PISA tests are damaging education, known academics say

In this letter address Mr. Andreas Schleicker, OECD Program Director P ISA, academics from around the world voice deep concerns about the importance of Pissa tests and the call for its ban. This letter was published in 2014 in Guardian, and it comes from Periscope

Mr. Dr. Schleicher,

We're writing in your capacity as director of the PISA Program. Now in her 13th year, PISA is known worldwide as an instrument ranking O countries The ECD and those that are not part of the OECD under measures for the academic achievement of 15-year-old students in mathematics, science and reading. Administrationd every three years, PISA results are expected with anxiety by governments, education ministers, and newspaper editorial boards, and cited as authoritarian in a large number of political reports. This test has begun to profoundly influence educational practices in many countries. As a result PISA, countries are adjusting the educational system in hopes of improving their rank. The lack of progress in the PISA has led to the proclamation of the crisis and to the <x0-minorisation of PISA” in many countries, accompanied by calls for resignations, and reforms according to the parameters of this testing.

-We're too worried about the negative consequences of the PISA ranking. These are some of our concerns. While standardized testing has been used in many countries for decades [Despite disturbing remarks about their currency and sustainability], PISA has contributed to a glimpse of such tests and have dramatically increased support in quantitative [systere] measures. For example, in the United States, Pisa has been identified as a major excuse for the “gara program to top”, which has increased the use of standardized tests for students - teachers - and appreciative managers, who rank and label students, as teachers and managers according to the results of widely known tests as defects [see, for example, Finland's inexplicable decline from the top of the PISA list].

- In educational policies, P The ISA, with its three-year-old rating cycle, has caused a return of attention to short-term corrections of problems with education that help the country move up, rather than solve their real problems. Research has consistently shown that changes in educational practices require decades, and not a few years, to be fully realised. For example, we know that teacher status and the prestige of learning as a profession have a strong influence on the quality of instructions, but that status changes greatly in specific cultures and cannot easily be influenced by short-term policies.

- Stressing a narrow extension of the measurable aspects of education, P The ISA takes note of the measurable educational objectives such as physical development, moral, citizen and artistic development, so with danger narrows our collective imagination in view of what education and education is and should be.

- As an economic development organization, O The ECD is naturally linked to favouring the economic role of public [state] schools. But preparing young people for productive employment is not the only - nor is it the main purpose of public education/education that I have to prepare students to participate in democratic self - rule, moral acts, and a life of personal development, with increased and well - being.

- As opposed to the United Nations bodies. [ Footnote] UN] such as U NESTO or U NICEF, which has legitimate and clear mandates to improve child education and life around the world, while the OECD does not have that mandate. And there are, for now, mechanisms of effective democratic participation in its decision-making process in education.

- The OECD has embraced “public-private partnership” and entered into an alliance with multi-national companies that have a beneficial character which is financially strengthened by the real and perceived deficits of P) ISA. Some of these companies provide educational services in American schools and in school districts on a massive basis, with benefits, while also following plans to develop elementary education with a profitive character in Africa, where the OECD plans to present the PISA programme.

- Finally, and most importantly: the new regime of PISA, with its constant cycle of global testing, hurts our children and poors our teaching classes, as inevitably includes longer election testing batteries, removing autonomy from teachers. This way P ISA has further increased the level of stress in schools, which endangers the well - being of students and teachers.

These developments are in open conflict with widely accepted principles of good education practices and democracy:

-No reform and no consequence of it should be based on just a narrow measure of quality.

-No reform and no consequence of it should ignore the important role of non-amerial factors, including high socioeconomic inequality among different countries. In many countries, including the United States, inequality has increased dramatically over the past 15 years, explaining the vast and expanding educational gap between the rich and the poor who try to reform education, no matter what sophisticated methods are used.

An organization like the OECD, like any organization that deeply affects the lives of our communities, should be open to democratic responsibilities by members of these communities.

DIANA: Periscope

Honestly,

Andrews, Paul. Professor of Mathematics Education, Stockholm University

Atkinson, Lori. New York State Allies for Public Education

Ball, Stephen J. Carl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, Institute of Education, University of London

Barber, Melissa Parents Aginst High Stakes Testing

Beckett, Lori Winifred Mercier Professor of Teacher Education, Leeds Metropolitan University

Berard, Jillaine Born Avenue Middle School, Assistant Principal

Berliner, David Regents Professor of Education at Arizona State University

Bloom, Elizabeth EdD Associate Professor of Education, Hartwick College

Boudet, Danielle Oneonta Area for Public Education

Boland, Neil Senior Lecturer, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand

Burris, Carol Principal and former Teacher of the Year

Cauthen, Nancy PhD Change the Stakes, NYS Allies for Public Education

Cerrone, Chris Testing Hurts Kids; NYS Allies for Public Education

Ciaraan, Sugrue Professor, Head of School, School of Education, University College Dublin

Deutman, Jeanette Feunder Long Island Out, Co-founder NYS Allies for Public Education

