Meetings of the Global Alliance to Monitor Learning

The 11th GAML meeting

The Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) is the working group of the EDS Commission that focuses on learning data and aims at improving learning outcomes by supporting national strategies for learning assessments, and developing internationally-comparable indicators and methodological tools to measure progress towards key targets of Sustainable Development Goal 4.

The GAML 11th meeting will focus on measuring learning, mainly in early grades, updating participants on the progress including the work of the Technical Advisory Group established by the UIS to finalize the eligibility criteria for learning assessments; the proposal for a virtual fund and a vetting mechanism for assessments; and the buyer's guide aimed at promoting countries’ free and informed choice of learning assessments. The meeting will also discuss the measurement of literacy.

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The 10th GAML meeting

The Global Alliance to Monitor Learning (GAML) 10th meeting was held in-person in Paris on 6 and 7 December 2023 (see concept note). The focus of the 2023 GAML meeting was on SDG indicator 4.1.1, the global indicator measuring learning outcomes. The meeting presented the main challenges associated with producing reliable and internationally comparable learning outcomes data, while highlighting the significant developments made and lessons learned, and setting an agenda for the way forward.

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The 9th GAML meeting was held virtually on the 23rd of November 2022. The programme discussed the following topics among others: updates to MPLs; harmonization methodologies such as Rosetta Stone and  policy linking; measurent tools such as the AMPL and PISA Household Survey modules; foundational learning; and methodological developments.

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The 8th GAML meeting was held virtually due to the pandemic restrictions. It presented the MILO project designed to measure learning losses, the learning data compact and an overview of policy linking. It also discussed the use of science proficiency as a proxy for SDG 4.1.1 (reading) and the use of cross-national learning assessments to measure SDG indicator 4.2.3.

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The 7^th GAML meeting was exceptionally held virtually due to the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the topics discussed during the meeting: challenges and progress in measuring learning, Rosetta Stone, Policy Linking, MPLs, indicator on children learning and completing, learning poverty, and the pandemic-related disruptions in education.

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The 6^th GAML meeting focused specifically on the updates on the UN and Education 2030 processes and the Technical Cooperation Group on SDG4 – Education 2030 Indicators (TCG), discuss alternative linking strategies for reporting on Indicator 4.1.1, assess and make recommendations on the criteria to develop learning targets, exchange on the challenges in reporting and validating learning assessment data as well as using data for policy making, and deliberate on the work of the GAML actions to support capacity development.

The 5^th GAML meeting focused specifically on the updates from the UN and Education 2030 processes and the TCG 4th meeting regarding development indicators and the recommendations on reporting and capacity development, updates on the various GAML activities and the progress of indicators from the Secretariat and the different Task Forces, review the progress of the GAML work plan, and assess and make recommendations on the national implementation of learning assessments, skills’ measurement and endorse capacity development measures .

The consensus building meeting addressed the following:

• The number of proficiency levels when addressing a country’s progress in achieving SDG 4.1.1;
• The policy proficiency level descriptors (PLDs) for each educational level; and
• The performance level descriptors for reading and mathematics for each of the educational levels.

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The 3^rd GAML meeting focused specifically on the governance structure of the GAML , new tools developed to improve the data from different types of learning assessments, frameworks and guidelines to help countries assess and strengthen the quality of their assessment activities, and the methodological work underway to produce Indicator 4.1.1.

The 1^st GAML meeting focused specifically on building consensus on a pragmatic approach to generate comparable measures for targets 4.1, 4.2 and 4.6 by building on existing efforts and knowledge.

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