Challenges and Strategies in Benchmarking for International Schools in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region
Introduction to Benchmarking in International K– 12 Schools
Benchmarking plays a vital role in evaluating the educational performance of international schools, especially as they strive to meet global standards and cater to a diverse student body. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where international schools are growing rapidly, benchmarking serves as a critical tool for measuring both academic achievement and operational effectiveness. However, the context in this region—comprising a majority of expatriate students, many of whom are multilingual learners (MLL)—poses unique challenges.
As schools increasingly adopt internationally recognized benchmark assessments— such as the NWEA® MAP® Growth™, ACER International Benchmark Tests (IBT) , and Cognitive Ability Test (CAT4) assessments—understanding how to use these tools effectively in a culturally and linguistically diverse environment becomes crucial. This article explores the challenges that international schools in the MENA region face in utilizing these assessments, addressing issues related to closing benchmarking gaps; understanding progress and attainment levels; and comprehending the role of MLLs in influencing outcomes, particularly within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) School Inspection Framework.
Key Benchmark Assessments and Their Role
In the MENA region, international schools commonly use several key benchmark assessments:
1. NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Growth: The NWEA MAP Growth assessment is a popular adaptive test that measures student performance in mathematics, reading, language usage, and science. It is widely used to track student growth over time, offering educators real-time data to inform instruction.
2. ACER IBT (International Benchmark Tests): The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) provides international benchmarking tests that are designed to assess students' skills in areas including English, mathematics, and science. These tests offer comparisons between students in different regions and countries, providing global insights into student performance.
3. CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test): CAT4 is a standardized test that assesses students' cognitive abilities rather than subject knowledge. It evaluates verbal, non-verbal , quantitative, and spatial reasoning skills, offering a holistic view of a student's learning potential, which is especially useful in identifying students who may struggle with traditional assessments but possess significant cognitive potential.
These assessments are increasingly being used to guide curriculum decisions, track student progress, and inform school improvement plans. However, integrating these assessments into the MENA educational landscape is not without challenges.
Challenges in Benchmarking Using NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 in the MENA Context
1. Diverse Educational Backgrounds: Students in international schools often come from various educational systems, and their prior learning experiences can differ significantly. NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 assessments are often based on Western educational frameworks, which may not align with the students’ prior schooling or curricula, complicating the comparison of results.
2. MLL Students: A large proportion of students in MENA international schools are MLLs, which can affect their performance on these benchmark assessments. Tests like the NWEA MAP Growth, while adaptive, still rely heavily on English proficiency, especially in subjects like reading and language usage. Similarly, the IBT and CAT4 tests may not fully account for the language-acquisition challenges that MLL students face, leading to potentially misleading data about their true academic abilities.
3. Cultural Context: Standardized tests, even those used globally like IBT and CAT4, may not fully consider cultural nuances. Questions or contexts that are familiar to students in Western countries may be unfamiliar or less relevant to students in the MENA region, particularly for students who are newer to English-speaking academic environments.
4. Data Interpretation: Schools in the MENA region often struggle with interpreting the results of benchmarking assessments in a way that is meaningful and actionable. Educators need support in translating complex data into practical insights, particularly in addressing gaps between MLLs and non-MLLs. Additionally, without strong data-analysis skills, there is a risk of overreliance on raw scores, which may not fully capture the learning potential of students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Closing the Benchmarking Gaps
1. Tailored Professional Development: Teachers need ongoing professional development to understand how to interpret and act on data from NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 assessments. This includes training on how to adjust teaching strategies based on assessment results, especially for MLLs, and how to align the data with curriculum objectives.
2. Customized Curriculum Alignment: Schools should consider aligning their curricula more closely with the skills assessed in these benchmark tests, while also ensuring that cultural relevance and linguistic support are integrated into instruction. This may involve adjusting instructional practices or providing additional resources for MLL students, particularly in areas that require a high level of language proficiency. This could also include use of digital programs such as Exact Path that help create individualized learning pathways for students to fill instructional gaps.
3. Collaborative Data Sharing: Schools can benefit from working together to share best practices regarding data interpretation and use. By forming benchmarking groups within the MENA region, schools can collaborate on ways to close gaps in data interpretation, develop common strategies for addressing the needs of MLLs, and create more culturally relevant assessment approaches.
