1. What Can the U.S. Learn from Educational Change in Finland?
FINNISH LESSONS
Pasi Sahlberg, PhD Director General
CIMO (Ministry of Education)
Helsinki
World Class Education Birth to 20
University of Illinois at Chicago
Monday 5th December 2011
What Can the U.S. Learn from Educational Change in Finland? 1

2. Einar Fritjof SAHLBERG (1895-1977)

7. Between the West and the East
2010
SURVIVAL
1790
Between the West and the East

8. Finland Today

9. Education in Finland

10. Education system performance over time in Finland and developed nations
Learning, Participation, Equity, and Efficiency

11. Education system in 2011 5 4 23+ 3 22 Universities Polytechnics 2 21 1
60%
Polytechnics 2 21 1 20
Specialist
vocational
qualifications
Work
experience 3 19
General
upper secondary
school
Vocational school
Apprenticeship
training 2 18
Further
vocational
qualifications 1 17
55%
40%
Grades 10
Age 16 9
Work
experience
Basic school
Compulsory schooling 1 7
Preschool 6

12. The Finnish Way 1:
Excellence by Equity

13. variation of student performance in science
Equity in education
variation of student performance in science
PISA 2006

14. Equity in education variation of student performance in science
Variation of performance within schools
Variation of performance between schools
PISA 2006

15. The Finnish Way 2:
Less is More

16. Finnish teachers teach less…
Net contact time in hours per year in public institutions
Middle School Teachers
OECD 2010

17. Finnish pupils study less …
… in and out of school
OECD 2010

18. More money, less learning
Cost
OECD 2010

19. The Finnish Way 3:
Test Less, Learn More

20. Finnish Students are Tested less
National averages of 15-year-old students learning outcomes in mathematics
OECD

21. Finnish Students are Tested Less
National averages of 15-year-old students learning outcomes in mathematics
OECD

23. The Finnish Way 4:
Teaching as a Dream Job

24. Applicants to primary school teacher education
Accepted

25. Teacher salaries relative to workers with college degree
Admission: 1st Phase nd Phase rd Phase
- high school merits exam interview
- other merits
OECD 2010

26. (What) Can We Learn from Finland?

27. Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
Global
Educational
Reform
Movement
Finnish
Way
Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

28. Global
Educational
Reform
Movement
Finnish
Way X
Academic
Holistic

29. Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
Global
Educational
Reform
Movement
Finnish
Way X
Standardization
Personalization
Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

30. Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
Global
Educational
Reform
Movement
Finnish
Way X
Competition
Community
Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

31. Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
Global
Educational
Reform
Movement
Finnish
Way X
Choice
Equity
Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

32. Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
Global
Educational
Reform
Movement
Finnish
Way X
Accountability
Trust
Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

33. Three Questions for Illinois:
Do you need all that standardized testing? 1
Can you do more to improve well-being? 2
Could vocational options be enhanced? 3

34. ”One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching to the test because then you’re not learning about the world, you’re not learning about different cultures, you’re not learning about science, you’re not learning about math.”
“All you’re learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test and that’s not going to make education interesting.”
28 march 2011

35. Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
"The story of Finland's extraordinary educational reforms is one that should inform policymakers and educators around the world.”
—Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University
“A terrific synthesis by a native Finn, a teacher, a researcher and a policy analyst all rolled up into one excellent writer.”
—David Berliner, Arizona State University
"This book is a wake-up call for the U.S.  It is the antidote to the NCLB paralysis."
—Henry M. Levin, Teachers College, Columbia University
Foreword by Andy Hargreaves
Kiitos!