Janison announces strategic partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

In April 2019, Janison was chosen by the OECD as the international platform provider for the PISA-based Test for Schools (PBTS). PBTS is an online, voluntary assessment that supports school improvement efforts and benchmarking. The partnership is a significant milestone and achievement which cements Janison’s presence on the world stage as an education technology provider.

What is the OECD?

The OECD comprises 36 member countries and provides a forum in which governments can work together to measure and promote policies that drive economic, social and environmental change.

Among the activities of the OECD is its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) school assessment, which was delivered in 80 countries and economies in 2018. PISA’s results have informed education policy discussions at a national and global level since its inception in the late 1990s.

What is the PISA-based Test for Schools (PBTS)?

Like PISA, the PBTS assesses 15-year-old students at a crucial juncture in their schooling – as they near the end of compulsory education. It measures how well they have mastered key subjects and skills that are essential for them to participate in modern adult life.

To date, the PBTS has been administered in more than 10 countries including the US, Russia, Brazil, Spain, UAE and the UK. It differs from PISA in that it allows for school-level results, and allows individual schools to benchmark their performance with that of national education systems from around the world.

Andreas Schleicher, the OECD Director for Education and Skills, welcomed the new partnership with Janison and said: “School principals, teachers and educators need high quality data on the core competences and motivation of their students if they are to make a difference in their lives. The PISA-based Test for Schools delivers such data to where it counts most – the school itself.”

What solution is Janison providing and what is its impact?

As well as providing the digital platform in numerous languages, Janison will also create additional custom reporting and localised features to meet the needs of each of the countries participating in the PBTS program.

By adopting Janison Insights to deliver the assessment, the OECD will be able to reduce costs and provide access to results and reports faster. The impact of this is that a larger number and range of schools around the world will be able to participate and share the benefits. To this end, being part of this project greatly furthers Janison’s vision to reshape how education is delivered across the globe.

Wayne Houlden, Janison’s founder and Commercial Director, who led the way in forging the partnership, said: “We are excited to be partnering with the OECD team of experts on this project.

“It offers a unique opportunity for our software and services to be utilised in many countries, and for our teams to be actively engaged with education experts from around the world who share our goals to provide platforms which contribute to the improvement of the quality of educational practices.”

When will the first tests be delivered?

The project is now well under way, with the first assessments in some countries to commence from October 2019.