{"id":2365,"date":"2012-12-11T08:55:40","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T08:55:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/?p=2365"},"modified":"2012-12-11T08:55:40","modified_gmt":"2012-12-11T08:55:40","slug":"are-englands-pisa-test-scores-really-plummeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/edswahs\/2012\/12\/11\/are-englands-pisa-test-scores-really-plummeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Are England\u2019s PISA test scores really \u201cplummeting\u201d?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Browsing the Guardian, I came across John Jerrim's 2011 (but suddenly very topical)\u00a0report<\/a> for the Institute of Education:\u00a0England\u2019s \u201cplummeting\u201d PISA test scores between 2000 and 2009: Is the performance of our secondary school pupils really in relative decline? <\/em>Here\u2019s the Abstract.<\/p>\n

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are two highly respected cross-national studies of pupil achievement. \u00a0These have been specifically designed to study how different countries\u2019 educational systems are performing against one another, and how this is changing over time. \u00a0These are, however, politically sensitive issues, where different surveys can produce markedly different results. \u00a0This is shown via a case study for England, where apparent decline in PISA test performance has caused policymakers much concern. \u00a0Results suggest that England\u2019s drop in the PISA international ranking is not replicated in TIMSS, and that this contrast may well be due to data limitations in both surveys. \u00a0Consequently, I argue that the current coalition government should not base educational policies on the assumption that the performance of England\u2019s secondary school pupils has declined (relative to that of its international competitors) over the past decade.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mr Gove's rhetoric and policies owe much to this apparent decline, as Peter Wilby<\/a> reminds us. \u00a0Wilby also reported the recent Pearson Economist Intelligence Unit<\/em> study, which I commented<\/a> on\u00a0last month, that seems to show the UK (mostly England, of course) doing much better than expected which, as I noted, is awkward for Gove. \u00a0However, if you look at the EIU data<\/a>, you find an odd thing. \u00a0Whilst the UK comes a creditable 6th overall [out of 40] in this ranking of cognitive skills and educational attainment, there is not an evenness of success across each category. \u00a0We're a disastrous 12th for cognitive<\/em>, and a triumphant 2nd for attainment<\/em> \u2013 even above those irritating Fins.<\/p>\n

There is no contradiction here as these two aspects measure quite different things.\u00a0 The indicators used in the Index are:<\/p>\n

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