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<p>The Early Learning and Development Standard (ELDS) Assessment Tool is a valuable tool to measure early childhood development (ECD) outcomes for large-scale monitoring and evaluation purposes in Nepal. However, its potential impacts on policymaking have been limited by practical challenges derived from its time-consuming nature, which hindered efficient data collection at scale. The purpose of this study is to improve the feasibility of the tool by creating a shorter form of the tool using a multidimensional framework. We analyzed a unique dataset collected in Nepal and selected a set of items that optimizes the balance between the reliability of scores (statistical), content relevance and representativeness (conceptual), and administration time (practical) dimensions of the tool. We compared the feasible form suggested by the multidimensional framework with a short form that only considered the statistical properties of items. Our findings highlight the importance of considering multiple dimensions when selecting items for an assessment tool, as the statistically focused approach may not necessarily select the most appropriate items. Through simulations, we also demonstrate that a shortened ELDS form, with a fixed administration time per school, enables a larger sample size, leading to improved precision in estimating gender-based differences and potentially greater power to detect intervention effects. This study’s results can inform the development of efficient ECD measurement and improve policymaking decisions based on high-quality evidence generated from precise and feasible measures.</p>

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Improving the feasibility of the early learning and development standard assessment tool in Nepal

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月7日

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  • Kenji Kitamura,
  • Shreya Shreeraman,
  • Jonathan Seiden,
  • Dipu Shakya,
  • Renuka Adhikari

摘要

The Early Learning and Development Standard (ELDS) Assessment Tool is a valuable tool to measure early childhood development (ECD) outcomes for large-scale monitoring and evaluation purposes in Nepal. However, its potential impacts on policymaking have been limited by practical challenges derived from its time-consuming nature, which hindered efficient data collection at scale. The purpose of this study is to improve the feasibility of the tool by creating a shorter form of the tool using a multidimensional framework. We analyzed a unique dataset collected in Nepal and selected a set of items that optimizes the balance between the reliability of scores (statistical), content relevance and representativeness (conceptual), and administration time (practical) dimensions of the tool. We compared the feasible form suggested by the multidimensional framework with a short form that only considered the statistical properties of items. Our findings highlight the importance of considering multiple dimensions when selecting items for an assessment tool, as the statistically focused approach may not necessarily select the most appropriate items. Through simulations, we also demonstrate that a shortened ELDS form, with a fixed administration time per school, enables a larger sample size, leading to improved precision in estimating gender-based differences and potentially greater power to detect intervention effects. This study’s results can inform the development of efficient ECD measurement and improve policymaking decisions based on high-quality evidence generated from precise and feasible measures.