2
PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT
ASSESSMENT (PISA)
As we all know, education is the most important thing in most nations’ agendas, especially for students at an early stage; hence, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study of 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance in mathematics, science, and reading conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member nations. Initially conducted in 2000, it was the first study of its kind, and since then, it has been repeated every three years with a view to improving educational policies and outcomes. The study measures problem-solving and cognition in everyday life.
An article posted by the World Economic Forum on April 29, 2019, states that the way the world measures success in education has been changing since 2000, when the OECD launched the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The idea of this initiative was to enable countries to make cross-national comparisons of student achievement using a common/standard metric to increase human capital. In other words, higher academic achievement should correlate with earnings in the future and a country’s standard of living. As PISA states, it publishes the results of the test a year after the students are tested to help governments shape their education policies.
As PISA has developed, for some it has gained a reputation as the "Olympics of education,” given the widespread attention that country rankings receive following the release of results.
Recent cross-cultural research suggests the influence of PISA is growing around the world. Indeed, in countries such as Germany and Canada, assessment systems have been developed that mirror the PISA test. Further, governments look to PISA results twinned with other social outcome measures such as equity in education and social mobility or immigrant success.
Now, partly in the face of criticisms, PISA is looking at expanding how and what it tests. Collectively, changes to PISA will likely spur a shift in priorities by national governments— particularly since countries are keen to achieve good outcomes and to rank highly.
As this process unfolds, policymakers must remember that the social consequences of a test are just as important as the test’s content. Putting a new face on PISA will undoubtedly present various opportunities and challenges.