USETI Alliance Phase II Quarterly Report Y2Q2 (April-June 2014)

Agency for International Development (USAID) under a cooperative agreement. American Councils for International Education is the Cooperating Partner and lead implementer, collaborating with USAID and 17 other founding partners. The Agreement builds on accomplishments of previous U.S. Government assistance to build a sustainable strengthened UCEQA system more capable of independently and transparently developing and implementing secure tests that meet international standards. The system aims to secure a legislative and regulatory policy basis for testing and higher education admissions, and build a sustainable high level of public support for equal access to Ukrainian higher education. Throughout the reporting period (April-June 2014), USETI Legacy Alliance Phase II activities were focused on supporting UCEQA with main session of SET 2014 and its public monitoring, support in item banking, test development and test structure/content quality assurance, education law development, conducting an Alliance partners meeting and a number of other policy development-related matters. Psychometric specifications were published on April 22, and UCEQA funding of printing was renewed on April 15. The delay in test booklet printing forced a change in the SET administration schedule, with UCEQA changing the dates of tests in Biology and World History. Preparations for SET 2014 and its administration were ongoing, with UCEQA reporting that the number of registered 2014 test takers for the main session, conducted on June 3-27, was 297,090. Due to the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by the Russian Federation, prospective test takers from this region could not participate in the main session. UCEQA informed prospective test takers from Crimea that they would be able to take the tests in other regions of Ukraine. The SET organizers could not guarantee the security of either test takers or test materials in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, and the decision was made to postpone testing for these regions to the July make-up session. The Cabinet of Ministers Videoconference on Conditions of Admission was conducted on April 10, with participants discussing the amendments to the 2014 Conditions of Admission to Ukrainian HEIs. The new Board of MOES was approved on April 16, and MOES approved the amendments to the Conditions on Admission on May 5. The Minister announced key changes, including shortening the time period for submitting applications to HEIs to three weeks, introducing greater value for SET scores on subjects relevant to a chosen major area, and lowering the value of the weighted high school GPA score from 200 to 60 points. Technical Assistance was delivered to secure UCEQA capacity for item banking, test development, and test structure/content quality assurance. USETI international consultants completed tasks, including running a workshop at the Vinnytsya RCEQA on April 24-25, and working with UCEQA MFL specialist on item analysis and review. The external item writers led by UCEQA MFL subject specialists gathered for their regular bi-annual item writing and analysis workshop, supported by USETI Alliance. USETI Alliance international consultants visited Kyiv on May 5-16 and worked on tasks, including preparation for equivalent test forms construction, accuracy and consistency of classification, and test technical reporting.