The initiative implemented by the Russian Center for Formative Assessment (RCFA) in cooperation with partners. It is a service training course aimed at enhancing educators capacity in terms of classroom assessment broadcasted simultaneously in 3 countries. The initiative lies within the 4th and 17th SDGs agenda and aimed at building capacity of educators and transforming learning environments. The Center is a research and training institution that focuses on national and international research and development for formative teaching, learning and assessment. The initiative aimed at building capacity of educators and transforming learning environments.

UIS data shows that low teachers’ qualifications and motivation remains one of the biggest issues for the achievements of the SDG 4 targets and one of the main reasons for the low education quality at all school levels. Teacher salary is the biggest budget share (¾ of budget for education in middle- and low-income countries). However, many educational systems hire teachers that don't have enough qualification especially in schools with poorer children. Simultaneously, well trained and highly motivated teachers are the basis of the good educational system. To tackle this global issue RCFA offers an effective approach for teachers’ training in formative assessment techniques that includes instructions and structured lessons for pre-service and in-service teachers. The initiative also promotes understanding of formative assessment and its value in improving educational outcomes.\\r\\nThe course is facilitating the advancement of a formative (learner-centred pedagogy devoted to the development of autonomous learners) approach to assessment, teaching and learning in Russia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. It will enhance capacity in the formative assessment and research field through provision of training program and modules in formative teaching, learning and assessment. It will improve outcomes for appropriate summative assessment. The initiative will stimulate research activities and knowledge sharing through collaborative activities.\\r\\n\\r\\nThrough using formative assessment methods, the teacher accesses specific information on the students’ learning processes and understandings. The teacher uses this information to support and adjust planned interventions in the students’ learning processes, actions and activities. Formative assessment requires students to have more involvement in the learning process. These teaching style become operational once the teacher understands that assessment is a continuous process, not a summative measure. \\r\\n\\r\\nThe course approach based on coaching will provide teachers with access to expert in order to improve teaching strategies under the supervision and continuous follow-up and support. Providing structured lessons techniques directly to teachers as a part of their professional activity (especially in schools where conditions are unfavorable due to low financing) is the low-cost and effective intervention. The results of interventions will be measured within the longitude studies. \\r\\n\\r\\nAs the results of the training teachers are equipped to 'take risks' to adjust the teacher/student learning relationship in the classroom and thereby enabling formative learning to take place in a working environment which enables the student to have a voice and an active involvement in his/her own learning development.

The initiative is an educators’ capacity building tool for participating countries. The ways to improve capacity within the course duration are: \\r\\n\\r\\n• to earn certificate in training for teachers and educators in formative assessment conceptualization, strategies and applied methods.\\r\\n• to earn certificate in understanding, experiencing, designing, writing and using learning assessment.\\r\\n• to ear certificate in curriculum monitoring, analysis, evaluation and development of formative (learner-centred) teaching and learning strategies.\\r\\n• to conduct education quality research.\\r\\n• to learn about data collection, management, analysis and reporting.\\r\\n• systematic macro and micro level support for educators that work in the field of formative assessment, teaching and learning.\\r\\n\\r\\nThe initiative can be re-produced in other countries and cultural context. The course design is developed with the possibility of conducting beyond the current initiative. The needed translation and adjustments of the course in accordance with country context can be performed by the experts of the RCFA with supervision of the course developers. The course can be conducted with participation of one or several countries. It doesn’t have special requirements for participants other than motivation to improve skills for achievement of the better educational results in the classroom.

RCFA will be playing a key role in implementing the initiative with support from educational institutions. A distinctive characteristic of the initiative is that it covers middle- and low-income countries contemporaneously, which represents regional diversity, cooperation and a constant exchange of experience. The initiative realization is supported by the multinational team from developing countries, including young researchers (PhD students). The initiative has already attracted reputable and experienced specialists which will provide a strong international basis for the initiative capacity. The organizations that are taking part in the initiative involved in the development of the methodology, capacity building and tools for education quality assessment; support the advancement of methods of formative assessment and have an established infrastructure to support all forms and modules of the initiative including broadcasting, data collection, analysis, evaluation and reporting to stakeholders.\\r\\n\\r\\nThe initiative’s design is a 3-module training course that can be effectively used for both: pre-service and in-service training. Three research-based module training programs are organized in 3 countries (Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Russia) within the course of one of the national pedagogical institutions. In some institutions, the training program was incorporated into post-graduate program on educational assessment and pedagogy to engage more young educators and researchers in ESD area. All three course modules are aimed at achievement of the wide audience through the use of the distant learning technologies, short-term immersion in the studied issues, learning formats through the immediate application of knowledge in practice. \\r\\n\\r\\nEach participating country will broadcast 1 course module. The course is developed in English and Russian and broadcasted with translation options or in some of the preferred languages (Russian or English) depending on the language spoken by the audience. The lectures will have regular students and online participants. Online participants will have opportunity to submit homework and receive feedback from the teacher and get certificate on course completion. All three modules include peer-review activities, live discussions to encourage knowledge and experience exchange. Teachers in profession will receive tasks that they can try in a classroom within the course duration. MA and PhD students will have opportunities to conduct research.

Russian Center for Formative Assessment (Russia), Moscow City University (Russia), Yerevan State University named after Bryusov (Armenia), Kyrgyz State University named after Abaev (Kyrgyzstan), Center for International Cooperation in Education Development (Russia)