Catholic education to enhance student learning through PISA for Schools partnership
Catholic schools across Australia will have access to the OECD PISA-based Test for Schools as a result of a partnership between the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) and Janison an Australian online assessment company, announced on 5 October.
National Catholic education executive director Jacinta Collins said the partnership will enable Catholic schools to engage in PISA for Schools with up to 50 Catholic schools participating in the pilot program this year.
“PISA for Schools aims to build teacher capacity and drive school improvement which contributes to our strategic priority of improving student learning opportunities,” Jacinta said in a statement.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our school communities to build on their existing data to understand how to best support their student," she said.
PISA for Schools measures performance across three cognitive domains - reading, mathematics and science - and examines the ability of students to think critically and apply their knowledge creatively in novel contexts.
The assessment is delivered digitally on the Janison Insights Platform and includes a cognitive and student questionnaire, affording strong student voice.
OECD director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher said we know from experience that high quality assessment can generate meaningful data to guide change.
“With PISA for Schools we look forward to contributing to Australia’s vibrant school sector and learning more from participating schools about what it takes for students to reach their full potential,” he said.
Janison group executive Sara Ratner said PISA for Schools is being delivered for the first time across Australia in 2021, with a pilot program underway and a national rollout scheduled in early 2022.
“Janison is proud to be partnering with the Catholic school sector to provide them with reliable data to inform their aspirations for continual improvement,” Sara said.
Students at St Laurence’s College South Brisbane participated in PISA for Schools pilot program on 6 October.
Principal Chris Leadbetter said approximately 220 of the 260 Year 10 cohort participated in PISA testing.
"PISA is an internationally-recognised test that allows schools to monitor academic performance," he said.
"The college will use data from the tests to inform the development of strategies to improve student learning.
"St Laurence’s College is most pleased to be involved in this initiative and I thank NCEC for assisting in facilitating this opportunity," Chris said.
By collaborating with fellow educators in the 15+ countries that currently participate in PISA for Schools and working directly with the OECD, participating schools will have the opportunity to provide students with an education that is future-focused and global.