

In today’s world, students must be able to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate, and solve problems. While many countries are committed to addressing the changing needs of their learners, there is a lack of knowledge about how these skills are developed in classroom settings and how education systems can support the process.
Optimizing Assessment for All (OAA) is an initiative of the Brookings Institution that seeks to address these challenges by strengthening education systems’ capacity to integrate 21st century skills (21CS) into their teaching and learning, using assessment as one important means of building that capacity. A central project objective is the need to shift minds toward the constructive use of assessment to support learning for all. OAA is based on the premise that many countries are confronted with similar issues when it comes to teaching, learning, and assessing 21CS, and that the best approach is to work together to find solutions. This means countries collaborating to build their capacity in pedagogical and assessment approaches that target 21CS.
Since its inception in 2017, OAA has focused on developing expertise in countries in Asia and Africa through two studies to improve the assessment, teaching, and learning of 21CS. Supported by the Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific at UNESCO Bangkok and the Teaching and Learning Educators’ Network for Transformation at UNESCO Dakar, the first study obtained baseline information on assessments of 21CS that are currently used in these two regions. The study included participants from eight countries and jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific and nine in sub-Saharan Africa. The research provided an alternative perspective on how to approach the teaching and assessing of 21CS in the classroom and set the foundation for the second study. See the Asia-Pacific region report for more on the first study; the report for Africa is forthcoming.
For the second study, which is ongoing, Brookings is working intensively with three countries in Asia and three countries in Africa to design, develop, administer, and pilot classroom-based assessments of 21CS, as well as to disseminate this work. This study aims to increase assessment literacy among regional and national education stakeholders and develop capacity among teachers on the use of classroom-level assessment of 21CS to support learning. Over the course of the study, the six countries are convening around a collaborative learning approach, building upon existing assessment expertise and strengths, and sharing progress and learnings with countries in the region. Learn more about OAA project description and our OAA Partners, including the National Technical Team members for each country.
For more information on the regional workshops in Asia, please see here and here; for more information on the workshops in Africa, see here.
Esther Care, Davide Ruscelli
September 14, 2020
Esther Care, Ung Chinna, Sarin Sar, Hav Khou
March 9, 2020
Helyn Kim, Jovin Mukadi Tsangala, Walid Hedidar, Esther Care
August 14, 2019
Alina von Davier, Esther Care
July 2, 2019
Helyn Kim, Esther Care, Davide Ruscelli
April 25, 2019
Ramya Vivekanandan
February 14, 2019
Helyn Kim
February 11, 2019
Tserennadmid Nyamkhuu, Jun Morohashi
February 5, 2019
Helyn Kim, Esther Care, Alvin Vista
January 30, 2019
Deviram Acharya, Alvin Vista
January 25, 2019
Khandjav Terbish, Munkhbayar Baljinnyam, Esther Care
December 20, 2018
Ross Turner, Claire Scoular, Alvin Vista
December 13, 2018
Hoda Jaberian, Alvin Vista, Esther Care
November 26, 2018
Esther Care, Ramya Vivekanandan
November 1, 2018
Esther Care, Alvin Vista, Helyn Kim, Claire Scoular
October 19, 2018
Alvin Vista, Esther Care, Helyn Kim
June 14, 2018
Felicia R. Truong, Abby G. Carlson, Helyn Kim
April 13, 2018
Helyn Kim, Esther Care
March 27, 2018
Alina von Davier
February 27, 2018
Johanna Pöysä-Tarhonen, Esther Care
February 15, 2018
Dara Ramalingam
February 9, 2018
Esther Care, Helyn Kim
January 30, 2018
Esther Care, Helyn Kim, Alvin Vista
October 17, 2017
Nicoletta Di Blas, Esther Care
January 10, 2018
Tara Barnett, Ben Lawless, Helyn Kim, Alvin Vista
December 12, 2017
Loren Clarke, Esther Care
December 5, 2017
David Owen, Alvin Vista
November 15, 2017
Kate Mills, Helyn Kim
October 31, 2017
Kate Anderson
August 28, 2017
Esther Care, Sean Slade, Ramya Vivekanandan, Adrianna Pita
April 12, 2017
Helyn Kim, Claire Scoular
April 25, 2017
Alvin Vista, Esther Care
April 13, 2017
Esther Care, Alvin Vista
March 27, 2017
Alvin Vista, Esther Care
March 13, 2017
Esther Care, Alvin Vista
March 1, 2017
Alvin Vista, Esther Care
February 27, 2017
Esther Care, Alvin Vista
February 23, 2017
Esther Care, Helyn Kim
January 17, 2017
Helyn Kim, Esther Care
September 14, 2020
Esther Care
July 10, 2020
Esther Care, Helyn Kim, Aynur Gul Sahin
June 10, 2020
Helyn Kim, Esther Care
May 11, 2020
Esther Care, Alvin Vista, Helyn Kim
March 5, 2020
Esther Care, Helyn Kim
January 21, 2020
Esther Care, Alvin Vista, Helyn Kim
June 14, 2019
Esther Care, Helyn Kim, Alvin Vista, Kate Anderson
January 30, 2019
Alvin Vista, Helyn Kim, Esther Care
October 18, 2018
Esther Care, Patrick Griffin, Mark Wilson
Esther Care, Rebekah Luo
April 18, 2017
Kate Anderson, Jasodhara Bhattacharya
April 11, 2017
Esther Care
September 15, 2017