Programme for International Student Assessment

Programme for International Student Assessment
Name	Programme for International Student Assessment
Abbreviation	PISA
Formed	1997
Type	International assessment
Headquarters	Paris
Parent organization	Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Programme for International Student Assessment

The Programme for International Student Assessment is an international assessment administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that measures 15-year-old students' proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science, comparing results across participating European Union members, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, Israel, Singapore, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City.

Overview

PISA is coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development with technical partners such as the European Commission, the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, the Educational Testing Service, the National Center for Education Statistics, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Royal Society, the Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Education, the Max Planck Society, the Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan), the Ministry of Education (China), and national agencies in Finland, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, and Italy to produce comparative data used by policymakers, researchers, legislators, think tanks, ministers, commissioners, ambassadors, and national institutes such as the Brookings Institution, the RAND Corporation, the National Institute for Educational Policy Research (Japan), the Fraser Institute, the Institute of Fiscal Studies, the European Council, and the G20.

History and Development

PISA was developed in the 1990s through initiatives involving the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, the European Commission, the World Bank, and national ministries such as the Ministry of Education (Japan), the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), the Department for Education (United Kingdom), the U.S. Department of Education, the Ministry of Education (China), and agencies like the National Center for Education Statistics, drawing on earlier large-scale assessments including the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, the International English Language Testing System, and influences from reports by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and commissions such as the Delors Commission.

Methodology and Assessment Framework

PISA employs stratified cluster sampling, computer-based testing, item response theory, psychometric scaling, cognitive laboratory protocols, international item pools, plausible values, competence scales, adaptive testing pilots, calibration studies, and field trials managed by consortia including Educational Testing Service, Pearson PLC, Cambridge Assessment, ACER, OECD contractors, national research institutes such as the Institute of Education (University College London), the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories, the National Institute for Educational Research (China), and university groups from Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, Peking University, Seoul National University, University of Helsinki, University of Zurich, University of Amsterdam, KU Leuven, University of Warsaw, and Charles University. Test cycles focus alternately on reading, mathematics, and science, with additional questionnaires for principals, teachers, parents, and students, and use statistical techniques associated with the Rasch model, the Generalized Partial Credit Model, and methods promulgated by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.

Participation and Administration

Participation involves national governments, ministries, statistical offices, testing agencies, school networks, local education authorities, and research centers such as the National Institute of Educational Policy Research (Japan), the U.S. Department of Education, the Department for Education (United Kingdom), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany), the Ministry of Education (China), the National Center for Education Statistics, the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Quebec Ministry of Education, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, the Singapore Ministry of Education, and assessment vendors like Prometric, Pearson VUE, Zygo, and international contractors. The OECD convenes governing boards, expert groups, national project managers, technical advisory groups, and steering committees comprising representatives from the European Commission, the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the G20 Education Ministers, and regional bodies including the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Results and Impact

PISA results have influenced national reforms in jurisdictions such as Finland, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Canada, Estonia, Poland, Shanghai, Ontario, Québec, Germany, France, United Kingdom, United States, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Turkey, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Hungary, and Romania, informing policy debates in think tanks like the Brookings Institution, the RAND Corporation, the Fraser Institute, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, academic research at Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, and influencing multilateral programs by the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and funding bodies including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Criticisms and Debates

Critiques have been raised by scholars associated with Harvard University, University of Oxford, University College London, University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, University of Helsinki, Max Planck Society, American Educational Research Association, British Educational Research Association, the National Education Association (United States), the European Students' Union, and policy analysts from the Brookings Institution and the Institute of Fiscal Studies concerning cultural bias, sampling issues in Shanghai, measurement validity across diverse systems such as Finland, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, United States, Brazil, and India, the use of rankings by media outlets like the BBC, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Le Monde, and methodological debates over item response modeling, translation through agencies such as the European Commission Translation Service, national adaptations in Japan, China, Russia, Germany, France, and tensions between comparative metrics and local curricular standards upheld by ministries and parliaments in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Spain.

Category:International educational assessments