PISA: It’s Poverty Not Stupid
From The Principal Difference (publication of the National Association of Secondary School Principals)
Another Look at PISA
Letter published in Education Week (January 4, 2023) from Diane Ravitch to to Deborah Meier
Dear Deborah,
I have been fascinated by the continuing commentary and controversy about the results of the international tests of reading, mathematics, and science known as PISA (the Program for International Student Assessment). President Barack Obama and Secretary Arne Duncan immediately said that the mediocre standing of American students was “a Sputnik moment,” which should produce strong support for their agenda of testing and privately managed schools. Others used the results to promote whatever their favorite remedy was. Read the rest of this entry »
A Reformer’s Change of Heart
By William J. Rees
(A review of The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education by Diane Ravitch, published in 2010 by Basic Books. This review appeared in Science, May 28, 2010 and is available on-line, subscription required.) Read the rest of this entry »
Sad News About Tom O’Brien
Thomas C. O’Brien, a long-time advocate for improving mathematics education, died Dec. 6, 2010, of cancer. He contributed several well-received articles to the Mathematically Sane site… Read the rest of this entry »
Performance on PISA 2009
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is carried out by the nations of the OECD to assess what 15 year-olds have learned, both inside and out of school. Students performed better on the 2009 assessment than on the 2006 assessment. However, they continued to perform significantly below the international average for industrialized nation. Read the rest of this entry »