Early Childhood Development (ECD) Scales: Overview & Lessons Learned

Dr. Ghazala RafiqueAga Khan University

Pakistan

Regional Consultative Meetings on SEAMEO Basic Education Standards (SEA-BES) &

SouthEast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM)

4 - 5 November 2014 Penang, Malaysia

Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS)

• Early Learning and Development standards (ELDS) have been developed by a number of countries in East Asia and Pacific with the support of UNICEF

• Standards developed for all domains of child development (as defined by the countries)

• They include competences that children are expected to acquire in each domain

ELDS Domains

• Physical development and well-being• Socio-emotional competencies• Intellectual development• Creative and aesthetic • Cultural and spiritual development

Cultural, Contextual Early Learning and Development Assessment

• Culturally and contextually appropriate assessment of ECD is important to:– Monitor child development in the context of

school readiness and learning outcomes– Track the development of vulnerable and at-risk

children – Improve teaching- learning process and materials– Analyze the impact of early childhood policies and

programs on children

Genesis of East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scale (EAP-ECDS)

• Many countries in East Asia Pacific supported that the assessment of children should encompass all dimensions of children’s learning and development

• No globally accepted ECD assessment tools existed that could inform about what children understand, know and can do

• Developing a culturally and conceptually appropriate assessment tool to validate that learning and development goals, as defined in each country’s ELDS/Curricula, are achieved

Initiation of East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scales (EAP-ECDS)

• Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) initiated the development EAP-ECD scale to equip East Asian and Pacific countries with a common measurement tool that can assess the holistic developmental progress of children ranging in age from 3 to 5 years.

• Multi-country initiative managed by ARNEC with support from UNICEF EAPRO and the Open Society Foundation and implemented by the University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Phase I: Development of the Scale

• Selection of items to be used in a tool to assess early child development in the EAP region

– These items were based on a comprehensive desk review of the Early Learning and Development Standards from 7 countries in the Region

Source: HKU Research TeamEAP-ECDS Dissemination Workshop Oct 1-3, 2014

Established anIndicator Database

1738 indicators for children aged 3, 4, and 5 from seven countries’ ELDSs

Developed categories + sub-categories

7 categories

Determined # of indicatorsin each category

Based on the proportion of the total # of indicators in each category

Development of the Items

Converted indicatorsto items

Form a 100-item measure

Selected indicatorsin each category

To construct a 100-item regionally-sensitive measure

Focus on rationale and process

Source: HKU Research TeamEAP-ECDS Dissemination Workshop Oct 1-3, 2014

Phase II: Revision and Refinement of the Scale (Pilot Studies)

• Pilot testing of selected items in children aged 3-5 from three countries (Fiji, Mongolia, and China)

• Scale modification based on the results

• Development of a final revised version of EAP-ECDS

Pilot studyMongolia

FijiChina

Sent draft to countries

Field trialsTranslation & checking

Modification

Field Consultancy SupportSource: HKU Research TeamEAP-ECDS Dissemination Workshop Oct 1-3, 2014

Evaluating Effectiveness of the Scale

• Reliability– Cronbach’s alpha: > .70

• Validity– Content validity: expert review– Age Validity: older children scoring significantly higher

than younger children

• Age Appropriateness– Cross-cultural differences– Item discrimination– Item facility

The Revised Scale after Phase II 1. Approaches to Learning 2. Cognitive Development 21 items21 items 3. Cultural Knowledge and Participation 10 items 10 items 4. Language and Emergent Literacy 16 items 16 items 5. Motor Development 6. Health, Hygiene and Safety 7. Socio-Emotional Development

9 items 9 items15 items15 items

Total 85 items85 items

7 items7 items

7 items7 items

Source: HKU Research TeamEAP-ECDS Dissemination Workshop Oct 1-3, 2014

Phase III: Final Validation of the Scale

• Construct norms across the region on representative samples from each country

• Assess psychometric properties such as test-retest reliability

• Comparisons across different domains and groups (age, gender, urban/rural)

• Correlations between parent ratings and EAP-ECDS domains and total scores

EAP-ECDS - Way Forward

• Data Analysis with the provided dataset to address country-specific research questions

• Fine-tuning ELDS • Curriculum revision• Mainstreaming EAP ECDS for National Research

Initiatives and M&E mechanism • Feed into ECCD policy framework development• Improve coordination among existing systems –

ELDS, curriculum, teacher training, etc.

Challenges for Developing new Scales

• Defining and implementing learning and development goals require systematic efforts and country commitment (from national, sub-national levels to schools and teachers)

• Another challenge in developing a scale for multiple countries is the issue of item bias and it is crucial to ensure that items are fair to children with different cultural background