Long abstract

Publications & Documents

In response to the need for internationally comparable evidence on student performance, the OECD launched the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA represents a new commitment by the governments of OECD countries to monitor the outcomes of education systems in terms of student achievement on a regular basis and within a common framework that is internationally agreed upon.

PISA aims at providing a new basis for policy dialogue and for collaboration in defining and operationalising educational goals - in innovative ways that reflect judgements about the skills that are relevant to adult life. It provides inputs for standard-setting and evaluation; insights into the factors that contribute to the development of competencies and into how these factors operate in different countries, and it should lead to a better understanding of the causes and consequences of observed skill shortages. By supporting a shift in policy focus from educational inputs to learning outcomes, PISA can assist countries in seeking to bring about improvements in schooling and better preparation for young people as they enter an adult life of rapid change and deepening global interdependence.

PISA is a collaborative effort, bringing together scientific expertise from the participating countries, steered jointly by their governments on the basis of shared, policy-driven interests. Participating countries take responsibility for the project at the policy level through a Board of Participating Countries. Experts from participating countries serve on working groups that are charged with linking the PISA policy objectives with the best available substantive and technical expertise in the field of international comparative assessment of educational outcomes. Through participating in these expert groups, countries ensure that the PISA assessment instruments are internationally valid and take into account the cultural and curricular contexts of OECD Member countries, that they provide a realistic basis for measurement, and that they place an emphasis on authenticity and educational validity. The frameworks and assessment instruments for PISA 2000 are the product of a multi-year development process and were adopted by OECD Member countries in December 1999.

First results from the PISA 2000 assessment were published in Knowledge and Skills for Life - First Results from PISA 2000 (2001). This publication presents evidence on the performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy of students, schools and countries, provides insights into the factors that influence the development of these skills at home and at school, and examines how these factors interact and what the implications are for policy development.

PISA is methodologically highly complex, requiring intensive collaboration among many stakeholders. The successful implementation of PISA depends on the use, and sometimes further development, of state-of-the-art methodologies. The PISA Technical Report describes those methodologies, along with other features that have enabled PISA to provide high quality data to support policy formation and review. The descriptions are provided at a level of detail that will enable review and potentially replication of the implemented procedures and technical solutions to problems.