Getting ready for next week’s PISA report

By Mike Cooper

[Link to StatsLife piece by David Speigelhalter added on 2/12/2013]

The new PISA report (analysis and tables) on comparative international educational attainment is due out next week.

Here are interesting links to two contrasting pieces of general analysis focused mainly on the PISA system itself

The first is a Guardian feature by the Peter Wilby, explaining some of the emerging arguments about the value of PISA, acknowledging some debate but centring on a positive profile of Andreas Schleicher of OECD.

The second is a 30 minute Radio 4 feature broadcast on 25 November which is currently available on the Listen Again system. It features David Speigelhalter (Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University) and various others. It takes a more sceptical view on the PISA methodologies and conclusions from the outset, based on statistical principles. Speigelhalter supports and develops his points with this piece on his excellent Understanding Uncertainty website, and with this comprehensive “StatsLife” piece on the Royal Statistical Society website.