A growing number of reliable and validated tests are available that measure a child's cognitive, language, social and emotional development status, adapted to the particular contexts in which they are being applied. In Chile, for instance, a locally-developed test has been designed to assess children's abilities. These measures are indicators of learning achievements during the early years. In many settings, however, appropriate and agreed-upon measures need to be developed. This is a crucial task as we approach the year 2000.
External partners can help provide information on models that have worked in other places.
They can facilitate South-South networking and sharing of expertise and resources. They can help to publicize successful efforts and lessons learned so that others may benefit from them.