Northwest Evaluation Association Selected by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to Deliver OECD Test for Schools
Portland, OR (PRWEB) November 19, 2015 -- Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) will partner with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the development and implementation of the 2016 OECD Test for Schools in the United States and will serve as the International Assessment Platform Provider for the rest of the world beginning in Fall 2016. For the first time, the assessment will also be available online.
The voluntary OECD Test for Schools is based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a triennial international survey administered in more than 70 countries and education systems that provides country- level benchmark data. The OECD Test for Schools uses the same assessment framework and similar test questions as PISA, and is scored on the same scale as that assessment. However, the OECD Test for Schools provides school-level benchmark information allowing schools to compare their performance against schools in other countries, based on PISA’s country level data.
Schools administer the OECD Test for Schools to a random sample of fifteen-year-old students to assess how well the school is preparing them in math, science, and reading compared to their peers in schools in the United States and in other countries. Additionally, the test assesses problem solving and critical thinking, and includes a unique student survey questionnaire that gathers data about student attitudes and school culture. The results are presented in a comprehensive school report that is a powerful tool for learning as it helps school leaders see how well they are preparing their students for the world.
“We are honored to work with OECD to bring this valuable and high quality assessment to U.S. high schools and the world in 2016,” said NWEA President and CEO Matt Chapman. “We know that school and district leaders, teachers, and students around the country will benefit from the information the OECD Test for Schools provides. We also believe it can play a critical role in helping local communities prepare students to thrive in higher education and the workforce.”
Schools that make use of the OECD Test for Schools also gain access to America Achieves’ Global Learning Network, which was developed by America Achieves to help educators and district leaders use the test results to help improve school practices and student outcomes. “We look forward to partnering with NWEA and the OECD as we continue to support schools and districts in their efforts to ensure that all students achieve a higher, globally-benchmarked, educational bar,” said Jon Schnur, Executive Chairman of America Achieves.
In 2016, the OECD Test for Schools will be used in the U.S. and abroad and will be hosted on NWEA’s Universal Assessment Platform (UAP). The platform provides a stable online testing experience for millions of students each year in the U.S. and around the world through NWEA’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and Skills Navigator assessments.
For more information about the OECD Test for Schools, visit nwea.org/oecdschooltest.
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About Northwest Evaluation Association
Northwest Evaluation Association™ (NWEA™) is a global not‑for‑profit educational services organization known for our suite of assessments, including our flagship interim assessment, Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®), and Skills Navigator®, a skills mastery and progress monitoring tool. More than 7,600 partners in U.S. schools, school districts, education agencies, and international schools trust us to offer pre‑kindergarten through grade 12 assessments that accurately measure student growth and mastery, professional development that fosters educators' ability to accelerate student learning, and research that supports assessment validity and data interpretation. To better inform instruction and maximize every learner's academic growth, educators currently use NWEA assessments with nearly eight million students. Learn more at nwea.org.
About The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. It is a valuable source of policy analysis and internationally comparable economic and social data, including data on education. For more information, visit us at http://www.oecd.org.
About America Achieves
America Achieves is a unique non-profit accelerator that brings together exceptional educators and other leaders with game changing ideas, results-oriented funding, and strategic and operational support to drive success for students at scale. One of our key initiatives, the Global Learning Network, is a community of school and district leaders who have taken the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA), learned from their results and global best practices, and are making practice shifts to ensure that each young person is prepared for success in careers, college, and citizenship. Throughout our work, we uncover, examine, and promote approaches and practices that can drive success across entire educational systems, communities, and states. Learn more at http://www.americaachieves.org.
Jean Fleming, Northwest Evaluation Association, https://www.nwea.org/, +1 (202) 266-4718, [email protected]
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