School Assessment Policy, Teacher Assessment Practice and Training, and Reading Achievement: A Multi-Level Analysis of PISA 2018 Data

Grounded in the assessment ecology framework, we examine how assessment components (school assessment policies, teacher assessment practices and training) are linked to the reading achievements of 151,969 students from 19 countries. Analyses of the 2018 PISA survey and test data yielded these results. Schools that posted assessment results for accountability, or teachers who often clarified learning goals, tracked student progress or accordingly adapted their teaching had students with higher reading scores. By contrast, schools mostly using assessment data to evaluate, teachers trained in reading comprehension assessment, or giving more feedback had students with lower reading scores. Students in richer countries or with better relationships with their teachers had higher reading scores. These findings show the complexity and interactions within assessment ecologies that shape learning outcomes.