To support evidence-based policies and improve education systems in developing and fostering students’ reading and mathematics skills, IEA in collaboration with the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development has developed LaNA (Literacy and Numeracy Assessment), a new reading and mathematics assessment.
This assessment provides standardized, reliable data on the strengths and weaknesses of educational systems. It also addresses the global demand for comparative data to measure progress toward the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals), as well as the need for capacity building in educational research.
Rooted in the comprehensive assessment frameworks of TIMSS and PIRLS, IEA’s LaNA is designed to produce national data for monitoring foundational reading and mathematics and learning goals in participating countries at the end of primary school. Additionally, LaNA’s established links to TIMSS and PIRLS enables participants to benchmark their students’ mathematics and reading achievements against an international scale. LaNA is a flexible, easy-to-administer assessment for students at the end of primary school, available in a paper-and-pencil format.
In addition to the reading and mathematics assessments, LaNA gathers information about contextual factors associated with learning, such as available resources, students’ learning experiences, and the learning environment. A student and a school principal questionnaire provide crucial indicators for students’ home and school learning contexts.
The Launch of the LaNA International Report and Results will take place on Tuesday, 25 February 2025 at 11:00am CET.
Hosted in partnership with INEADE in Dakar, Senegal, the livestreamed event will showcase highlights from the LaNA International Report as well as Key Takeaways for Policy and Practice. The event will be livestreamed and can be viewed on the day via IEA’s YouTube channel.
More information can be found here.
By participating in LaNA, countries can obtain reliable and standardized measures of basic reading and mathematics skills for their student population and measure their proficiencies using the new LaNA International Basic Benchmarks for reading and mathematics based on the TIMSS and PIRLS scale in an international context. The reliable data collected can be used to inform educational policy in the participating country.
Participation in LaNA provides countries and national teams with valuable experience in assessment planning, sampling, design, implementation, standardized test administration, and the reporting and interpretation of results. In this way, the assessment can serve as a steppingstone for participation in future TIMSS and PIRLS cycles or serve as valuable capacity building for the further development or standardization of national assessments.
With its off-cycle administration approach, LaNA can be implemented at almost any time. Multiple LaNA administrations can effectively evaluate the impact of educational policies and interventions.
LaNA is targeted to students at the end of primary school in LMICs (low- and middle-income countries). Depending on the educational context, LaNA can be administered at fourth, fifth, or sixth grade.
A full LaNA administration, which includes a practice administration and a main data collection phase, is expected to take approximately 15–18 months. More information can be found in the information package.
LaNA provides measures for basic reading and mathematics skills, contributing to the monitoring of SDG 4.1.1b. This indicator represents the proportion of children achieving a minimum proficiency level in reading and mathematics by the end of primary education.
In addition, data from LaNA context questionnaires can be used to further investigate the characteristics of successful students and schools and help in reporting on several SDG targets.
LaNA was developed by the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development and is implemented in partnership with IEA.
For country enrollment, please contact IEA Amsterdam Director, Dr. Andrea Netten. Detailed information about the LaNA linking study, costs, and timelines involved are available in the information package and formal invitation letter below.
LaNA was designed for countries wishing to obtain reliable data and evidence to inform educational policy makers.
LaNA was piloted in several countries, including Serbia, North Macedonia, Haiti, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
In 2023, a special administration of LaNA was conducted in six countries including Burkina Faso, Egypt, Nigeria, Palestinian Authority, Pakistan, and Senegal to establish a psychometrically sound linkage of LaNA to IEA’s TIMSS and PIRLS assessments.
LaNA linking study resources will be made available at the end of February 2025.