4. Targeted Interventions for MLLs: Given the significant impact that language acquisition has on assessment outcomes, schools must implement targeted interventions. These can include additional language support, differentiated instruction, and the use of formative assessments to track progress in language development alongside academic growth.
Understanding Progress and Attainment Levels Using Benchmark Assessments
NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 assessments are designed to provide insights into both progress and attainment. However, understanding these concepts in the context of MENA’s international schools, where MLLs form the majority, requires careful consideration.
Progress vs. Attainment: Progress indicates the growth a student has made over time, while attainment refers to the level of achievement relative to a standard or benchmark. In the MENA region, MLLs often show significant progress in areas such as language acquisition, but may not attain the same levels as their native English-speaking peers on standardized tests. Schools must focus on recognizing the progress that MLL students are making, even if their attainment remains lower due to language barriers.
Holistic Interpretation of Data: When using assessments like CAT4, which focuses on cognitive abilities, schools can gain a deeper understanding of students' potential beyond their immediate academic performance. This is especially important for MLLs, who may score lower on language-based tests but demonstrate strong cognitive abilities in other areas. CAT4 data can help schools identify students' learning potential and adjust instruction to help them succeed.
Role of ESL Learners in Benchmarking Outcomes
As MLLs make up a significant proportion of the student population in many international schools across the MENA region, their performance on benchmark assessments like NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 plays a critical role in shaping the overall benchmarking outcomes of schools.
1. Impact on Data: MLLs often score lower on assessments that rely on strong English-language proficiency. This can affect a school’s overall benchmark outcomes and may misrepresent the academic abilities of MLL students. Schools must account for these linguistic challenges when interpreting data and ensure that performance is evaluated within the appropriate context.
2. Inclusive Assessment Practices: To improve the accuracy of benchmarking data, schools should adopt inclusive practices that better reflect the abilities of MLLs. For example, they can offer additional time on assessments, provide language support during test preparation, and utilize formative assessments that track both academic and language development.
UAE School Inspection Framework and Benchmarking Integration
The UAE School Inspection Framework (SIF) emphasizes the importance of benchmarking as a means of driving school improvement and holding schools accountable. NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 assessments are widely used as part of this framework to evaluate student achievement and progress.
1. Inspection and Accountability: The UAE School Inspection Framework requires schools to demonstrate progress against international benchmarks. The use of NWEA MAP Growth and IBT assessments helps schools provide data on student outcomes that are comparable to global standards. However, schools must also account for the unique challenges posed by their student populations, particularly the high number of MLLs.
2. Integration of Benchmarking Data: The UAE School Inspection Framework encourages the use of benchmarking data to inform school improvement plans. Schools are expected to use assessment results to identify areas for improvement, set targets for student achievement, and monitor progress. However, as discussed, it is essential that schools interpret data within the context of their unique student populations to ensure fair and accurate outcomes.
Benchmarking through tools such as NWEA MAP Growth, IBT, and CAT4 plays an essential role in improving educational outcomes in international schools across the MENA region. However, these assessments must be used thoughtfully, with careful consideration given to the linguistic and cultural challenges faced by students, particularly MLLs. By investing in teacher development, improving data systems, and adopting culturally sensitive assessment practices, schools can close benchmarking gaps and create a more equitable learning environment for all students.
In the context of the UAE School Inspection Framework, the integration of such benchmark assessments helps schools align with international standards and drives continuous improvement. With the right strategies in place, international schools in the MENA region can use benchmarking as a powerful tool to enhance educational quality and ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to succeed.
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About the Author:
Chassie Selouane, the vice chairperson of the board of governors of Copperstone Education, is an Indigenous American educational disruptor from North Carolina.
She has been an educator for 23 years throughout the U.S. and the MENA region.
Chassie is the founder/CEO of Appalachian American Academy Morocco, a virtual American curriculum school in Morocco, and principal at MLS Riyadh. She is the chairperson of the steering committee of the GCC ASCD Connected Community and the chairperson of the steering committee of the Education Experts conference series. She is also an advisory council member of AIELOC and a mentor for GLEAC.