Brookings study gives thumbs down to European test

When it comes to measuring U.S. students against kids around the world, the National Governors Association and other groups have encouraged states to look at a European test used in 57 other countries.

But after scrutinizing the exam, the Brookings Institution has concluded it's seriously flawed.

The governors have urged states to compare the performance of American schoolchildren against tests including the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA. The idea is to borrow their best ideas to move American students forward in the global arena.

The Brookings study, however, says the PISA test goes beyond learning to measure values and beliefs. For example, asks students whether they favor laws that protect the habitats of endangered species. And it asks if children favor electricity from renewable sources and regulation of factory emissions... [snip]

"These are political judgments," said Tom Loveless, the study's author.

Along with test results, the Paris-based group that runs PISA issues dozens of policy recommendations, ranging from testing and accountability to school choice and universal pre-kindergarten.

But Loveless pointed out several instances in which the group ignored data that contradict its recommendations...

[Make no mistake, the social engineers of the world know where our soft belly lies, and they target our children. Eternal vigilance]

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