Abstract

‘A learning profile is the relationship between some measure of capability and grade attainment. Most learning assessments allow us to compare differences in learning across children of the same grade (or age). New approaches and use of existing data are producing more descriptive learning profiles that show the relationship between the ability to read a sentence (e.g. DHS ) or do certain arithmetic operations (e.g. ASER ) across people with different levels of grade attainment. We are learning that many (thought not all) of these profiles are amazing flat: there is little difference in capability across grade levels. What do these findings suggest about learning? About the typical age-grade structure of classroom instruction? About equity in learning?