At a recent conference reviewing the 2025-2026 school year and outlining priorities for 2026-2027, Hanoi Vice Chairwoman Vu Thu Ha emphasized a new approach to monitoring and evaluating educational outcomes. The city will set clear areas of focus, models and targets while still giving local authorities and individual schools room to take initiative and innovate.

Building a comprehensive system to track student development

In the 2026-2027 school year, Hanoi will introduce a centralized data system with clearly defined indicators, replacing assessments based largely on general reports.

“We will use objective indicators and track students’ progress over time. The assessment will be substantive rather than merely procedural,” Ha said.

Regarding the data system used to monitor these indicators, Ha said the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has been assigned to coordinate and consolidate the data this year.

Students’ height and weight will be recorded and tracked through repeated measurements to assess their physical growth and development. The target is to increase average height by 1.5 centimeters compared with the general level. Cases of malnutrition and obesity will also be monitored so appropriate measures can be taken.

The education sector is required to complete health screenings for students before the new school year. Data will be updated around five times during the academic year, allowing schools to assess growth and adjust nutrition and exercise programs accordingly.

The Hanoi People’s Committee representative said that, in the coming period, information on each student’s daily diet will also be uploaded to the system so parents can monitor and supervise it.

“This is one of the indicators we will track alongside students’ growth. It will also serve as a tool for the city, parents and relevant monitoring bodies to inspect and oversee the quality of school meals and student nutrition,” Ha said.

Another indicator to be monitored and assessed is students’ social-emotional development.

“This year, we have developed a set of indicators and agreed on the tools and measurement and monitoring methods. This is a new area, led by the Department of Education and Training, and implementation will begin at the start of the school year,” Ha said.

The education sector will also monitor students’ English proficiency and artistic abilities. In the arts, students will be able to choose a musical instrument, learn how to play it and gradually demonstrate their abilities through performances. Targets will be set at different levels, from widespread basic proficiency in playing an instrument to performance at more advanced levels.

Students’ academic performance will also be monitored and assessed through standardized periodic tests administered citywide.

According to Ha, common periodic tests at each level of education will be used to measure learning outcomes, assess overall performance and ensure evaluations are substantive and effective rather than driven by a pursuit of high achievement figures. The results will be tracked across the entire system.

Evaluating teachers based on student progress

Ha said Hanoi will assess students’ progress using common benchmarks across the city. For example, if a student enters with a score of 4.5 to 5, the system will track how much that student has improved by the midterm assessment.

The extent of students’ progress will become one of the KPIs used to evaluate teachers.

“This year, the system will include an assessment of teachers’ instructional outcomes based on how much their students improve, using common benchmarks applied across the city,” Ha said.

According to Ha, all data will be managed, tracked and monitored to ensure transparency, substance and supporting evidence.

The Hanoi People’s Committee leadership also asked the Department of Education and Training to develop a schedule of activities so local authorities and schools can plan their implementation proactively, while minimizing activities that disrupt teaching and learning.

Thanh Hung