The DERT is also collaborating with the National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) in the following Projects/Study.

1. Project I : Nationwide Achievement Survey (NCERT project).
2. Project II : Development and Standardisation of Achievement Tests for Class VII (NCERT project).
3. State Studies in School Education - Status, Issues and Future Perspective.

Project I : Nationwide Achievement Survey (NCERT Project)

NCERT has mounted a nation-wide Achievement Survey to keep a tab on the general health of the Primary Education in the country. The survey will ascertain the level of students' achievement at the end of first years of schooling in three major subject areas namely , Language, Mathematics and Environmental Studies(EVS).

Purpose : The Study/Survey is proposed to achieve the following objectives within a specific time frame:

• To study the achievement level of Class V students in Language, Mathematics and EVS in all the States and UT's.
• To study the influence of intervening variables like home, school and teachers in student's achievement in the aforesaid subject areas.
• To build the capacity of State personnel by ensuring wider participation of State/UT personnel

Two types of tools are employed for assessing children's learning outcomes.

• Test in Language, Mathematics and EVS will be administered for assessment of achievement.
• The contribution of other intervening variables/indicators like home, school teacher, etc. will be assessed through interviews and information schedules.
  
  

Implementation: In Meghalaya, as in other States, various activities related to the Survey is co-ordinated through the State Co-ordinator appointed from DERT Faculty members.

In the first phase, for standardisation of the tools 15 schools at random were selected where the tests were administered to 300 students (i.e. 20 students in each school) during the month of March, 2001.

After scoring of the tests paper and analysis of the try-out results and finalization of the tests, the administration of the final tests on a larger sample (approximately 4500 students in four districts of Meghalaya) was conducted during the 2nd week of June, 2002.

Project II : Development and Standardisation of Achievement Tests for Class VII (NCERT Project)

Purpose: The purpose of this Study is to make available standardized tests for conducting baseline assessment/achievement survey at the end of Elementary Stage of Education particularly in the emergence of Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan.

Implementation: In the first phase, for standardization of tools 10 to 15 schools at random were selected in Meghalaya, in which the tests were administered to 300 students in four subjects areas viz. Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences and Language. The try-out tests of the above selected schools was conducted during the month of March 2002. Administration of the final test/survey on a larger sample will be conducted in Meghalaya during the month of February/March 2003.

State Studies in School Education - Status, Issues and Future Perspective

NCERT in collaboration with DERT Meghalaya conducted a project work entitled " State Studies in School Education". This project highlighted the development of School Education in Meghalaya during the last 50 years but with focus on the period after Meghalaya attained full fledged Statehood in 1972. The Study laid stress on achievements and problems from Pre-Primary stage to the Senior Secondary stage.

Objectives of the Study

• To study the progress achieved in development of School Education.
• To identify the major policy initiatives taken, strategies adopted, innovations and experiments undertaken by the State to achieve goals and targets of Education For All.
• To identify the gaps and problems faced by the State in implementing the National and State Level Policy objectives of achieving Education For All, promoting quality of School Education from Pre-primary to Senior Secondary classes, providing relevant curricula, modernizing teaching learning processes, etc.
• To study related matters such as provision of school facilities and their utilisation, incentives to children from the weaker sections, teacher professionalism, role of non-governmental agencies, community participation, academic support system, mobilisation of resources for education.
• To study implementation of educational schemes and monitoring mechanism.
• To suggest strategies and a Plan of Action for the future so as to adequately address the issues/tasks which need to be resolved/fulfilled in the State keeping in view the feasibility and the need to meet the emerging future challenges of the new millennium.