Education Commons^™

Informing Policy And Practice, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

Comparing results from large-scale assessments can usefully inform education policy and planning, and educational practice in schools and classrooms, as John Ainley explains.

The Impact Of National And International Assessment Programmes On Education Policy, Particularly Policies Regarding Resource Allocation And Teaching And Learning Practices In Developing Countries, Maura Best, Pat Knight, Petra Lietz, Craig Lockwood, Dita Nugroho, Mollie Tobin

Dr Petra Lietz

There is a documented global rise in the number of countries undertaking national learning assessments, as well as international and regional learning assessments. Much of this growth, especially in national learning assessments, has occurred in economically developing countries. Little is known, however, on how these assessments affect education policy and practice in developing countries. This review examined the impact of national and international assessment programmes on education policy, particularly policies regarding resource allocation and teaching and learning practices in developing countries. This particular focus on policies regarding resources and teaching and learning practices stemmed from an observation that, particularly in …

Charter Schools Or Progressive Education? Lessons From Finland, Christopher J. Poor

Christopher J Poor

New Zealand’s current government has embarked on a course of supporting private providers of education in the form of “partnership” schools with the claim that these charter schools can address the recalcitrant problem of disparity of achievement between students from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. This paper examines evidence from the research on charter schools and argues that attention should rather be paid to the Finnish example of high and equal educational achievement and to the landmark achievements of New Zealand’s own pioneers of progressive education as we prepare a new generation for the twenty-first century.