Measuring Sustainable Development Goal 4: How PIRLS can help

UNESCO is co-hosting with IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) the release of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS and ePIRLS) 2016 during a press conference followed by a roundtable which will explore the application of international assessments, such as PIRLS, in measuring Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), and key findings related to the school environment, gender disadvantage, and early childhood education as a foundation for learning. A joint IEA-UNESCO special booklet will also be presented on this occasion.

The event aims to increase participants’ understanding of PIRLS and ePIRLS findings and their relevance for policy-making and actions needed to translate 2030 commitments into national education development efforts to ensure no one is left behind.

The Education 2030 agenda requires efficient and accurate systems to measure progress towards SDG4 commitments. International learning assessments are important contributions to this process. Conducted by IEA, PIRLS 2016 is the fourth cycle of the study, which assesses students’ reading achievement at Grade 4 and collects extensive background information on school climate and resources, curriculum, instructional practices, and home supports for learning. IEA also implemented the first cycle of ePIRLS, a computer-based reading assessment of students’ ability to acquire and use information when reading online.