International PISA Tests Show How Evidence-Based Policy Can Go Wrong

Andrea Saltelli, University of Bergen The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) implemented by the OECD has been controversial since the publication of its first results in 2000. Measuring the mathematics, science and reading skills of 15-year-old students every three years, PISA relies on broad international participation. In the 2015 test, as many as 72 countries joined the exercise, including those outside the OECD. It’s common to find articles where PISA...