Northwest Evaluation Association Selected To Deliver 2016 OECD Test for Schools
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) has selected the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) to
deliver the 2016 OECD Test
for Schools in the United States and serve as the international assessment
platform provider for the rest of the world beginning in the fall of 2016.
The OECD Test for Schools is a voluntary test based on the Programme
for International Student Assessment (PISA). According to information from
the NWEA, PISA is "a triennial international survey administered in more than
70 countries and education systems that provides country-level benchmark
data."
Schools that opt in to the OECD Test for Schools administer the test to a
randomly selected group of fifteen-year-old students. The test assesses the
students in math, science, reading, problem solving and critical thinking, and
it includes a questionnaire about student attitudes and school culture.
Participating schools receive a comprehensive report to help educators and
administrators compare their school's performance to those around the country
and the world. They also gain access to the America Achieves Global Learning
Network, which is designed "to help educators and district leaders use the
test results to help improve school practices and student outcomes," according
to information from NWEA.
According to NWEA, "The OECD Test for Schools uses the same assessment
framework and similar test questions as PISA, and is scored on the same scale
as that assessment." In 2016, the OECD Test for Schools will be available
online for the first time through NWEA's Universal Assessment Platform
(UAP).
Further information about the 2016 OECD Test for Schools can be found on NWEA's
site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].