Finland was not at the top of the PISA league tables in the latest assessment. So what does this mean for the future?
Here, Pasi Sahlberg explains that Finland never cared about being first.
What it wanted most was to have the kind of education that was best for youth development.
What will happen now that its scores have dropped?
Sahlberg writes:
Finland should not do what many other countries have done when they have looked for a cure to their ill-performing school systems. Common solutions have included market-based reforms, such as increasing competition between schools, standardization of teaching and learning, tougher test-based accountability and privatization of public schools. Instead, Finns must protect their schools from the Global Educational Reform Movement (GERM) that has failed to help schools to get better in other countries. The better way for Finland is to ensure that schools are able to cope with increasing inequality, that teachers have tools to help students with individual needs, and that all schools get support to succeed.
PISA results are too often presented as a simple league table of education systems. But there is much more that the data reveal. The Finnish school system continues to be one of the most equitable among the OECD countries. This means that in Finland, students’ learning in school is less affected by their family backgrounds than in most other countries. Schools in Finland remain fairly equal in learning outcomes despite the rapid growth of non-Finnish speaking children in schools.
Finland should also continue to let national education and youth policies — and not PISA — drive what is happening in schools. Reading, science, and mathematics are important in Finnish education system but so are social studies, arts, music, physical education, and various practical skills. Play and joy of learning characterize Finland’s pre-schools and elementary classrooms. Many teachers and parents in Finland believe that the best way to learn mathematics and science is to combine conceptual, abstract learning with singing, drama, and sports. This balance between academic and non-academic learning is critical to children’s well-being and happiness in school. PISA tells only a little about these important aspects of school education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
What does the PISA report tell USA about US education:
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Beautiful video. Honest about the data. And much more useful than the general PISA-bashing in style this year.
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What Mr. Sahlberg is pointing out is the distinction between what Fenstermacher & Richardson (2005) have named “successful schools” and “good schools.” Successful schools require a quantifiable outcome that is evidence of student learning. Good schools focus on the process of education —balanced curriculum, ambitious teaching, inclusive environments—and let the test scores take care of themselves.W. Edwards Deming, the father of TQM, (who incidentally warned that his methods should never be applied to education), warned of the danger of end point measurement systems. Even in the private sector, Deming noted, the focus on quantifiable outcomes can distort the processes designed to produce quality. The shame of the accountability movement is taking away from children the opportunity to learn in a joyful and meaningful school environment — a good school. In the pursuit of successful schooling, administrators and law makers have been victimized by end point thinking. We will never be able to link what teachers do in classrooms with some quantifiable outcome. What we can do in schools is make every effort to make a child’s experience in school a meaningful one—the processes that teachers are pursuing in Finland.
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Amen, Alan.
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Alan C. Jones ~ I could not have said it better.
I respect countries that decide to do Right By Kids and stick to that. US is chasing everything New & Improved, constantly. It gets old! We can’t even agree to stop the ToxicTesting when it cuts into losing many instructional days for test prep, and when it harms kids and teachers. Most of all, children are now used, more than ever, to line the profit lined pockets of the super wealthy in the US.
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Super take on Finland and PISA scores.
Again, thank you for your insights.
Darlene
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Thank you, Alan C. Jones, your eloquent polemic has captured the essence of our desires as teachers. I will steal your quote, and my addled test strained brain shall strive to properly attribute the quote.
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So when Finland’s scores are good, that proves that we ought to be imitating their school system. When Finland’s scores drop, that proves that we shouldn’t care about test scores and that we should still be imitating Finland’s school system.
No matter what the evidence shows, the lesson is still going to be that we should imitate Finland. Why not just cut to the chase and admit that evidence is completely beside the point?
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Enjoyed WT’s comment. Responses? Incidentally, last year both Minnesota and Mass did better than Finland on TIMMS. Perhaps there are things to learn from Finland, Minnesota & Massachusetts – none of which are perfect, each of which are doing some things well.
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Here’s a newspaper column I wrote about a year ago about some of the reasons that Minnesota did somewhat better than Finland on another international test:
http://forestlaketimes.com/2012/12/27/test-scores-a-gift-to-state/
Minnesota eighth-graders stack up well in math, science
Joe Nathan
Education Columnist
How about a Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza compliment for Minnesota’s eighth grade students’ knowledge of math and science? Recently released results of an international study in those fields had encouraging news for Minnesota, and a surprise. Here’s a summary, followed by what the results may mean.
Let’s begin with the surprise. Over the last few years, Finland has been cited as a model, based on international tests results released several years ago. Finland was first in the world, without any state or national testing, among with other policies.
Finland didn’t score first on any of the four just released mathematics and science tests. It was in the top 10, but in the top five on only one of the assessments.
And here’s the compliment: Minnesota’s eighth grade students did considerably better than Finnish counterparts in math, and slightly better in science. Minnesota eighth graders rank in the top 10 among the 63 countries and 14 “other entities” that participated. (Not enough Minnesota fourth graders were tested separately to show how they did compared to others). Massachusetts eighth graders also ranked ahead of their counterparts in Finland and Minnesota.
In math, eighth grade Minnesota students were seventh (after several Asian countries and Massachusetts). Finland ranked 10th, including both countries and the states. Minnesota eighth grade students improved from a score of 518 in 1995 to 545 in 2011. Finnish eighth graders dropped from 520 in 1995 to 514 in 2011.
In science, eighth grade Minnesota students ranked sixth, one point ahead of Finland.
The report was done by TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), based in Boston. It’s available at http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2011/ Along with the 63 countries, the “other entities” including among others, are the states of Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina and Canadian provinces. Each had a “representative sample” of students in the study. The research began in 1995. The latest results come from tests taken in 2011.
The top performers were in almost every case, Singapore, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, all countries or regions with strong assessment programs. As the report noted in describing math results “At the eighth grade, clearly the East Asian countries, particularly Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea, are pulling away from the rest of the world by a considerable margin. “
Among the participating nations, the United States ranked 11th in fourth-grade math, ninth in eighth-grade math, seventh in fourth-grade science and 10th in eighth-grade science (not including the “other entities”).
What’s happened in Minnesota over the last decade that can help explain these results? First, give credit to teachers, students and the Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Business Partnership, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota High Tech Council, Minnesota Office of Higher Education and a group called “SciMath Minnesota.”
As former Minnesota Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren recalled this week, “These groups worked together to host teacher workshops all over Minnesota. Several of these groups also did career workshops for students and/or created materials to help promote the value of math and science. Many teachers told us these were the most valuable workshops they had attended in years.”
Part of Minnesota’s economy depends on companies that need people well trained in these areas. As we made decisions about the environment, it helps to have more people who understand scientific principles. The new reports also cite the value of strong early childhood education, and family involvement. Around the world, students who had both scored higher than those who didn’t.
As legislators establish priorities in 2013, I hope they consider this report. Among other things, we should modify testing, but not eliminate it. Expanding high quality early childhood programs also should be a priority.
Thirty-three year Minnesota Educator Mike Lindstrom, formerly with the Anoka-Hennepin district and formerly director of SciMath Minnesota thinks new, higher state standards helped. He agreed with Seagren’s wise conclusion: “Give educators and key partners credit for what has been accomplished. But recognize there’s much more that can and should be done.”
Joe Nathan received awards from parent, professional and student groups for his work as a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator. He directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome at joe@centerforschoolchange.org.
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