in a clear vision for a good school
			Revise the draft standards for school to focus more on school quality and improvement
			Develop the materials and central capacity needed to support the implementation of the school evaluation framework
			Make the consequences of external evaluations support school improvement
			Communicate the role of external school evaluation to schools and teachers
		Recommendation 4.2.2. Develop capacity for external evaluations
			Ensure that new school evaluators have the skills and knowledge needed to assess the quality of teaching and learning practices
			Reconsider the role of the Council
	Policy issue 4.3. Creating the foundations for school-led improvement
		Recommendation 4.3.1. Support schools to use self-evaluation effectively
			Define the purpose of self-evaluation
			Help schools makes fuller use of self-evaluation results
			In the short term, develop a simplified model of self-evaluation that supports school authorisations
			Help schools exploit available data
			Provide more external support for self-evaluation
			In the long-term, develop a comprehensive self-evaluation framework
		Recommendation 4.3.2. Build school leadership for improvement
			Identify and support potential school leaders
			Incentivise principals to develop
			Introduce appraisal for principals with accountability mechanisms
			Revise the role of school boards
	Recommendations
	References
Chapter 5.  Strengthening system processes to evaluate national education performance
	Introduction
	Key features of effective system evaluation
		A national vision and goals provide standards for system evaluation
			Reporting against national goals supports accountability
			National goals are a strong lever for governments to direct the education system
		Tools for system evaluation
			Administrative data about students, teachers and schools are held in central information systems
			National and international assessments provide reliable data on learning outcomes
		Evaluation and thematic reports provide information about the quality of teaching and learning processes
		Effective evaluation systems requires institutional capacity within and outside government
	System evaluation in Georgia
		High-level documents express the national vision for education
			Few national stakeholders are aware of the national strategy
			New priorities and reforms have been introduced in parallel to the strategy
		Tools to collect and monitor information exist but are not systematically used
			An action plan and monitoring report accompany the Unified Strategy, but lack specific targets
			EMIS collects and manages data, but stakeholders have difficulty analysing information
			Public access to EMIS data is limited
			Student data is not integrated across Georgia’s databases
			Georgia conducts regular national assessments but does not have a long-term strategy
			Georgia participates regularly in international assessments
		Evaluation and thematic reports
			There are no annual, analytical reports about the education system
			External organisations have produced reports about Georgia’s education system
		Evaluation institutions
	Policy issues
	Policy issue 5.1. Building a culture of research, evaluation and improvement of the education system
		Recommendation 5.1.1. Establish a formal research and evaluation unit
			Clearly define the role and position of the research and evaluation unit
			Develop a research agenda for the research and evaluation unit
		Recommendation 5.1.2. Encourage the dissemination and usage of research and evaluation activities
			Annually release an analytical report about the education system
			Release ad-hoc reports about thematic issues
			Establish regular meetings between policy-makers during which evidence is shared and discussed
			Engage external entities to become research and evaluation partners
			Consider developing an independent evaluation institute
		Recommendation 5.1.3. Use system evaluation to enhance the value of system planning
			Identify the core strategic issues of the Georgian education system, in particular equity of outcomes
			Set balanced goals according to the evidence-based needs of the system
	Policy issue 5.2. Making information about the education system more accessible and usable
		Recommendation 5.2.1. Introduce analytical and reporting functions for EMIS tools
			Create a feature for generating analytical reports
			Build a web portal that allows public access to EMIS data
		Recommendation 5.2.2. Create an easier-to-use monitoring system
			Complement the monitoring report with a digital performance dashboard
			Release the performance dashboard with a tutorial that shows how it should be used to monitor the performance of the system
	Policy issue 5.3. Developing and implementing a national assessment strategy that supports system goals
		Recommendation 5.3.1. Define a concept for the national assessments
			Establish a steering committee to determine the purpose of the assessments
			Consider making formative feedback to educators a core function of the assessment
		Recommendation 5.3.2. Determine the design features of the national assessments
			Consider administering school-level diagnostic assessments starting in grade 2 and national assessments in grades 6 and 9 (and possibly in grade 10 later)
				Develop diagnostic assessments materials and encourage their use in schools starting in grade 2
				Administer the national assessment in grades 6 and 9
				Change the grade 9 administration to grade 10 if compulsory education is extended
			Assess mother tongue and mathematics
			Implement census-based testing
			Strongly consider computer-based testing instead of paper-based testing
			Develop several item types to assess a broad range of student skills
		Recommendation 5.3.3. Develop a reporting scheme that serves formative purposes and avoids punitive consequences
			Use assessment data to directly support struggling schools, not for high-stakes accountability
			Identify different benchmarks against which schools can compare themselves
			Create different reports designed to leverage the formative value of the assessments
	Recommendations
	References
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