Thematic Research Report series

Thematic Research Reports

241 complete publications covering the years 2005 to 2026.

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241 publications in this series

ICEQC-R-2026-09July 13, 2026

Thematic Research Report

Completion Rates as a Global Monitoring Measure: Strengths, Limitations and Use

A global standards interpretation of cohort definitions, completion windows, coverage, equity and public reporting

A completion rate is meaningful only when the education level, entry cohort or reference population, qualifying end point, elapsed time, coverage and treatment of transfer, repetition and interruption are defined. Different definitions answer different questions. Global comparison should establish conceptual and operational alignment before interpreting a numerical difference.

Research category: Standards Interpretation
Report archetype: Standards Interpretive Study
Geographic scope: Global

ICEQC-R-2026-07July 5, 2026

Thematic Research Report

Interpreting Wealth, Location, Disability and Gender Disparities without Overreliance on Parity Indices

A global standards interpretation of group levels, gaps, ratios, intersections, coverage and public action

Parity indices express one group value relative to another, but they do not disclose the level attained by either group, the number of learners affected, the distribution within each group or the public action required. Interpretation of wealth, location, disability and gender disparities should therefore place every ratio beside group-specific levels, absolute gaps, population shares, uncertainty and coverage. A value close to one can describe equality at an unacceptably low level; movement away from one can accompany rapid improvement among a previously excluded group when the reference group also changes.

Research category: Standards Interpretation
Report archetype: Standards Interpretive Study
Geographic scope: Global