THE Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said that the Department of Education’s practice in marking students proficient if they score at least 75 percent in national assessment could not reflect what students know or what they can do. Released last September, the study, titled “Examining the DepEd’s National Assessments: A Review of Framework, Design, Development, Psychometric Properties, and Utilization,” assessed the use of national tests and to ensure closer alignment and curriculum expectations. “Generally, there are more students reaching the proficient level when using the standard setting cut-offs than the Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA) cut-offs,” the authors said. They said that students who demonstrate their expected skills are still categorized as “nearly proficient” or “low proficient,” which emphasizes the need for a “more evidence-based approach to defining proficiency.” “Teachers, school heads, and division testing coordinators interviewed for the study pointed to the need for better alignment between national assessments and classroom instruction,” PIDS said in a statement. “They noted that system-level tests often emphasize broad 21st-century skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, but these skills are difficult to assess properly without clear training, well-developed test items, and a shared understanding of what they look like in practice,” it added. The study also cited the need for stronger test development and item validation. “Some test items were found to be too easy, too difficult, or not discriminating enough, underscoring the importance of rigorous quality control in item writing, review, and selection,” the organization said. “Ideally, system and classroom assessments should be aligned, and if ever there is misalignment, these should be intentional, not unintended outcomes.” According to the study, the country’s national assessment exams included the Early Language Literacy and Numeracy Assessment for grade 3 and the National Achievement Test for grades 6, 10, and 12 and is conducted annually. It is assessed by the Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA) by the Department of Education. Other examinations conducted by the BEA are the National Career Assessment Examination, the Philippine Education Placement Test, Accreditation and Equivalency Test, the Education Management Test, and the Qualifying Examination for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies. ARIC JOHN SY CUA