What Are Some Common Policy Implications of Large-Scale Assessment Findings?

limitations in the use of national large-scale assessment data to improve teaching. The results showed that many teachers did not know how to use the Annual National Assessment findings and were not aware of any educational reforms or changes in school practices attributable to the results. The authors proposed some initiatives to increase teacher capacity and improve their skills for using the assessment data, including development of detailed performance descriptors to describe what students at different points along the scale know and can do, and pre-service and in-service teacher professional development programs on learning assessment.

What Are Some Common Policy Implications of Large-Scale Assessment Findings?

Well-designed and -implemented large-scale assessments can inform policy makers and motivate policies aimed at improving student learning in several ways. Findings from large-scale assessments can influence education policy by clearly defining the expected standards for student and education system performance, providing the basis for curriculum reforms, informing the reallocation or targeted provision of resources, guiding the modification of classroom practices, or supporting the development of policies or practices to strengthen community and school ties (Kellaghan, Greaney, and Murray 2009).

CLEARLY DEFINING EXPECTED STANDARDS A country’s national curriculum or learning standards outline what students at various levels of education are expected to know, understand, and be able to do. National large-scale assessments inform policy by operationalizing those learning expectations and measuring how well students are meeting them. The results may indicate that none, some, or all students are meeting these expectations in different subject areas and at different grade levels, which may lead to discussions on how to improve teaching, resources, or other factors to enhance student performance overall or for particular subgroups. Box 2.7 illustrates how Brazil has been using its national large-scale assessment results to monitor achievement of national learning goals.

International large-scale assessments provide the opportunity to compare standards across countries. Ertl (2006) describes how Germany introduced new national education standards after the PISA 2000 and 2003 studies. The results revealed poorer-than-expected performance and sizable achievement gaps between student groups. Factors such as student socioeconomic background and migration status partially explained student achievement in Germany. These findings motivated the introduction of new national education standards and performance criteria, with an emphasis on the expected competencies that all students should have acquired by the end of specific grades.

Similarly, Lockheed, Prokic-Breuer, and Shadrova (2015) note that international large-scale assessments have influenced learning standards in developing countries. For instance, after participating in PISA, the Kyrgyz Republic created new learning standards and improved the content and progression of its national curriculum.