![]() While we await the release of the TIMSS international database, this report describes a detailed analysis we have conducted of the 2009 PISA database. This is especially the case because analysis of the international database takes time, and headlines from the initial release are likely to be sealed in conventional wisdom by the time scholars have had the opportunity to complete a careful study. This puzzling strategy ensured that policymakers and commentators would draw quick and perhaps misleading interpretations from the results. For some reason, however, although TIMSS released its average national results in December, it scheduled release of the international database for five weeks later. ![]() Such analysis can lead to very different and more nuanced conclusions than those suggested from average national scores alone. They ignore the complexity of test results and may lead policymakers to pursue inappropriate and even harmful reforms.īoth TIMSS and PISA eventually released not only the average national scores on their tests but also a rich international database from which analysts can disaggregate test scores by students’ social and economic characteristics, their school composition, and other informative criteria. However, conclusions like these, which are often drawn from international test comparisons, are oversimplified, frequently exaggerated, and misleading. students: “As disturbing as these national trends are for America, enormous achievement gaps among black and Hispanic students portend even more trouble for the U.S. … Americans need to wake up to this educational reality-instead of napping at the wheel while emerging competitors prepare their students for economic leadership.” In particular, Duncan stressed results for disadvantaged U.S. The results, he said, “show that American students are poorly prepared to compete in today’s knowledge economy. Secretary Duncan’s statement was similar. Two years earlier, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released results from another international test, the 2009 administration of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Details can be found in “Response from Martin Carnoy and Richard Rothstein to OECD/PISA comments (PDF)ĪUDIO: Authors speak with the press about their report (MP3) The corrections do not affect the report’s conclusions. MORE: This is a corrected version of a report initially posted on January 15, 2013.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |