International Education Achievement Tests…So What? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

International Education Achievement Tests…So What? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

International Education Achievement Tests…So What?

By Cheryl S. Williams on November 27, 2013

My Learning First Alliance (LFA) colleagues and I have been giving quite a bit of attention to the impending release of the latest results from the Organisaton for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which tests literacy, math, and science in 15 year-olds every three years. The United States has been humbled by past results that place us somewhere past number 20 in rankings of proficiency. We’re expecting that this year’s results will not show improvement and, as national leadership groups, have been strategizing how to respond on behalf of the educators and stakeholders we represent. 
I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps there are lessons to be learned from international comparisons that we’re missing.  A few random thoughts follow:

• In the past we, as Americans, were quite convinced that we were superior to others around the globe.  Now we know we’re not.
• Because we, as a country, have been blessed with abundant natural resources, two friendly neighboring countries, and the security of the protective boundary of two large oceans, we’ve believed that we could be self-sufficient and secure in our prosperity.  Now we know we’re not and can’t.
• Foreign students from wealthy families have flocked to our shores to attend our large and high-quality higher education system. These students have learned well, and if and when they return to their native land, put their US education to good use in upgrading their own country’s work force, education system and economy.  We should be proud of our contribution to global improvements.
• Our participation on more equal footing with many parts of the rest of the world gives us