Devne, Nesta Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Dodge, Arnie Chair, Department of Educational Leadeshirep, Long Island University

Dodge, Judith Authority, Educational Consultant

Farley, Tim Principal, Ichabod Crane School; New York State Allies for Public Education

Felicello, Stacy Principal, Chambers Elementary School

Fleming, Mary Lecturer, School of Education, National University of Ireland, Galway

Fransson, Göran Associate Professor of Education, University of Gävule, Sweden

Giroux, Henry Professor of English and Cultural Studies, McMister University

Glass, Gene Senior Researchers, National Education Policy Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Glynn, Kevin Educator, co-founder of Lake to the Top

Goldstein, Harvey Professor of Social Statistics, University of Bristol

Gorlewski, David Director, Educational Leadeship Doctoral Program, D youville College

Gorlewski, Julie PhD, Assistant Professor, State University of New York at New Paltz

Gowie, Cheryl Professor of Education, Siena College

Greene, Kiersten Assistant Professor of Literature, State University of New York at New Paltz

Haimson, Leonie Parent Advocate and Director of “Class Sise Matters”

Heinz, Manuela Director of Teaching Practice, School of Education, National University of Ireland Galway

Hughes, Michelle Principal, High Meadows Independent School

Yuri, Mark Chair, Education Department, Siena College

Kahn, Hudson Valley Aginst Common Core

Kayden, Michelle Born Avenue Middle School Red Hook, New York

Kempf, Arlo Co-ordinator program of School and Society, O ISE, University of Toronto

Kilfoyle, Marla NBCT, General Manager of BATs

Labaree, David Professor of Education, Stanford University

Leonardatos, Harry Principal, high school, Clarkstown, New York

MacBeath, John Professor Emeritus, Director of Leaderrip for Learning, University of Cambridge

McLaren, Peter. Distinguished Professor, Chapman University

McNair, Jessica Co-founder Opt-Out CNY, money memory NYS Allies for Public Education

Meier, Heinz-Dieter Associate Professor, Education Government & Policy, State University of New York (Abany)

Meier, Tom Associate Professor of Second Education, State University of New York at New Paltz

Millham, Rosemary PhD Science Coordinator, Master Teacher Campus Director, SUNY New Paltz

Millham, Rosemary Science Coordinator/Assist Professor, Master Teacher Campus Director, State University of New York, New Paltz

Oliveira Andreotti Vanessa Canada Research Chair in Race, Inequality, and Global Change, University of British Columbia

Sperry, Carol Emera, Millersville University, Pennsylvania

Mitchell, Ken Lower Hudson Valley Superintendents Council

Mucher, Stephen Director, Bard Master of Arts in Teaking Program, Los Angeles

Tuck, Eve Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Native American Studies, State University of New York at New Paltz

Nison, Mark Professor of African American Studies and History, Fordham University; Co-Funder, Badas Teachers Association

Nielsen, Chris. Authority, Children of the Core

Noddings, Nell Professor Philophy of Education, Stanford University

Noguera, Pedro Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, New York University

Nunez, Isabel Associate Professor, Concordia University, Chicago

Pallas, Aaron Arthur I Gates Professor of Sociology and Education, Columbia University

Peters, Michael Professor, University of Waikoto, Honorary Fellow, Royal Society New Zealand

Pugh, Nigel Principal, Richard R. Green High School of Teaching, New York City

Ravitch, Diane Professor Research, New York University

Rivera-Wilson Jerusalem Senior Fact Association and Director of Clinical Training and Field Experiences, University at Albany

Roberts, Peter Professor, School of Educational Studies and Leadeship, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Rougle, Eyya Intrusor, State University of New York, Albany

Rudley, Lisa Director: Education Policy-Autism Action Network

Saltzman, Janet Science Chair, Physics Teacher, Red Hook High School

Schnidewind, Nancy Professor of Education, State University of New York, New Paltz

Silverberg, Ruth Associate Professor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York

Sperry, Carol Professor of Education, Emera, Millersville University

St. John, Edward Algo D. Henderson College Professor, University of Michigan

Suzuki, Dayu Teachers College at Columbia University

Swaffield, Sue Senior Lecturer, Educational Leadeshirep and School Improvement, University of Cambridge

Tanis, Biance Parent Member: Retinking Testing

Thomas, Paul. Associate Professor of Education, Furman University

Thrup, Martin Professor of Education, University of Waikoto, New Zealand

Tobin, KT Sounding member, Rehinking Testing

Thompson, Sally. Emeritus Professor, Goldsmiths College, University of London; Senior Research Fellow, Department of Education, Oxford University

Tuck, Eve Coordinator of Native American Studies, State University of New York at New Paltz

VanSlyke-Briggs Commissioner Associate Professor, State University of New York, Oneonta

Wilson, Elaine Fact of Education, University of Cambridge

Wrigley, Terry Senior research agency, University of Ballarat, Australia

Zahedi, Katie Principal, Linda Ave Middle School, Red Hook, New York

Zhao, Yong Professor of Education Presidential Chair, University of Oregon