Trying to actually measure outcomes is a very tricky business when you are looking at things like educational outcomes. It's harder when you have competing measures that you have to try and arbitrate between. However, the worst possible way to deal with this type of measure is to only pick the one that best supports the story you want to tell.
At a larger level, I would be interested in looking for ideas from countries that have higher ranks. Finland, for example, seems to have been doing the opposite of the United States and seems to rank highly.
Do the Fins read and answer Pirls in English or Finnish? I've always wondered whether translating questions into different languages means more (or less) information is transmitted. (And if the Fins do Pirls in English then they really are mega-stars).
ReplyDeleteSee the PISA FAQ -- http://www.oecd.org/pisa/faqoecdpisa.htm
ReplyDeleteStudents pick their language of assessment. It is certainly possible that the language is influential. But it is hard to argue that the data should be inverted and still claim that the tests are informative.