eteach.com - Lowdown No. 8 - Programme for International Student Assessment

Lowdown No. 8 - Programme for International Student Assessment

The Lowdown

Issue No. 52

PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has launched the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), to determine, “the extent to which education systems in participating countries are preparing their students to become lifelong learners and to play constructive roles as citizens in society”. This information can then, it is hoped, provide internationally comparable evidence of educational outcomes.
OECD/PISA will produce indicators of student achievement on a regular and timely basis. The focus of the assessments will be on 15-year olds and they cover the domains of reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy. The main reason for the development of such a large-scale assessment is to provide “empirically grounded information which will inform policy decisions”.
The assessments are administered in 32 countries, 28 of which are members of the OECD. Between 4,500 and 10,000 students will typically be tested in each country and the results will be published every three years. Each cycle will look in depth at one of the three domains.
For further information, visit www.pisa.oecd.org/docs/assess.htm