Education Week - January 8, 2014 - 24

PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Virginia B. Edwards
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Gregory Chronister
MANAGING EDITOR Kathleen Kennedy Manzo
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS
Mark W. Bomster, Kevin C. Bushweller,
Erik W. Robelen, Debra Viadero
COMMENTARY EDITOR Elizabeth Rich
DEPUTY COMMENTARY EDITOR
Mary-Ellen Phelps Deily
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Karen Diegmueller
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sean Cavanagh,
Catherine Gewertz, Michele McNeil
ASSISTANT EDITORS Liana Heitin, Alyson Klein,
Lesli A. Maxwell, Stephen Sawchuk, Sarah D. Sparks
STAFF WRITERS Katie Ash, Evie Blad,
Benjamin Herold, Michele Molnar,
Christina A. Samuels, Andrew Ujifusa
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
opment or skills. In fact, there is some evidence
that they complement each other.
Interestingly, in confidence, U.S. students
Why the U.S. Results on PISA Matter
Since 2003,
have always thought that they were above
average and more self-efficacious in doing
math problems-perceptions that belie
their performance.
Criticism Four. We don't really need
any more skilled workers because we already
have enough unemployed or underemployed
college graduates.
Clearly, there is always some transitory
unemployment as workers move across
jobs and as some workers (even college
graduates) find that their skills built on
old technologies are no longer needed. But
over the long run, the nature of production
adapts to the available workforce. With a
highly skilled workforce, technology tends
to expand in ways that employ these skills.
With lower levels of skills, industry expands
on dimensions that do not need as
many skills. But these expansions are generally
not at the forefront of technology and
historically have not seen growth in wages
matching that in more skill-using technologies.
Moreover, the modest proportion of
Levels 5 and 6 students suggests that the
future development of U.S. scientists and
"
the United
States has
made
virtually no
gains, even as
a range of
countries
made
substantial
ones."
engineers will be constrained-a fact
now evident in the demand in Silicon
Valley for highly skilled workers educated
abroad.
Some conclusions: First, the
United States is not doing well. While
our low ranking has been seen on earlier
international assessments, there
are many reasons to believe that low
cognitive skills (as assessed by PISA)
will be increasingly important for our
economic future.
Second, by historical patterns, improving
our achievement-which
identifies the human capital of our
workforce in the future-has huge
economic ramifications. Getting to
Canadian achievement levels translates,
by historical economic-growth
patterns, into 20 percent higher paychecks
for the average worker over the
entire 21st century. Not only could this
solve our current fiscal and distributional
woes, but it also could establish
our future economic and international
leadership.
Third, other countries have shown
that it is possible to improve. While
changing achievement might be difficult,
there is ample evidence that it is
critical to the U.S. future. n
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Learning
From a Test
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
County is now altering professional-development
activities to focus on these strategies.
The report also provides insight from students,
in which we learned that students wanted and
needed closer relationships with their teachers. For
example, we found that high school students want
a school environment that is safe and welcoming,
where they feel valued for their opinions and are
encouraged to express themselves. The district is
now putting more professional-development emphasis
on fostering positive relationships between
students and teachers. It doesn't have to take a lot
of time for a teacher, but it can make a world of difference
to a kid.
Unlike other tests, the OECD test takes 3½ hours.
There is no preparation, there are no stakes, and
there is only a random sampling by the OECD of
about 85 15-year-olds-meaning that only that
many students are pulled out of class. The questions
assess the more complex thinking, problemsolving,
and application skills the OECD deems
our students need to be successful. (For U.S. high
schools that do not have the funds to allocate to
this initiative, America Achieves can help defray
the cost.)
As districts become increasingly diverse in income
and language, this tool for learning enables principals
to understand where their schools are today
and what they need to do tomorrow to make sure
every child is ready to compete in a global economy.
As I continue to interact with schools across the
United States and study education systems around
the world, I see that Fairfax County is not unique.
Principals want to know how their students compare
with those in top-performing countries, better
understand international best practices, and improve
the outcomes for their students.
Today, as states and districts raise standards, develop
new curricula, and implement more-thoughtful
accountability systems, smart testing tools are invaluable.
Nobody equates teaching with testing, and no
one wants to over-test, but the knowledge gained from
the OECD Test for Schools can help schools and school
systems improve their curricular approaches to better
prepare students for the future. n
24 | EDUCATION WEEK | January 8, 2014 | www.edweek.org/go/commentary
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Education Week - January 8, 2014

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