INNOTECH Commences Buy-In Activity For ILOA
In collaboration with the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, the Center participated in the successful tender for a five-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Project, Improving Learning Outcomes for Asia (ILOA), to advance evidence on learning outcomes improvement in Asia. The USAID, RTI, the Delivery Associates, and INNOTECH organized a start-up workshop and regional partners meeting in April 2023. Representatives from the Global Partners (Delivery Associates, Long Story Short, and International Rescue Committee) and regional network partners (Aga Khan Foundation for South Asia, Central Square Foundation for Central Asia, and SEAMEO INNOTECH for Southeast Asia) participated in the workshop. USAID Foreign Service Nationals from Bangladesh, Laos, Philippines, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, an official from USAID Bureau for Asia, and RTI International officials also joined the workshop. USAID Acting Mission Director Dr. Rebekah Eubanks, USAID Philippines Office of Education Director Dr. Thomas LeBlanc, and INNOTECH Director Dr. Leonor Magtolis Briones graced the opening of the Meeting.
SEAMEO INNOTECH Center Director Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones welcomes guests and participants during the regional partners workshop for Improving Learning Outcomes for Asia (ILOA) at Quezon City, Philippines.
To aid the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) in developing a comprehensive Learner Assessment Framework and strengthen DepEd’s capabilities in strategically communicating the national assessment results, an Improving Learning Outcomes for Asia (ILOA) buy-in activity under USAID Philippines was proposed and called ILO-Ph, which was formally launched on 24 August 2023 at Marco Polo, Pasig City.
INNOTECH led the Implementation of the project in coordination with the DepEd Office of the Assistant Secretary G. H. Ambat and the Bureau of Educational Assessment (BEA). The buy-in project consisted of several activities which culminated in the Education Stakeholders Conference.
Participants join the first ILO-Ph activity, the Data Analysis Workshop held in SEAMEO INNOTECH at Quezon City, Philippines.
The first ILO-Ph activity, the Data Analysis Workshop, was held on 3 – 7 July 2023 at SEAMEO INNOTECH, Quezon City. The five-day workshop aimed to hone the skills of participants on statistical tests and models, as well as in data processing and visualization, so they can effectively analyze assessment data on a national scale. Participants of the activity consisted of statisticians and staff from DepEd BEA.
USAID Philippines Office of Education Director Dr. Thomas LeBlanc welcomes participants from the Philippine Department of Education Bureau of Educational Assessment (DepED BEA) at the Strategic Communications Workshop held at SEAMEO INNOTECH in Quezon City, Philippines.
The activity that followed was the Strategic Communications Workshop, also held at INNOTECH on July 17-21, 2023. Building from the Data Analysis Workshop outputs, the program aimed to answer key questions, such as the priority areas regarding learning competencies that must be addressed. The activity also aimed to identify insights and implications derived from the collected data. Participants in the activity included BEA statisticians and technical officers. ILO-Ph experts also participated in the event and collaborated with the BEA officers. Some selected teachers and school principals were also present in the workshop. On the last day of the conference, the participants presented slide decks of key takeaways and policy implications.
INNOTECH Center Deputy Director Kochakorn Khattapan Acidre with the stakeholders and guests at the ILOA Education Stakeholders Conference held at the Joy Nostalg, Pasig City.
The ILO-Ph activities for Year 1 culminated with the Education Stakeholders Conference, held on August 15, 2023 at Joy Nostalg, Pasig City. DepEd officials from different regional offices and various divisions attended the conference, as well as education stakeholders such as USAID, Asia Development Bank (ADB), UNICEF, RTI, and ABC+. External research and implementing partners, which are stated below, were also present in the event:
- Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Technical Secretariat
- Assessment, Curriculum, and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC)
- University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies – Education Research Program (UPCIDS-ERP)
- Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ)
- Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)
- Center for Educational Measurement (CEM)
- Philippine Business for Education (PBEd)
The following universities were also in attendance:
- Philippine Normal University
- University of the Philippines DIliman
- De la Salle University
- University of Santo Tomas
Findings from the previous activities held at INNOTECH, such as national assessment results and initial analysis, were presented at the conference. Some stakeholders also presented their findings and insights from their research using the assessment data from DepEd. After the presentations, participants explored possible changes that could be made to current education policies. The conference ended with discussing the next steps and calling for further stakeholder support.
