Next NIETS’ IT Platform in the Age of Competency-Based Education

Abstract

The National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Public Organization) (NIETS) by the standard of public services in Thailand could be considered one of the most successful public organizations in Education and Non-education sectors. Throughout 18 years of its existence, it excels in Test administration performance both qualitatively and quantitatively. Today, the Ministry of Education mandates the new core curriculum for all schools under its jurisdiction to provide educational services to the people living in the country with the co-called Competency-Based Education. The shift from the Common Core Standards to character and competence development deeply impacts how NIETS would carry out its mission to its roots: what to test and how. This happens amidst the uncertainty amongst the education circle as what competency-based education (CBE) really means, and how to administer learning that leads to the desired learning outcomes for the students and for the job market in particular and for the country’s competitiveness in general. NIETS needs to re-think and re-design the testing systems that takes into account such uncertainty, and is able to adopt, adapt, and operate successfully. New IT platform is need, despite the past success, and incorporate two new systems: Item Bank Management and Decision and Predictive Analytics to enable NIETS as public organization to cope with rapid and uncertain requirements from the Ministry and from the actual practice of the schools. To this, it entails new organization, new capabilities, and new governance system.