FEATURED
STORIES
40
SPRING 2017
Every three years, nearly 80 world’s education systems
are ranked. When the results are released, we scru-
tinize the results. We revere top performing coun-
tries. For countries that don’t score as well, ad-
ministrators scramble to make changes to the
curriculum before the next round of tests.
Much of the emphasis in the media is on the
ranking itself, where the United States is on
the list, and theories as to why we are not
improving our score. According to OECD,
the ranking isn’t meant to be a contest;
its intent is to assist participating coun-
tries to provide the best education pos-
sible.
Who Ranks
The Organization for Economic Co-
operation and Development (OECD)
did not develop this ranking to give
countries bragging rights; rather it
provides statistical data on schools
whose board members help write the
test. According to the OECD, the rank-
ings real purpose is to analyze top-per-
forming test countries to see what they
do in the classroom. It’s an opportunity
for countries to learn from one another,
to utilize what is a good fit for their peda-
gogy and culture, keeping what suits their
system.
In collaboration with its partners, the OECD
administers a test every three years to random-
ly-selected 15-year-old students. The test targets
this age because most OECD-participating coun-
tries set 15 as nearing the end of obligatory education
(oecd.org/pisa). In 2015, 72 OECD countries participated;
in 2018, 80 countries are anticipated to participate (oecd.
org/pisa).
SPRING 2017 41