PISA testing for 5 year olds
Since 2012, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been working to develop cross-national testing of 5-year-olds, what they have called the 'International Early learning and child well-being study' (IELS). This is part of OECD's strategy to develop a range of 'ILSAs' (International Large-Scale Assessments'), of which PISA for 15-year-olds is the best known. The first round of IELS testing took place in 2018-2019, though only three countries agreed to participate - Estonia, USA and England. OECD reported the results of this round in 2020.
Earlier this year, I heard that OECD was launching a second round of IELS testing, which had rather more participants - including England once again (though Estonia and the USA have decided not to join this second round). I have just confirmed that the new government in England is continuing to participate in ‘IELS 2025’.
Together with several other early childhood academics, I have been attempting to bring this development to a wider audience through a series of four short articles appearing (free of charge) in the journal Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood (CIEC). A fifth short article has just appeared in CIEC, and can be read here
I am concerned that there has been little attempt by government to publicise England’s two-times participation in IELS, or indeed to consult with the early years sector about the decision. Nor does there appear to have been any attempt by government to acknowledge or respond to the criticisms of IELS that have been made by experts from a range of countries (and which can be found in the CIEC articles referred to above).
If you are able to spread word and encourage discussion of this contentious and under-reported policy decision, I would be very grateful
Emeritus Professor Peter Moss
Thomas Coram Research Unit
UCL Institute of Education
