>> Labour Market Relevance and Outcomes of Higher Education in Four US States: Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington
Across OECD countries, higher education graduates enjoy higher employment rates and earnings than workers with only an upper secondary qualification. However, not all graduates find jobs that make full use of their skills and help them launch rewarding careers, and employers in some economic sectors point to a lack of qualified graduates. Policy makers are concerned about the current alignment of higher education systems to labour markets, and are increasingly uneasy about the future of work and the resilience of higher education systems in uncertain economic times. This report, which focuses on four US states – Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington – is the third of a series of country-specific reviews conducted as part of the OECD project on the labour market relevance and outcomes of higher education. The report offers a comprehensive review of graduate outcomes and policies supporting alignment between higher education and the labour market in the four participating states in 2018-19, an overview of the US labour market and higher education context, and a range of policy examples from across OECD jurisdictions to help improve the alignment of higher education and the labour market.
>> Education in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has embarked upon an unprecedented reform agenda known as Vision 2030, which aims to create a dynamic, diverse and sustainable economy. To meet the demands of a 21st century, knowledge-based labour market, Saudi Arabia must develop a highly-skilled population, which puts education at the centre of Vision 2030. This review, developed in co-operation with the Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia, analyses the strengths and challenges of the country's education system and makes recommendations to help improve student learning. It will be of interest to policy makers in Saudi Arabia and international audiences who wish to learn about the country's ambitious reform efforts.
>> Quality Early Childhood Education and Care for Children Under Age 3: Results from the Starting Strong Survey 2018
The experience of children under age 3 with early childhood education and care (ECEC) is crucial for their learning, development and well-being and for parents’ return to work. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of ECEC for the youngest children, little is known about this sector.
The OECD Starting Strong Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS Starting Strong) is the first international survey that focuses on the ECEC workforce. It asks staff and leaders about themselves and their settings, including the practices they use with children and their views on the sector. This thematic report focusses on ECEC for children under age 3, an option of the Survey in which four countries (Denmark, Germany, Israel and Norway) participated. The report answers many questions that are important for parents, actors in the field, and policy makers.
>> Education Policy Outlook Country Profile: Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Portugal and Turkey
Today's education policies shape the path for individuals' greater resilience for tomorrow. So where do education systems stand today in terms of strengths, challenges and ongoing efforts, and how do they compare to other systems? The Education Policy Outlook country policy profiles offer a concise response, bringing together over a decade's worth of policy analysis by the Education Policy Outlook, as well as the latest OECD data, relevant thematic and country-specific work and other international and national evidence. These latest country policy profiles on Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Portugal and Turkey also offer analysis of education systems' initial responses to the COVID-19 crisis.
Whether you want to know more about how a specific country's education system performs, understand how systems compare or gain insight into education policy developments over the last 12 years, the Education Policy Outlook country policy profiles are an excellent place to start!
>> Resourcing Higher Education: Challenges, Choices and Consequences
Investment in higher education in OECD countries has increased substantially over the last 20 years, as a result of higher enrolment, increasing costs, government priorities related to skills, and research and innovation. Faced with economic and fiscal challenges, public authorities across the OECD need now more than ever to make thoughtful decisions about how to mobilise, allocate and manage financial and human resources in higher education. Effective action on the part of governments requires knowledge of international trends and alternative policy approaches; evidence from research and policy evaluations; and the practical experience of peers in other countries. The OECD Higher Education Resources Project addresses these needs by providing an accessible international evidence base for policy makers in Resourcing Higher Education, and targeted system-specific analyses in upcoming policy briefs and national policy reviews.
>> Teaching in the United Arab Emirates: 10 Lessons from TALIS
>> PISA 2018 Results (Volume IV): Are Students Smart about Money?
The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning outcomes attained around the world, and allow educators and policy makers to learn from the policies and practices applied in other countries. This is one of six volumes that present the results of the PISA 2018 survey, the seventh round of the triennial assessment. Volume IV, Are Students Smart about Money?, examines 15-year-old students' understanding about money in the 20 countries and economies that participated in this optional assessment.
>> OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Albania
Albania has made improvements in access to education and in raising learning outcomes over the last two decades, moving from one of the lowest performers in the Western Balkans to one of the fastest improvers. However, a large share of students in Albania continue to leave school without mastering basic competencies needed for work and life and disparities persist across population groups. This review, developed in co-operation with UNICEF, provides Albania with recommendations to help strengthen its evaluation and assessment system to focus on support for student learning. It will be of interest to Albania, as well as other countries looking to make more effective use of their evaluation and assessment system to improve quality and equity, and result in better outcomes for all students.
>> WELCOME COLOMBIA!
>> TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals
Understanding teachers and school leaders as "professionals" means having high expectations of them as advanced knowledge workers. It means they should not only conduct their work in an effective manner, but also strive to improve their skills throughout their career, collaborate with colleagues and parents to work towards school improvement, and think creatively about the challenges they face. However, if we expect teachers and schools leaders to act as professionals, we should treat them as such. This report aims to provide an in-depth analysis of teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of the value of their profession, their work-related well-being and stress, and their satisfaction with their working conditions. It also offers a description of teachers’ and school leaders’ contractual arrangements, opportunities to engage in professional tasks such as collaborative teamwork, autonomous decision making, and leadership practices. Based on the voice of teachers and school leaders, the report offers a series of policy recommendations to help strengthen the professionalisation of teaching careers.
The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the largest international survey asking teachers and school leaders about their working conditions and learning environments, and provides a barometer of the profession every five years. Results from the 2018 cycle explore and examine the various dimensions of teacher and school leader professionalism across education systems.
>> Early Learning and Child Well-being: A Study of Five-year Olds in England, Estonia, and the United States
The first five years of a child’s life is a period of great opportunity, and great risk. The cognitive and social and emotional skills that children develop in these early years have long-lasting impacts on their later outcomes throughout schooling and adulthood. The International Early Learning and Child Well-Being Study was designed to help countries assess their children’s skills and development, to understand how these relate to children’s early learning experiences and well-being. The study provides countries with comparative data on children’s early skills to assist countries to better identify factors that promote or hinder children’s early learning.
Three countries participated in this study in 2018: England (United Kingdom), Estonia and the United States. The study directly assessed the emergent literacy and numeracy, self-regulation and social-emotional skills of a representative sample of five-year-old children in registered school and ECEC settings in each participating country. It also collected contextual and assessment information from the children’s parents and teachers. This comparative report sets out the findings from the study as a whole.
Individual country reports presenting the findings in each participating country (England (United Kingdom), Estonia and the United States) are also available. These country reports also provide comparative data on children’s early skills with children from the other two countries who also participated in the study, to better identify factors that promote or hinder children’s early learning.
>> OECD Reviews of Evaluation and Assessment in Education: Serbia
The Republic of Serbia’s education system performs well compared to other countries in the Western Balkans. There have been improvements in access to education and international assessments show that learning outcomes are on the rise. However, a large share of Serbian students continue to leave school without mastering basic competencies and efforts to achieve educational excellence are jeopardised by limited institutional capacity and low levels of public spending on education. This review, developed in cooperation with UNICEF, provides Serbia with recommendations to help strengthen its evaluation and assessment system to focus on support for student learning. It will be of interest to Serbia, as well as other countries looking to make more effective use of their evaluation and assessment system to improve quality and equity, and result in better outcomes for all students.
>> PISA 2018 Results (Volumes I, II and III)
The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning outcomes attained around the world, and allow educators and policy makers to learn from the policies and practices applied in other countries. Here are three of the six volumes that present the results of the PISA 2018 survey, the seventh round of the triennial assessment.
Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do, provides a detailed examination of student performance in reading, mathematics and science, and describes how performance has changed since previous PISA assessments.
Volume II, Where All Students Can Succeed, examines gender differences in student performance, and the links between students’ socio-economic status and immigrant background, on the one hand, and student performance and well-being, on the other.
Volume III, What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, focuses on the physical and emotional health of students, the role of teachers and parents in shaping the school climate, and the social life at school. The volume also examines indicators of student well-being, and how these are related to the school climate.
Chart of the month: Are Students Smart About Money? Results from PISA 2018 Volume IV
Source: PISA 2018 Vol IV
