National Testing of
Pupils in Europe:
Objectives,
Organisation and
Use of Results
Eurydice: i sistemi educativi
europei al traguardo del 2010
25 September 2009, MIUR, Rome
Teodora Parveva
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Presentation :
 Scope of the report
 Main findings
 Issues for policy discussion
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National Testing of Pupils in Europe
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Definition of national testing
ISCED levels 1 and 2
Reference year 2008/09
Three chapters
1. Historical context
2. Objectives and organisation of tests
3. Use of test results
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National testing of pupils in Europe
1. Historical context
1. Historical context
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Originally for certification
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Expansion since the 1990s linked to school autonomy,
decentralisation, efforts to improve the quality of
education
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2008/09: - no national tests: BE (de), CZ, EL, WLS, LI
- not all tests fully implemented: BG,
DK, DE, IT, CY, ES, AT
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National testing of pupils in Europe
2. Objectives and organisation
2. 1. Main objectives of national tests
• Most often high stakes decisions or monitoring
• Less common identification of learning needs
• Usually one test has several objectives
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National testing of pupils in Europe
2. Objectives and organisation
Main objectives of national tests,
ISCED levels 1 and 2, 2008/09
Taking decisions
about the school
career of pupils
Monitoring schools
and/or the
educational system
Identifying
individual learning
needs
x = No national tests
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National testing of pupils in Europe
2. Objectives and organisation
2.2. Organisation of national tests
 Whole cohort or sample
 Frequency and timing
 Tested subjects
 Responsible bodies
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National testing of pupils in Europe
3. Use of test results
3. Use of test results with regard to:
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individual pupils
school-level policy
national education policy
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National testing of pupils in Europe
3. Use of test results
Use of results for individual pupil’s school career, ISCED levels 1 and 2, 2008/09
Certification
Streaming
Progression to the next stage
No national tests or no impact on the
pupil’s school career
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National testing of pupils in Europe
3. Use of test results
Use of test results to improve school policy:
• In most countries schools receive data for
comparision with the national average + other
schools
• Improvement strategies are usually left up to
schools
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National testing of pupils in Europe
3. Use of test results
A minority of countries:
• Take account of test results in school
evaluation
• Publish aggregated data for each school
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National testing of pupils in Europe
2. Objectives and organisation
Use of test results in school evaluation,
ISCED levels 1 and 2, 2008/09
A. Test results used in
external evaluation
B. Recommendations for the
use of test results in internal
evaluation
No A and no B
No national tests
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National testing of pupils in Europe
3. Use of test results
Publication of individual schools’ results in national tests,
ISCED levels 1 and 2, 2008/09
Publication organised, or required of
schools, by central/local government
Publication at the discretion of schools
No publication
No national tests
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National testing of pupils in Europe
3. Use of test results
Use of test results by national governments
• Reports on the state of the education system
• Measures to address disparities between schools or
poor national performance
• Reforms of study programmes or continuing
professional development programmes
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National testing of pupils in Europe
Summary
• Three national tests during compulsory
education
• Tests serve several purposes
• Participation of whole cohort
• Organised by an agency
• Results rarely published or used for school
evaluation
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National testing of pupils in Europe
Policy issues for discussion
• Single or multiple objectives
• Use of combination of assessment
instruments
• Need for performance data vs risk of
over-testing
• Possible narrowing of curricula
• How to test skills, not only content
• Assessment as part of the learning process
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