Participation in International Testing: Politics, Policy and Practice

We will examine the sources and consequences of developing country participation in cross-national assessments (CNAs). In recent years, many developing countries have participated in CNAs such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). These assessments have the potential to improve the performance of education systems and economic development by bringing greater transparency and accountability to the policymaking process. However, participation has varied considerably among developing countries. We will examine the sources of this variation quantitatively and qualitatively in order to identify roadblocks to the wider implementation of CNAs.