KHDA engages Dubai schools in a renowned international assessment - an historic first

This is the first in a series of ambitious assessments that KHDA will administer for student achievement for the purpose of making evidence-based decisions in its strategic plan for education. The record numbers of participants ensure a solid sample for evaluation.

Titled 'Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study' (TIMSS), the assessment is being conducted under the purview of the KHDA and implemented by the DSA in partnership with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).

IEA is an independent, non-profit international cooperative of national research institutions and governmental research agencies that has conducted over 20 studies of cross-national achievement over the years. (www.iea.nl). The results of these studies have helped numerous nations improve their schools and achieve excellence. Part of KHDA's efforts towards attaining the goals set out the in Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 (educational sector) will depend on efforts such as TIMSS.

TIMSS is an important educational assessment of student achievement in mathematics and science. It is designed to measure and interpret differences in national educational systems and aspects of growth in mathematics and science knowledge and skills in the given two grades. TIMSS happens every four years. It started in 1995 and the other waves followed in 1999, 2003, and 2007.

The international comparative data as well as national trend data in both the subjects is focused on students in grades four and eight. The design of the TIMSS study focuses mainly on providing results at a system level - it is not intended to report individual student scores. To keep educational policy makers informed, TIMSS testing also routinely collects extensive background information that addresses concerns about the quantity, quality and method of instruction. The assessment frameworks in both subjects also have a cognitive dimension i.e. they look at not only knowledge, but application and reasoning. The different questionnaires to students, teachers and school principals help put things in context.

8500 students from both public and private schools in Dubai are currently undergoing the tests. This number does not represent the entire student population in the said grades (grades four and eight) but is a TIMSS-selected random sample of students in these grades. The results from TIMSS testing will provide Dubai with an international baseline measure, not of individual students or schools, but of the system as a whole.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Director General of the KHDA says, "What we want to do is set an initial international baseline - something that has never been done before. It's really a very exciting effort. This is the first time ever that over 8500 public and private school students in 160 schools are together taking part in such an important assessment. The extraordinary diversity of our schools, curricula and students in Dubai is at once an opportunity and a challenge. TIMSS will help us maximize the opportunities and overcome the challenges. "

Speaking about the testing itself he added, "The results will assist us in measuring ourselves for the way forward. I want to emphasize that these assessments are not to test the individual schools or students to see how they are doing. What we really want is that our learning and human development strategy can be evaluated in the years to come against this moment in time. Dubai, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, will be sharing its pioneering experience in administering this first TIMSS test with the other Emirates so that the nation can benefit.

I have to add that such an ambitious project, organized and administered in record time, would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the schools, principals, owners, and the dedicated KHDA TIMSS team. Perhaps the most important help came from our partners in Qatar who have been so generous in sharing their own experiences and materials with us. This type of regional cooperation offers us a real shortcut on our learning curve and we are all extremely grateful."

Unveiling the upcoming assessments he added, "Next spring we will also be doing a field trial of the PISA (Programme in International School Assessment) tests ultimately set for the spring of 2009, and I expect our TIMSS experience will prove to be really beneficial in the success of those efforts as well. They will have a focus on reading and so really complement what we learn from TIMSS."

Dubai's participation in TIMSS supports and is in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in its efforts to better the educational outcomes in the country. It is also in line with the educational goals of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 i.e. improving governance of the school sector, developing performance frameworks for students and schools, improving curricula and enhancing teaching methods. One critical tool to achieving these goals for KHDA has been to join TIMSS - the authoritative worldwide assessment for student's academic achievements in mathematics and science.

TIMSS testing has also enhanced the Authority's capacity to collect essential and important student data and to use it appropriately for policy-making and raising public awareness. KHDA intends to develop a framework that will identify curricular weaknesses and obtain globally evidenced advice on how to remedy them. As an example, countries like Germany have used TIMSS results to enhance their curricula with immense benefits to the educational system, the students and the country as a whole.

Extraordinary efforts have been put in by the KHDA-TIMSS team in the last six months. Dubai, which was not able to participate in the original 2007 testing cycle, given that KHDA was only established a little over six months ago, managed, with enormous support from Qatar and IEA, to organize this extraordinary testing effort so as to not have to wait until 2011, when the next cycle of assessments will occur.

"With the overall learning and human development strategy for Dubai due to be released soon, it was considered essential to know where we stand now. We didn't feel that with the speed that things move in Dubai and with which we hope to begin accomplishing our goals, well, waiting for four years just wasn't an option.", said Dr. Al Karam.

He detailed the extensive preparations undertaken in house. Members of the KHDA and DSA teams received intensive training for the TIMSS project, both in Dubai and overseas. The KHDA team received their data management training from IEA's Germany office, while quality management training was from IEA's Amsterdam office. The training for testing and scoring happened in London.

Fatma Al Marri, the CEO of the Schools Agency said "The assistance we received from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as the commitment from the IEA to see us through this challenge, was instrumental to our accomplishing this extraordinary benchmark study. We look forward to offering the same level of support to other Emirates and neighboring countries. As a former principal, I personally know that incorporating standardized testing into the school day is never easy and I want to specially recognize the cooperation and help of all of the participating schools, their principals and staff. Without them, of course, nothing would have been possible."

Afra Al Marri, Principal of the privately owned Dubai First School said, "I am very happy that the Government is making such a positive effort to assess education in Dubai on international standards. Any form of testing of this nature has to be a positive step forward, both in the field of education, and for the future of the UAE."

Jean El Hakim, a math teacher at the International School of Arts and Sciences remarked, "The KHDA administered TIMSS process was really well-organised. At first we were a little intimidated, but everything went off really well and even the kids felt they'd aced it afterwards!" He added with a knowledgable smile, "I guess we'll see."

The testing procedure includes multiple choice and free-response questions as well as a series of questionnaires for students, families, teachers and principals, that seek to identify key aspects of the students' home and school environments. Students also respond to questions about their learning experiences in math and sciences and their teachers answer questions about their own professional backgrounds and teaching practices. Principals as well contribute to questionnaires which detail elements of the school context where learning takes place.

TIMSS Timeline:
November 15
TIMSS testing begins
November end
Training for teachers and scorers
December end
Scored booklets are sent to IEA for further process
February '08 end
Individual results come in for Dubai
August '08
World wide results come in

Middle Eastern countries participating in TIMSS 2007 wave are Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Djibouti, Algeria, Tunisia,
Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.