Report: From Assessment Data to Better Evidence
From Assessment Data to Better Evidence: Strengthening Africa’s Foundational Learning Evidence Ecosystem
Abstract
Over the past two decades, Africa has experienced a remarkable expansion in the measurement of foundational learning, with national, regional, and international programmes generating an increasingly detailed picture of children's reading and numeracy outcomes. Yet the value of these investments depends on more than data collection: it hinges on whether resulting datasets remain findable, well documented, accessible, and actively used. This report argues that strengthening Africa's foundational learning data ecosystem is among the highest-return investments available to governments, assessment organisations, and development partners.
The report first maps the continent's assessment landscape, highlighting its scale and diversity alongside persistent gaps in coverage, comparability, and design. It then examines the data value chain, noting recent gains in microdata access—including PASEC, ICAN-ICAR, and recovered EGRA datasets—while showing that access remains fragmented and many datasets face risk of loss. Applying the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), the report demonstrates through five methodological analyses using MICS and ICAN-ICAR microdata how open data can clarify population representation, reveal hidden patterns in score distributions, expose inequality through household linkages, strengthen cross-country comparisons, and illuminate the role of language in assessment outcomes.
The report concludes with six priorities for the next decade: designing assessments for reuse, preserving legacy datasets, expanding FAIR-aligned open access, building African analytical capacity, supporting methodological research, and strengthening cross-institutional collaboration. The African Foundational Learning Data Hub (AFLEARN) is positioned to advance these goals, transforming assessment data into a lasting foundation for research, policy, and improved learning outcomes for children across Africa.