Academic Competency Test: A Mirror of Quality, A Compass for Improvement
The implementation of Academic Competency Tests (TKA) for primary (SD) and lower secondary (SMP) school levels marks a new chapter in efforts to improve the quality of Indonesian education. Amidst various debates regarding national assessments and the measurement of learning achievements, it is crucial to emphasise that the essence of the TKA is not merely to produce numerical scores. The most significant value of the TKA lies in its ability to serve as both a mirror of educational quality and a compass guiding the direction of improvement.
In the modern educational world, assessment is no longer understood as an instrument to judge students or compare schools with one another. Assessment is a diagnostic tool that provides objective information regarding the state of learning. From this perspective, TKA results must be interpreted and utilised effectively. The TKA provides an overview of students’ abilities to understand, apply, and reason through various concepts learned. This information is vital for determining the extent to which the learning process has been effective. When results indicate weaknesses in certain aspects, that data becomes a starting point for improvement, rather than a reason to assign blame.
Therefore, the success of the TKA should not be measured solely by the number of participants or the speed of result announcements. A far more important metric is the extent to which the generated data can be used to enhance the quality of learning within schools.
DATA FOR A CULTURE OF QUALITY
This is where the TKA is closely linked to the Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI). As is well known, the SPMI is a mechanism designed to ensure that every educational unit continuously improves quality based on real conditions. The essence of the SPMI is to build a culture of quality, rather than merely fulfilling administrative or reporting obligations.
A culture of quality can only flourish when educational decisions are based on valid and reliable data. In this context, TKA results can serve as a strategic data source for schools to conduct more objective self-evaluations. For example, if TKA results show that students’ numeracy skills in problem-solving remain low, schools have a strong basis to review the mathematics teaching strategies currently in use. If students struggle to understand informative and argumentative texts, strengthening reading literacy can become a priority for improvement. In other words, the TKA helps schools see the actual situation; it functions as a mirror reflecting the reality of learning more clearly than mere perception or assumption.
DRIVING THE PPEPP CYCLE
Furthermore, TKA data can serve as a vital foundation in implementing the PPEPP cycle, which is the heart of the SPMI. The PPEPP cycle consists of Setting (Penetapan), Implementation (Pelaksanaan), Evaluation (Evaluasi), Control (Pengendalian), and Enhancement (Peningkatan). Through this cycle, schools are encouraged to carry out systematic and continuous improvements.
In the Setting stage, schools can use TKA results as a basis for establishing realistic and measurable quality targets. These targets should not be drafted based on mere desire, but on actual needs identified from the data. In the Implementation stage, schools implement various programmes and strategies to achieve these targets. Strengthening literacy, numeracy, deep learning, differentiated learning, or the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach can all be part of these efforts.
Next, in the Evaluation stage, schools utilise student learning data to assess the effectiveness of the programmes implemented. Did the applied strategies succeed in improving student achievement? Are there aspects that still need improvement? All these questions can be answered through the available data. The following stage is Control, which involves taking corrective actions if targets are not met—for instance, through teacher mentoring, improvement of teaching materials, strengthening academic supervision, or adjusting learning strategies. Finally, in the Enhancement stage, schools use all the experiences and lessons learned to set higher quality standards for the next period. Thus, improvement does not occur incidentally but becomes a continuous process.
FROM SCHOOLS TO POLICY
Within this framework, the TKA is not a standalone activity. It is part of a broader ecosystem for improving educational quality. The generated data does not stop at statistical reports; it becomes the fuel for the birth of more targeted policies and interventions. This benefit is not only felt by schools. Local governments can use TKA results to map the need for inter-regional assistance. School supervisors can use them to design more directed coaching programmes. The central government can also obtain a more comprehensive overview of student academic achievement across various regions as a basis for formulating national policies. This approach aligns with the principle of evidence-based policy, where policies are built on evidence and data rather than mere assumptions. In an increasingly complex era, the quality of decision-making is heavily determined by the quality of the data available.