Internationally aligned assessments
Enhancing educational metrics in the Kyrgyz Republic
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, supported by the World Bank’s ALMA initiative, asked us to lead a transformative national education project.
The goal is to align the Kyrgyz Republic’s Grade 4 National Learning Assessments (NLAs) with global standards, enabling the country to report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.1.1 and drive evidence-based education reforms.
This initiative will enhance the quality, comparability, and utility of student learning data, and lay the foundations for long-term improvements in education equity and outcomes.
The project is a great example of our commitment to building capacity for ongoing self-sustaining improvements, as well as national educational reform.
What are the Grade 4 National Learning Assessments?
These tests help education leaders to understand the current literacy and numeracy skills of 9-10 year old students.
This important data is collected from a stratified sample of 276 schools, providing insights from all across the Kyrgyz Republic.
Project objectives
The Kyrgyz Republic has four key goals:
Strengthen Grade 4 NLAs to align with international standards, particularly the seven technical criteria set by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) for SDG 4.1.1.b.
Improve data quality and comparability to better understand student proficiency in reading and comprehension and mathematics at Grade 4.
Build capacity in the Ministry of Education and Science and the Department for Education Quality Development to design, implement, and analyse large-scale exams.
Use the data from assessment to inform better practice and education policy. They will work to carry out targeted interventions and system-wide improvements.
Project highlights
Approach
- Capacity-first: training and mentoring are embedded throughout the project to ensure long-term sustainability and institutional ownership.
- International benchmarking: The updated assessments will be aligned with the Global Proficiency Framework (GPF) and Minimum Proficiency Levels (MPLs).
Activities
The project will focus on three core activities:
- Review the 2023 Grade 4 NLAs in reading and comprehension and mathematics against UIS technical criteria.
- Update the NLAs for 2026 to ensure full compliance with SDG 4.1.1.b.
- Build capacity through hands-on training, mentoring, and development of sustainable assessment systems.
Key milestones
- Inception report – June 2025
- Evaluation report – August 2025
- Updated NLAs – December 2025
- Final evidence package and capacity documentation – August 2026
Why this matters for the Kyrgyz Republic
This project will allow educational leaders to pursue a range of high-priority objectives.
Aligning with global standards will enable the Kyrgyz Republic to report on SDG 4.1.1.b, joining a global effort to monitor and improve learning outcomes.
Leading evidence-based reform will empower national stakeholders to make informed decisions using robust, internationally comparable data.
Prioritising sustainable development and setting foundation for continuous improvement in education quality and equity. DEQD staff be equipped to independently analyse datasets following delivery of this project.
Why we were selected
The AQA Global team was delighted to be selected as the partner for this project because of our:
Experience: our successful track record in national and international assessment reform, including transitioning to effective computer-based testing–for example in the UK, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Expertise: our highly qualified psychometrics team, with deep expertise in standard setting, educational measurement, digital assessment, and capacity building.
Regional strength: our strong presence in Central Asia and bilingual delivery in English and Russian.
Commitment to partnership: our focus on long-term partnership, institutional strengthening, and sustainable impact.
Modernise systems, build capacity and embed excellence with tailored advice and high-impact projects from AQA Global.
Training tailored to your goals
If you're exploring how to strengthen assessment or leadership in your education system, we’d be delighted to help. Our expert, Syed Shah, can work with you to design a tailored introductory training programme that aligns with your national goals and priorities.
Whether you're just beginning your reform journey or looking to build on existing progress, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
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