From 2 to 4 July 2019, the Teaching and Learning Educators' Network for Transformation (TALENT) in collaboration with UNESCO IICBA organized a Regional Capacity Development Workshop on Classroom-Based Formative Assessments in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop, with the financing of the Global Partnership for Education, brought together national teams from 15 African countries, namely Cameron, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Togo, and international experts and representatives from UNESCO, the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), IICBA, the UNESCO Office in Beirut, UNICEF Ethiopia, UNICEF Tanzania, Brookings Institution and the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER).

The main objectives of the workshop were to develop a clear and shared understanding of formative assessment and other related concepts; identify key elements to develop supportive tools for an efficient use of classroom-based formative assessments; and be connected to a network of peers from other countries and international experts.

The workshop was opened by H.E. Ato Nebil Mahali, State Minister for Education in Ethiopia and Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki, Director of IICBA. During his opening remarks, H.E. Ato Mahali said:

“Learning happens everywhere but the classroom is the most effective place where learning happens. Teachers are one of the most important figures in the development of all children worldwide. Throughout this workshop, the wish is to identify how to best support teachers to understand if learning is happening on a continuous basis and to support learning in their path towards the acquisition of skills and competencies.”

Throughout the workshop concepts related to classroom-based assessments were discussed. For example, the differences between summative and formative assessments, how to build teachers’ capacity to facilitate learning, and how one can use classroom-based assessments to assess twenty-first century skills. Best practices and experiences were shared among the participants with presentations given by countries representatives from Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Senegal, and Tanzania. International expert Mr. Hugo Labate, Ms. Dakmara Georgescu of the UNESCO Office in Beirut and Mr Hungi Nojora of IICBA facilitated throughout the workshop. Presentations were also given by IICBA, the Brookings Institution and UNICEF Ethiopia.

The final day of the workshop included a panel discussion on the limits and potentialities of assessment devices to help education systems achieve higher learning levels for all students. The panelists included Mr. Cheikhena Lam from Senegal, Ms. Madeleine Mamat Daiferle of Cameroon, Mr. Alfred Mdima of Tanzania and Dr. Aboubakar Ali Kore of Chad and the moderator Mr. Marcelo Souto from UNESCO IIEP. This was followed by breakout sessions in mixed groups and groups by country on how to develop support tools for teachers in the use of classroom-based formative assessment. The workshop officially concluded with remarks by Dr. Yumiko who then assisted Mr. Davide Ruscelli of TALENT in handing out certificates to each participate. Country teams will now go back home and work to implement the ideas they constructed so as to improve learning through learning assessments.