The objective of LASER is to help assess whether a country’s education data ecosystem is collecting and leveraging the variety of data sources required for policy making and overall governance of the education sector.

The LASER acrostic reflects the following characteristics of an education data ecosystem:

• Learning assessment system meets international standards.
• Administrative data on key indicators is regularly collected and covers major education issues and dimensions of inequality.
• Survey population system collects education indicators and dimensions of inequality on a regular basis.
• Expenditure is reported regularly for all sources of private and public expenditure.
• Review and Monitor Progress looks at the accountability through the publication of indicators reports, the elaboration of national plans and the monitoring of progress through benchmarks.

The weight of the different components is critical for the final scoring and calls for a consultation and consensus. The first version of LASER is weighted according to the UIS criteria aiming for a consultation process based on the considerations and criteria showcased in the last section of the concept note.

LASER Concept note

A Guide for Policymakers to Leverage Education Data

Data is a key component and fundamental input that shapes the formulation and implementation of effective education policy. Therefore, the objective of this document is for policymakers to understand what data sources are available and the importance of producing high-quality data for effective policy planning.

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