A presentation at the University of Sydney today will discuss NAPLAN and other broad-spectrum testing measures, discussing their purpose, efficacy and foibles.

Large-scale student assessments are promoted by governments and education systems as important for student and national development, and also important for guiding educational and social policy. The Federal Government has set a goal for Australia to improve its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranking by becoming one of the top five nations in reading, maths and science by 2025.

However, critics of PISA, NAPLAN, and other large-scale assessments suggest these tests can commodify education, may not sufficiently allow for cultural nuances and valuing of different educational contexts, constrain curriculum and cannot meaningfully differentiate countries in its rankings.

In his talk, 'PISA and other large-scale student assessments. What are they for, what do they yield, and can we do better?' Mr Andreas Schleicher, Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy at the OECD, will explore how assessments may be more effectively applied in the future.

Students representing more than 70 countries and economies have participated in the PISA programme, including Australia.