Challenges for Psychological Assessment: Retaining UN's Sustainable Development Goal 4.1.1a

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) for 2030 sets a target for all students to have access to free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education, leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. SDG 4.1.1a, the first indicator associated with SDG 4, tracks the proportion of children and young people in grades 2/3 achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading and mathematics. Unfortunately, this crucial indicator was recently downgraded from Tier 1 to Tier 2, putting it at risk of being dropped altogether. Policymakers need to develop a process through collaboration with experts and associations in the field of assessment to ensure “reasonable comparability” of the different assessments used currently by different countries. The European Journal of Psychological Assessment is ostensibly dedicated to psychological measurement. However, important papers in the domain of educational measurement have been featured in the journal over time and have helped to further shape the field. The authors of this editorial consider the current discussion surrounding SDG 4.1.1.a a fundamental question related to their scientific domain of measurement, and therefore throw their hat in the ring in an effort to contribute to solving the problem. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)