GL Education is on a rare quest to empower teachers with robust and user-friendly information that aids in better assessing and diagnosing a student’s potential, development and motivation. Unlike other examinations that are designed to achieve a final score or used as a basis for acceptance to a particular level, GL Education’s assessments are tailored to provide feedback on ability, attainment and attitudes. “Everything we do is designed to flow back into the form of feedback that is used to drive decisions and actions,” says Greg Watson, CEO. “We give teachers information that can help them target their efforts better in a simple and unbiased way.”

The global assessment publisher’s standardised tests can be adapted to most curriculum requirements across the world. Carefully calibrated and statistically validated, the tests can be delivered to any country from its Britain base through a digital testing platform.

Working mostly with international schools in more than 100 countries worldwide, GL Education is approaching governments and education ministries to roll out its solutions to rural and urban areas. Successful engagements include a project with the Malaysian government and partnerships with schools in Australia and the Middle East. GL Education is also collaborating with the National Institute of Education Sciences (NIES) in China to administer its cognitive ability test in Putonghua to 25,000 students.

The partnership with NIES serves as a springboard to scaling up GL Education’s scope.

“Assessment has value worldwide as a means of generating data to support personalised learning, school improvement and national reform programmes,” Watson says. “It’s an exciting time in education. There are no boundaries any more.”