NDOE Press, August 15, 2024 — The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has made significant steps in enhancing its education system through a series of strategic meetings held in Chuuk and Yap. These meetings, centered on data-driven initiatives and collaborative efforts, have paved the way for addressing critical challenges within the nation’s education sector.

Held from July 29 to August 2, 2024, the Chuuk Annual Plan meeting brought together key stakeholders from all four FSM states under the theme “Transforming Education Through Data: Effective Approaches and Practical Solutions.” Organized by the FSM National Department of Education, the meeting aimed to identify and address pressing issues such as improving data collection from remote areas and bridging the digital divide within the education system.

A major achievement of the Chuuk meeting was the successful alignment of calendar activities between state and national education departments. This coordination, facilitated by a shared Google calendar, is expected to streamline operations and foster a cohesive approach across the FSM. The meeting also underscored the importance of ongoing collaboration, with participants agreeing that future gatherings are essential for sustaining progress and ensuring the education system effectively serves the nation’s children.

Following the Chuuk meeting, the Data Annual Meeting took place in Yap from August 5 to August 9, 2024. This event concentrated on advancing and finalizing the 5% data collection project, a crucial element of the ongoing FedEMIS (Federated States of Micronesia Education Management Information System) activities. Although funding for the project will conclude this fiscal year and transition into the regular budget, its notable successes will continue to be pursued, with a focus on achieving excellent and productive outcomes. The workshop in Yap highlighted these successes, particularly through comprehensive training provided to data managers, which emphasized improving data quality and ensuring that educational leaders have access to reliable information for informed decision-making.

Participants also engaged in training on creating and formatting reports by linking data from the FedEMIS database, manipulating data, and generating tables and charts using advanced Excel skills to produce high-quality reports. A notable accomplishment was the successful cleaning and importing of end-of-school data into the FedEMIS system by all states, ensuring accurate and up-to-date educational records.

However, the meetings also highlighted ongoing challenges and pressing issues that hinder quality improvements over time. In Chuuk and across all states, the complexity of the identified issues underscored the need for continuous support to effectively bridge the digital divide, which aims to reduce or eliminate the gap between those with access to modern information and communication technologies (ICT) and those without—across all government levels, communities, private sectors, and disadvantaged areas. Additionally, maintaining alignment across states remains a challenge, particularly in keeping all stakeholders engaged and informed of the existing and gradual improvements that, while evident, often go unnoticed.

In Yap, the focus on data quality and capacity building revealed the need for sustained efforts to improve these areas. Technical challenges, such as integrating new school data and addressing incomplete data in the FedSIS (Federated States of Micronesia School Information System), as well as developing state-specific reporting templates, also require ongoing attention.

To address these challenges, follow-up meetings are recommended to monitor progress and provide additional support as needed. The successful hands-on workshops held in Yap have set a precedent for future initiatives, emphasizing the importance of building confidence and effectively applying newly acquired skills.

Participants in both meetings expressed a strong desire for continued collaboration, recognizing the critical role these efforts play in advancing the FSM education system. These gatherings have laid a solid foundation for future improvements, ensuring that the educational needs of the nation’s children remain a top priority.