Janison Education Group has been accredited with exclusive rights by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to manage the roll-out of its PISA for Schools assessment in Australian schools.
The voluntary PISA for Schools test is an online assessment that supports individual school improvement efforts using benchmarking based on the OECD’s three-yearly Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). It’s the only test in the world linked to the PISA scales.
Janison has been in an exclusive partnership agreement with the OECD since 2019 to provide the digital solution for PISA for Schools globally. Already 220,000 students across seven countries have undertaken the test using the Janison Insights online assessment platform, including the US, Russia, Japan, Brazil and Thailand.
There are strong indications from a large number of government and independent schools wishing to participate between April and May this year. Janison management anticipates strong demand, saying that the program is a “game-changer for Australian schools”.
Janison’s CEO David Caspari said: “The board and management of Janison are extremely honoured to be partnering with the OECD in the roll-out of such an incredibly well-regarded assessment and benchmarking tool – the only test of its kind in the world.
“For us, this is our mission – to be a global force for good by powering best-in-class educational assessments with passion and purpose. I congratulate the Janison team for working seamlessly with the OECD’s team to bring us to today.”
The PISA for Schools is low-stakes, voluntary and confidential – individual students are not identified nor are the results published by the OECD. The assessment tests a sample of 15-year-olds and consists of two components:
- A 2-hour cognitive test in reading, mathematics and science using scenario-based real-life questions. These test beyond the curriculum and measure instead students’ application of knowledge to real-life scenarios.
- A 30-minute interpersonal questionnaire which asks information about a student’s situation at home and school, reactions to the learning environment, and confidence and motivation for doing well at school.
This year PISA for Schools will also, for the first time, include a special analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic based on students’ own experience of distance learning, the use of technology and how they managed their return to classrooms.
Each school receives a confidential 80+ page report which analyses their students’ learning outcomes and socio-emotional situation, and benchmarks them against other schools nationally, internationally and against OECD averages. The data supports teachers and schools in allocating time and resources to where they can make a meaningful difference.
In an exclusive video address to Australian educators, Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for the Directorate for Education and Skills, said: “Our international PISA assessment looks at school systems from 30,000 feet above the ground – giving countries the big picture on how their systems compare in terms of the quality or equity of their learning outcomes.
“PISA for Schools brings it down to earth – giving schools the tools to compare their own learning outcomes, and their learning environments, to those of other schools by using the global PISA framework. I’m very pleased that PISA for Schools is now coming to Australia, thanks to our partner Janison.”
The test is powered by the Janison online assessment platform, which offers educators an enhanced dashboard and streamlined reporting alongside a suite of practical features enabling schools to explore their own data.
Janison founder Wayne Houlden said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the OECD to provide the digital platform in multiple languages, create additional custom reporting and localised features, and to use our technology to reduce the unit cost of the assessment and provide faster and more detailed results.”
Janison’s Sara Ratner, Group Executive – OECD PISA for Schools, said Australian schools are already lining up to run the testing.
“As an educator myself, I can see how this is a game-changer for Australian schools.
“I love that this assessment provides a low-stakes, high-value opportunity for schools to benefit from the gold-standard PISA data to drive improvement.
“I have seen schools around the world unpacking the data in their confidential, individualised reports and using the evidence to set strategic goals, address the gap between the least and most advantaged, leverage a global peer learning community and benefit from a holistic view which brings together heart and mind through the power of student voice.
“I am delighted that Australian schools will soon benefit from evidence to drive their ongoing commitment to excellence for all students and have the opportunity to choose to showcase best practice to professional peers through this global forum,” said Ms Ratner.
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