1. Session 6: Education- International databases and comparisons
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Session 6: Education- International databases and comparisons
Joint OECD/ONS/Government of Norway workshop “Measurement of non-market output in education and health”
London, 3-5 October 2006
Michael Davidson
Indicators and Analysis Division
Directorate for Education, OECD

2. Aim of presentation
What internationally comparative data and indicators are available for measuring educational output/outcomes?
PISA and other data

3. Available OECD education output data
Student numbers
For all levels of education
Student instruction hours
For ages 7-15
Graduate numbers
Upper secondary and higher education
Educational attainment of the population
Stock of qualifications
Programme for International Student Assessment-
International student test scores
PISA

4. PISA Measures the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in:
Reading literacy
Mathematics literacy
Scientific literacy
A comprehensive assessment of the yield of education systems to age 15
including and beyond the curriculum
Measures what students can do, rather than what they have learnt
Produces standardised scores
Mean performance of 500 and standard deviation of 100
Within each subject domain

5. PISA 3 yearly cycle with major/minor domains
2000
2003
2006
2009
2012
Reading
Maths
Science
School and student background questionnaires
Public/private schools
Social background of students
First language; migrant status
Student engagement and motivation
57 countries in PISA 2006
All OECD, EU countries and others

6. Mean mathematics scores – overall (OECD)
OECD (2004), Learning for tomorrow’s world: First results from PISA 2003, Table 2.5c, p.356.

7. Variation in student performance in mathematics
OECD (2004), Learning for tomorrow’s world: First results from PISA 2003, Table 4.1a, p.383.

8. Mean scores in mathematics performance (2003) Raw scores and scores adjusted as if the mean ESCS would be equal in all OECD countries

9. Other relevant data series
PISA
=> up to end of lower secondary education…
Plus earlier assessment in the future?
TIMSS (Trends in maths and science)
Assessments in 4th and 8th grades in maths and science
4-yearly cycle, most recent in 2003
More curriculum focussed than PISA
Less comprehensive country coverage of OECD/EU countries than PISA
PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study)
4th grade reading literacy
5 yearly cycle, first in 2001, next in 2006
Country coverage more like TIMSS than PISA

10. Upper secondary and Higher Education
No similar international student assessments….yet
Available data on graduate numbers and rates
But these measure output quantity not quality
How to treat non-completers?
Labour market outcomes relevant?
Comparative employment rates
Earnings differentials

11. Summary
For schooling up to lower secondary education PISA can provide useful output and outcome measures, noting:
It is a yield measure
Equity as well as quality is a desirable outcome
Other international studies can complement this
Different phasing; country coverage
But differences in methodology with PISA
Upper secondary and higher education have to reply on more traditional measures
Student numbers, graduates or possibly labour market outcomes

12. Thank you for listening