Monitoring the learning outcomes of education systems

Many education systems, most of them in industrialised countries, have recently begun to show an interest in collecting information on students' learning outcomes as a result of their educational experiences. This interest has been demonstrated either by the development of national procedures to assess student achievement or by participation in international studies of student achievement. This document provides introductory information on means of assessing the learning outcomes of education systems. It examines the nature, choice, and use of indicators and describes several approaches to assessing learning outcomes in selected industrial countries (the United States of America and the United Kingdom) and developing countries (Chile, Colombia, Mauritius, Namibia, and Thailand). The authors also review systems of comparative international assessment and discuss the question of participation in these activities by developing countries. The text is supported by tables and an appendix containing a national assessment checklist. Show less