World Bank, PSSC, BukSU continue to elevate early childhood assessment tool

Representatives from the World Bank and the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) visited Bukidnon State University (BukSU) on July 21, 2025, as part of the ongoing pilot implementation of the Updated Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Checklist 2—a nationwide project aimed at improving early childhood assessment tools in the Philippines.

The delegation, comprising Prof. Excelsa C. Tongson, DSD, PSSC Project Leader; Ms. Maya Sherpa, World Bank international consultant; and Ms. Maria Felda Corporal Alarkon, World Bank Education Consultant, received a warm welcome from University President Dr. Joy M. Mirasol, College of Education Dean Dr. Ann Sheila C. Del Rosario, and College of Education faculty members.

Project updates highlighted the ongoing pilot of the enhanced ECCD Checklist 2, a tool being evaluated for its feasibility, acceptability, reliability, and validity. The program seeks to gather crucial evidence for its further improvement and eventual institutionalization.

As one of the collaborating institutions, BukSU deployed four faculty members from the College to serve as Master Trainers: Dr. Hannah T. Castillon, Ms. Ritchelee B. Alugar, Ms. Maria Angelica C. Mugot, and Dr. Shaunell Mary J. Sayson to facilitate the training workshops, oversee field implementation, and lead data collection processes across project sites.

Prof. Tongson expressed her gratitude to BukSU for its unwavering commitment and meaningful participation in the project, which is expected to conclude in November 2025.

Dr. Mirasol affirmed the university’s strong support for initiatives that promote quality early childhood development and evidence-based education reforms.

Following the courtesy visit, the team conducted a two-day fieldwork in Manolo Fortich and Maramag, visiting three Child Development Centers (CDCs).

Observations focused on the practical implementation of the revised ECCD Checklist 2 by Child Development Workers/Teachers (CDWs/CDTs), along with their use of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)technology. The pilot activities were supervised by BukSU’s Master Trainers to ensure data accuracy and compliance with research protocols.

This endeavor is pivotal in establishing a recalibrated, standardize early childhood assessment tool that considers cultural appropriateness, particularly relevant in the Philippine context, and with a centralized data base for individual child assessment results. (Ritchelee B. Alugar, EED Department Head)