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
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