The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has successfully concluded the pilot phase of its Early Reading Assessment (OERA) and Early Mathematics Assessment (OEMA), marking a significant milestone towards implementing standardized Grade 2 assessments in reading and mathematics across OECS Member States.

This initiative, conducted under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)-funded OECS Program for Educational Advancement and Relevant Learning (PEARL), aims to measure essential literacy and numeracy skills, providing crucial data to refine curricula and address learning gaps across the region.

From October 10–18, assessors used digital tools, including tablets, to record students’ oral reading and collect data seamlessly in eight OECS Member States: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. This innovative approach not only streamlined data collection but also laid the foundation for improving early-grade learning outcomes.

Strengthening Education Quality Across the OECS

The assessments align with the Digital OECS Harmonized Primary Curriculum (D-OHPC), reflecting the OECS’s commitment to enhancing education quality. By identifying and addressing learning gaps during critical early learning stages, this initiative underscores the OECS’s focus on improving early literacy and numeracy outcomes.

Collaboration with local education experts will ensure the pilot results refine assessment tools and inform curriculum strategies for consistent improvement across Member States. With the pilot data under review, the OECS will work closely with Ministries of Education, teachers, and curriculum experts to enhance the assessments and align them with international benchmarks.

The final assessments, scheduled for May 2025, will enable the OECS to monitor and report student proficiency in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4.1.1.a, which targets minimum literacy and numeracy standards for students at Grade 2 or 3.

A Harmonized Approach to Curriculum and Assessment

Mr. Royston Emmanuel, Senior Technical Specialist, Education at the OECS Commission, stated,

“This pilot will help us understand not only the efficacy of the assessment with regards to internal consistency and validity but will also help us respond to country-specific issues and concerns. This will enable a more nuanced approach to regional assessment, in line with the concept of a truly harmonized curriculum.”

About OECS PEARL

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Program for Educational Advancement and Relevant Learning (OECS PEARL) is a four-year program that seeks to advance progress towards the goals of the OECS Education Sector Strategy (OESS) through increased access and improved student learning in basic education. ​ It is funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). With its vision of “A quality education for every child”, the GPE will help optimise education systems so that all children can learn, including those marginalised by poverty, ethnicity, disability and displacement, and puts gender equality at the heart of what the partnership does and how it operates (GPE 2025).

Malika Thompson-Cenac

Communications Specialist, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States