Duck, if you are a person responsible for the achievement of children in our nation’s public school systems. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released its 2012 assessment results on December 3 and in the international box score the United States continues to languish around the middle of the pack of 65 nations. Although an assessment of 15-year old students only, PISA does not reflect well on the national entity of U.S public education.
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/
In the words of the National Center for Education Statistics,
In mathematics literacy, “the U.S. percentage was lower than 27 education systems, higher than 22 education systems, and not measurably different than 13 education systems.” Twenty-six percent of the tested children scored below level two on the assessment; level two is the bench line for proficiency in mathematics literacy.
In reading literacy, “the U.S. percentage was lower than 14 education systems, higher than 33 education systems, and not measurably different than 17 education systems.” Seventeen percent of U.S. students did not achieve the bench line for reading literacy proficiency.
In science literacy, “the U.S. percentage was higher than 21 education systems, lower than 29 education systems, and not measurably different than 14 education systems.” Eighteen percent of U.S. students did not achieve the bench line for science literacy proficiency.
Using the lens of time, the U.S. average scores in math, reading and science literacy were not measurably different than the average U.S. scores in prior PISA assessments dating back to 2003.
Of interest, PISA allowed three U.S. states, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida, to enter assessment data for students in their state independent of the U.S. data. The achievement of students in these states also were included in the U.S. data. Of these states, Massachusetts moves into the top ten education systems in each assessment and Connecticut is in the top ten in two assessments. The average scores of both states were superior to the average scores of the United States. On a comparative basis, the population and economic status of Massachusetts and Connecticut are greater than many of the 65 national/education systems participating in PISA.
To date, China has not participated as a nation. Specific cities in China have participated and Shanghai and Hong Kong have been assessment leaders in recent tests.
The 2012 international stars on the PISA look like a reshuffle of a ten card deck. The top ten just seem to shift places. However, Finland fell out of the top ten in mathematics literacy to 16th and was surpassed by Massachusetts. Massachusetts’ results were not measurably different than Finland in reading literacy and just below Finland’s average in science literacy.
If you tend to be a critic of public education in the United States, your criticism will be much the same as it was in 2009 and 2006. Why don’t children completing middle school and entering high school in the U.S., children and schools who have so many educational advantages over their international peers, achieve better than the middle of the pack? You will make accusations about systems failures. PISA’s stated goal “is to assess students’ preparation for the challenges of life as young adults.” (NCES.ed.gov) The PISA data would tell you that the next generation of 15-year olds in over half of the national education systems tested may be better prepared for their future than those in the United States.
If you tend to be a proponent of public education, your commentary will indicate that historical trends indicate little change, up or down, in the achievements of U.S. 15-year olds. You will point to the continuing emphasis in our nation’s schools on equity and equality of educational opportunity and progress in closing the achievement gaps displayed by state and local assessments among children in our local schools. You will talk about consistent achievement in the face of the many social and political agenda for public education.
You may also point to a disconnection between your local mathematics curriculum and the PISA assessment. PISA views math literacy as “an individual’s capacity to formulate, employ, and interpret mathematics in a variety of contexts. If includes reasoning mathematically and using mathematical concepts, procedures, facts, and tools to describe, explain, and predict phenomenon. It assists individuals to recognize the role that mathematics plays in the world and to make the well-founded judgments and decisions by constructive, engaged, and reflective citizens.” If your local curriculum is not Common Core aligned, it is probable that the PISA definition of math literacy does not match the course-based math at your local children are learning.
If you tend to be politically and economically realistic, you will speak about education being a political lever for many governors. They pull the lever down to move state financing committed to education to cover other non-education costs as they balance state budgets. They push the lever up to spotlight selected school successes and never fail to take advantage of the photo op. They push or pull the lever depending on their party affiliation, strip teachers of unionized rights, and give local school boards “tools” to change their local economic situation in the absence of collective bargaining. You will wonder how our schools continue to cause student learning with all of the politico-economic hub-bub.
If you are in the long haul, you will urge folks not to make knee-jerk reactions to the 2012 results. Wait until the 2015 results! PISA results are released every three years and thus far a success or lack of success on this international test has not impacted local education.
The PISA data pile continues to lean in disfavor of the U.S. Even so, school doors were open this morning to children across our nation. Moms and dads packed lunches, watched their children board a bus or walk or car pool to school and these same parents will sit in the bleachers or theater seats this week to support their children in their athletics and fine arts. Children in a thousands of classrooms will engage with their teachers and classmates and they will continue to learn although most will continue to report at the supper table that “nothing happened at school today.”
And, the PISA data will continue to lean. Let it lean. Our children are learning.