University of Oslo Workshops June 29-30 Conference July 1-3 ...

2nd Day, Keynote Presentation, 8.30-9.30, July 2, 2010
Time Activities
08:00-16:00 Registration on Entrance floor
08:30-09:30 Keynote Presentation (AK K.H. Aula)
Chair: Prof. Liv Sissel Grønmo
Prof. Ina Mullis & Prof. Michael Martin
Executive Directors, TIMSS & PIRLS Intl Study Center,
Boston College
Measuring Trends in TIMSS and PIRLS: Challenges,
Perspectives, and Solutions
Summary
Measuring trends over time in student achievement in mathematics, science,
and reading are fundamental goals of IEA’s TIMSS (Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (Progress in International
Reading Literacy Study). Countries participating in TIMSS since its
inception in 1995 have regular data tracking student achievement in
mathematics and science at fourth and eighth grades through 1995, 1999,
2003, 2007, and 2011 (in progress). Similarly, PIRLS countries have trend
data on fourth-grade students’ reading comprehension from 2001, 2006, and
2011 (in progress). Recognizing the methodological challenges of measuring
trends in student achievement in a constantly changing educational
environment, TIMSS and PIRLS are designed to evolve gradually from
assessment cycle to cycle, adapting to global changes in educational policy,
curriculum standards, and methodological advances. Keeping the present as
the point of reference while linking back to previous assessments, each
TIMSS or PIRLS assessment cycle reviews and revises the assessment
framework, introduces new assessment items to keep current, and includes
items from previous cycles to maintain the measurement link. To enable
participating countries monitor changes over time in the achievement of
their student populations, TIMSS and PIRLS use item response theory (IRT)
methods to report achievement on scales that preserve the same metric from
assessment cycle to assessment cycle.
…
09:30-10:00 Coffee break
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